Organ Night & Aria Festival – June 4 – August 31, 2020

The magic of music and summer nights

Greetings from Festival Director Erkki Korhonen

JUNE

THU 4TH JUNE AT 19                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

39/37/14 €

OPENING CONCERT

Tobias Feldmann

Reinhard Goebel

Tapiola Sinfonietta

Tapiola Sinfonietta opens the Organ Night & Aria festival summer 2020 on 4th June in the Espoo cathedral with a splendid programme, which will be performed the same week at Germany’s famous Mozart Festival. The orchestra is directed by conductor Reinhard Goebel, who is particularly known for his expertise in old music.

The concert is a tribute to Austrian composers of the classical period. The opening performance will be Anton Eberl’s charming Symphony No. 3, contemporary with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. The symphonies had their first public performance in the same concert, and then Eberl’s symphony was considered better.

Eberlin’s symphony will be accompanied by two works of Franz Clement. He was a composer also renowned as a violin virtuoso.

Tobias Feldmann, successful in several remarkable competitions, will display his skills as a soloist in Clement’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Variations on Mozart’s Theme for Violin and Orchestra Op.1.

Two works by Mozart will be heard as the closure of the concert: Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, composed for a string orchestra; and Fantasy in C Minor, originally composed for the piano.

PROGRAMME

Anton Eberl (1765–1807)

Symphony No. 3, Eb major

Franz Clement (1780–1842)

Violin Concerto No. 2, D minor

Intermission

Franz Clement (1780–1842)

Variations on Mozart’s Theme for Violin and Orchestra Op.1

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Adagio and Fugue for Strings, C minor, K. 546

Fantasy in C minor, arr. Stegman, K. 465

Duration about 2 h 15 min

 

THU 11TH JUNE AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

39/37/14 €

A SUMMER NIGHT’S CLASSICS

Waltteri Torikka, baritone

Barbora Hilpo, viola

Marko Hilpo, piano

The charismatic baritone Waltteri Torikka will perform well-loved summery tunes with Marko Hilpo on the piano and Barbora Hilpo on the viola. The music in the concert comes from Finland and around the world: some famous and some more rarely heard gems for a summer evening.

Waltteri Torikka is an awarded opera and concert singer of the new generation. Mr Torikka has performed as a soloist with dozens of Finnish and international opera and concert projects, as well as co-worked with Finnish and international top musicians: conductors, directors, singers, and players.

Pianist Marko Hilpo, awarded in international competitions, has performed around the world on solo recitals, as a lied pianist and a chamber musician; and also as the soloist for several Finnish orchestras. Barbora Hilpo is a Checzh violist residing in Finland, who has also performed in numerous countries and given concerts at several international music festivals.

Composers:

Schuman, Merikanto, Sonninen, Fougstedt, Sondheim, Rota, Dalla, Rodrigo

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 18TH JUNE AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

FREE ENTRANCE!

MIDSUMMER SOIRÉE – AN ODE TO JOY!               

Hedvig Paulig, soprano

Henri Tikkanen, baritone

Erkki Korhonen, piano and organ

Come join us to spend a midsummer’s evening enjoying songs, music, and community spirit – such an uplifting combination! The programme consists of a summer’s most beautiful sing-togethers and summery tunes with soloists. Free entrance!

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 25TH JUNE AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

29/27/14 €

ONLY LOVE?

Laura Juvonen, soprano

Jussi Vänttinen, baritone

Erkki Korhonen, piano

Lipponen Foundation’s soloists for the year 2020, Laura Juvonen and Jussi Vänttinen, create a literally lovely atmosphere with songs, serenades and love-themed duets, accompanied by pianist Erkki Korhonen.

Composers:

Kern, Duparc, Strauss, Korngold, Kuula, Madetoja, Lloyd Webber, Lehár, Rautavaara

In co-operation with Kansan Sivistysrahasto / Lipponen Foundation

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

JULY

THU 2ND JULY AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

39/37/14 €

LA RÊVEUSE – THE DREAMER

Kajsa Dahlbäck, soprano

Helsinki Baroque Orchestra:

Heidi Peltoniemi, viol

Eero Palviainen, lute

Aapo Häkkinen, cembalo & organ

Fantasy and emotion are the focus of the concert programme, which carries the listener away to France in the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. The music will be flooded with capturing melodies: a touch of love and longing and occasionally deep melancholy, expressed by a intimate ensemble of lute, cembalo, organ, viol, and human voice.

