The Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Astrid Kessler, soprano
Tommi Hakala, baritone

The August night invites the listener on a nocturnal adventure in the glow of the moonlight. This evening is a night of great poetry and abundant romance! Love, night, and oriental mysticism weave into a tale that begins with anguish and leads to deep peace.

Arnold Schönberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” (Transfigured Night) was composed in 1917. It was inspired by the composer’s memories of his infatuation with the sister of his teacher Alexander von Zemlinsky, who later went on to compose his Lyric Symphony (1923) influenced by Schönberg’s early works’ hyper-expression and Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” (The Song of the Earth) profound orientalism.

Zemlinsky wrote his Lyric Symphony to the dreamlike love poems of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. Schönberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” is a late-Romantic string tone poem inspired by the eponymous Richard Dehmel poem, where a moonlit stroll leads to a drama of human relationships.

The concert is organized in collaboration with the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

Espoo Cultural Centre, Tapiola Hall
Kulttuuriaukio 2, 02100 Espoo