Bartók's Duke Bluebeard's castle
How much truth can love bear? That is the question at play in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle , a psychological thriller of the purest kind. A budding couple and seven fatal questions—nothing more is needed to make the tension almost unbearable for the listener. The demanding vocal parts are perfectly entrusted to Jennifer Johnston and Gerald Finley. The overwhelming music, in which Bartók masterfully pulls out all the stops of the orchestra, does the rest.
Dvořák's Symphony No. 7
Future chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä also leads Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony – a superior symphony full of dark drama, in which the Bohemian master once again takes off his hat to Johannes Brahms, who had done so much for him. Folk music influences are nowhere to be found here; the composer has a more universal message, aimed at the whole world. After a turbulent emotional journey, a glorious light breaks through towards the end.