The programme coils around the atmosphere created in the viol piece La Rêveuse (The Dreamer), composed by Marin Marais. Composers of lesser fame, and music composed and arranged by women, will also be presented through the works of Christoph Ballard, Joseph de La Barre, Hélène-Louise Demars, Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, and Julie Pinel. Emotions, planted in tunes centuries ago, are relevant to this day – the creative power of long gone poets will lift us above our daily struggle.

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 9TH JULY AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

29/27/14 €

FEELINGS ON FIRE

Cynthia Makris, soprano

Raimo Sirkiä, tenor

Erkki Korhonen, piano

Dramatics and fiery feelings in an evening of summer – a treat to us from Cynthia Markis and Raimo Sirkiä, familiar folks from international opera stages. The concert will overwhelm us with a colourful spectrum of scorching emotion.

Composers:

Verdi, Poulenc, Puccini, Dvořák, Strauss

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 16TH JULY AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

29/27/14 €

UNLEASH THE ORGAN VIRTUOSI!

Jimi Järvinen, organ

Arttu Selonen, organ

Aleksanteri Wallius, organ

The cathedral’s vaults will be filled by flamboyant music as three young, talented prime organists combine their strenght.

PROGRAMME

Aleksanteri Wallius:

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): 

Fantasy in G minor, BWV 542

Trio Sonate in C minor, BWV 526: II Largo, III Allegro

Jean Guillou (1930-2019):

Toccata Op. 9

Jimi Järvinen: 

Louis Vierne (1870-1937):

Deuxiéme Symphonie pour grand orgue: III Scherzo

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937):

Symphonie pour orgue: I Allegro vivace

Jimi Järvinen & Arttu Selonen

B.H. Crusell (1775-1838):

March

Trad: March of the Finnish Cavalry During the Thirty Years War

Arttu Selonen

Oskar Lindberg (1887-1955):

Gammal fäbödpsalm från Dalarna

Franz Liszt (1811-1886):

Präludium & Fuge über den Namen BACH

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 23RD JULY AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

39/37/14 €

ROMANTICISM OF BRIGHT NIGHTS

Stefan Astachov, baritone

Kirill Kozlovsky, piano

The concert is a set combined by pianist Kirill Kozlovsky and the winner of 2019’s Mirjam Helin song contest, baritone Stefan Astachov. It focuses around the city of St. Petersburgh, its culture, and its atmosphere. The programme will provide romantic Russian songs: the song cycle Peterburg by Georgy Sviridov, and assorted songs and piano pieces by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Musogorsk, Glinka, and Cui.

PROGRAMME:

Alexander Borodin – “In the Monastery”, from a small cycle for piano

Cesar Cui – “Carskosel’skaya statuya” (Pushkin)

Mikhail Glinka – “Zhavoronok” (Kukolnik)

Mikhail Glinka – “Poputnaya pesnya” (Kukolnik)

Pyotr Tchaikovsky – “Sred shumnogo bala” (Tolstoi)

Modest Musogorsk – Intermezzo

Georgy Sviridov – “Peterburg”. A vocal poem for baritone and piano, to the texts of Alexander Blok

1. Fljuger
2. Zolotoje veslo
3. Nevesta
4. Golos iz hora
5. Ja prigvozhden k traktirnoj stojke
6. Veter prines izdaljoka
7. Peterburgskaja pesenka
8. Rozhdjonnyje v goda gluhije
9. Bogomater v gorode

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 30TH JULY AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

29/27/14 €

BIRDSONG IN A SUMMER NIGHT – ESPOON BAROKKI 5Y!

Olga Heikkilä, soprano

Tomi Satomaa, organ

ESPOON BAROKKI:

Hanna Haapamäki, traverso and recorder

Kirsti Apajalahti, violin

Anna Pohjola, violin

Riittaliisa Hakulinen, viola

Elina Mattila, cello

Lassi Kari, contrabass

Laura Vihreäpuu, cembalo

Espoon barokki, celebrating its 5th anniversary, presents nature-themed music by Georg Friedrich Händel. Among the trees, many small birds can be heard: the nightingale, the cuckoo, the skylark, and others. Espoon barokki has invited soprano Olga Heikkilä, Espoo resident, and organist Tomi Satomaa, also originally from Espoo, as their soloists.

PROGRAMME:

Georg Friedrich Händel

Concerto grosso G major Op. 3 No.3 HWV 314

I Largo e staccato

II Adagio

III Allegro

From the oratorio Solomon, HWV 67

Recitative ”No more shall armed bands our hopes destroy” and aria ”Beneath the vine or fig-tree’s shade”

Johann Sebastian Bach (Johann Ernst)

Organ Concerto in G major, BWV 592

I Vivace

II Grave

III Presto

Georg Friedrich Händel

From the opera Xerxes, HWV 40

Symphony from 3rd act

Recitative ”Frondi tenere” and aria ”Ombra mai fu”

From the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a

Aria “Augelletti che cantate”

Concerto for organ, strings, and basso continuo, F major, ”The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”, HWV 295

I Larghetto

II Allegro

III Larghetto

IV Allegro

From oratorio Semele, HWV 58

Aria ”The morning lark to mine accords his note”

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

AUGUST

THU 6TH AUGUST AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

39/37/14 €

THE POWER OF OPERA!                

Chorus of the FNO & soloists; directors Mehilane & Ozbic

The shining stars of this evening will be the diverse opera singers of Finnish National Opera. The programme consists of a cavalcade of opera gems, from tremendous choir pieces to the most beautiful opera arias.

Composers:

Mascagni, Wagner, Mozart, Sallinen, Kokkonen, Pacius

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 13TH AUGUST AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

29/27/14 €

HIGHLIGHTS AND CLASSICS OF IMPROVISATION

Esa Pietilä, tenor saxophone

Pétur Sakari, organ

Music without borders or genre trenches. The programme of the duo consisting of saxophonist Esa Pietilä and organ artist Pétur Sakari is all about virtuoso improvisation, the duo’s own arrangements, and music composed by Mr Pietilä.

Esa Pietilä’s many-surfaced expression moves fluidly in many areas of music and combines them in a creative manner. Mr Pietilä has performed in different projects with musical ensembles and chamber musicians, and he also plays concerts as a soloist for orchestras. He has composed music for several projects of his own, as well as for others by request, ranging from solo pieces to convoluted compositions. Esa Pietilä has received numerous awards both in his homeland and internationally.

Pétur Sakari has performed at many festivals in Finland, at international organ festivals, and on a twelve-concert tour in Germany in 2011. Mr Sakari has played with many Finnish orchestras and co-operated with, among others, Soile Isokoski, Jorma Hynninen, Ville Rusanen, and Jorma Uotinen. He has been named the Young Artist of the Year in Turku Cathedral (2010), in Pori Organ (2010), Lahti International Organ Week (2009) and in the Turku Organ Fest (2006).

PROGRAMME:

Galaxy (improvisation)

Jupiter (improvisation)

Vocalise (Sergei Rachmaninov)

Saturn – Fantasy For Tenor Saxophone And Organ (Pietilä)

Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme (J. S. Bach)

Libertango (Astor Piazzolla)

Oblivion (Astor Piazzolla)

Duration about 1 h 15 min

 

THU 20TH AUGUST AT 21                 

ESPOO CATHEDRAL

29/27/14 €

THE SEASONS OF LIED                  

Sami Luttinen, bass

Tuula Hällström, piano

Bass Sami Luttinen, who has performed around Europe’s opera stages with great success for 25 years, and Tuula Hällström, one of Finland’s prime lied pianists, offer gems of lied music from the past two centuries.

The songs have been grouped according to the atmospheres of each season. The concert begins with the spring of lied, from Beethoven’s songs to Goethe’s poems. The magnificent blooming of summer is represented by masterful Mörike songs by Hugo Wolf. As autumn steps in, past life will be gently observed in words by Lassi Nummi in Mikko Heiniö’s song cycle Syyskesän laulu. Come winter, when nature itself withers, Mussogorsky’s powerful Songs and Dances of Death will overwhelm us.

PROGRAMME:

SPRING

Ludwig van Beethoven

Songs to poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mailied  Op.52 No.4

Wonne der Wehmut  Op.83 No.1

Aus Goethes Faust  Op.75 No.3

SUMMER

Hugo Wolf

Songs to poems by Eduard Mörike

Der Genesene an die Hoffnung

Fußreise

Um Mitternacht

Der Gärtner

Heimweh

Selbstgeständnis

–  Intermission  –

AUTUMN

Mikko Heiniö

Syyskesän laulu, Op.89a  (Lassi Nummi)

1. Suuri valo
2. Kun saavumme tähän hetkeen
3. Tämä outo seutu
4. Virran partaalla
5. Välimeri
6. Taivaalla kuu
7. Syyskesä

WINTER

Modest Mussorgsky

Songs and Dances of Death  (Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov)

1. Lullaby (Kolybel‘naja)
2. Serenade (Serenada)
3. Trepak
4. The Field Marshal (Polkovodets)

Duration about 1 h 30 min

 

Ludwig van Beethoven

FIDELIO

ESPOO CULTURAL CENTRE

Mon 24th August at 19                                                                                                                        

Wed 26th August at 19

Mon 31st August at 19

Conductor Okko Kamu

Director Erik Söderblom

Tapiola Sinfonietta

The festival choir of Organ Night and Aria

Don Fernando – Ilkka Vihavainen

Don Pizzarro – Rolf Broman

Florestan – Jussi Myllys

Leonore – Miina-Liisa Värelä

Rocco – Matti Salminen

Marzeline – Saara Kiiveri

Jaquino – Markus Nykänen

Prisoner of conscience. Secrecy. Special court of justice. Body inspection. Tracking. User information. Enforcement. Use of force. Special troops. War industry. Troll. State machinery. Manipulation. Official decision. Deprivation of liberty. Fake news. Border inspection. Proselytizing. Counterintelligence. Information leak. Roadblock. Government violence.

Dark words, like a black cloud in the horizon. World – where are you going?

The opera Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed over two centuries ago, bears an uncanny resemblance to our time. The story and themes of the opera seem like a continuation to a news broadcast, and are simultaneously a timeless description on the use and abuse of power. The performance itself relies on mankind and wisdom: the central pillar is Rocco, portrayed by Matti Salminen. Okko Kamu leads Tapiola Sinfonietta and a selection of Finland’s prime soloists.

We live in days where opinions become truth, and truth itself has become dangerous – but for whom? Somewhere, in the darkness, a colossal monster rears its head. Resisting it calls for courage. This is what Fidelio is about: courage, civilian courage. It presents how each and all of us can resist wanton use of power directed at us. Fidelio also keeps up hope: justice triumphs in the end.

Fidelio is a part of the programme of Helsinki Festival

Duration about 2 h 30 min

 

CONCERT VENUEs

Espoo Cathedral, Kirkkopuisto 5, Espoo

Espoo Cultural Centre, Kulttuuriaukio 2, Espoo

 

BEFORE THE CONCERTS

In Espoo Cathedral

Meet the artists every Thursday (excl. 18th June) at 20–20.30 in Pitäjäntupa, near the Espoo Cathedral (4th June at 18-18.30)

Artists of the evening will tell us about their chosen repertoire of the concert. You’ll also be able to catch up on their latest doings. Hosted by festival director Erkki Korhonen.

Presentation of the organ in Espoo Cathedral

Would you like to know more about the organ of Espoo Cathedral? Cantor Petri Koivusalo will share some interesting details about the instrument in Finnish 16th July at 19.30-20, Markus Malmgren in Swedish 13th August at 19.30-20.

Concert café at the nearby chapel is open one hour before the concert.

 

TICKETS

Concerts in the Espoo Cathedral

EUR 39/37/14      1^st price category

EUR 29/27/14      2^nd price category

(normal price / pensioners / students and children under 18)

 

Fidelio in the Espoo Cultural Centre

EUR 79/69/25

(normal price / pensioners / students and children under 18)

 

Discounts to the conserts in the Espoo Cathedral:

• Pensioners, unemployed and conscripts: 2 € off in the 1^st and 2^nd price categories

• Students and children under 18: tickets 14 € in every price category

• Groups minimum of 10 persons -20 %

• Free ticket with Kaikukortti to the concerts in the Espoo Cathedral. When purchased at ticket outlets, a service fee 1,50 € + delivery fee must be paid. At the door without fees
• Sets of tickets
  • Set of 3 tickets for three different concerts purchased at one time, a 10 % discount (no any other discounts).
  • Set of 5 tickets for five different concerts purchased at one time, a 20 % discount (no any other discounts).

 

BUY TICKETS AT

 

Ticket sales at the door begin one hour before each concert.

No refunds on ticket purchases.

Notice: Tickets for wheel chairs, Kaikukortti tickets and sets of tickets are sold only in full-service ticket outlets and telephone service (excl. online shopping).

 

CONNECTIONS

Train / subway

It takes only 25 minutes by train from Helsinki city center to Espoo centre. See the journey planner for routes and timetables: www.reittiopas.fi/en

Festivalbus after concerts

A festival bus to Helsinki city center via southern Espoo leaves from the car park of Espoo Cathedral after concerts (excl. 7 and 8 June). Price: 4 € to Espoo, 6 € to Helsinki.