Sibelius 5 with Osmo Vänskä
Finnish composers can hardly be blamed for drawing inspiration from their country’s impressive natural landscapes. Sibelius, for example, was deeply moved by observing sixteen swans flying over a Finnish lake as he wrote his magisterial Fifth Symphony. Their simple but captivating call is immortalised in one of his most popular orchestral works. His compatriot Kaija Saariaho found similar inspiration in Saint-John Perse’s anthology Oiseaux. As flautist Edith Van Dyck soars through the skies, the earthbound orchestra follows her flight like a shadow cast upon the ground. See the imagery cast by this powerful music in your mind’s ear.
Programme
Saariaho Aile du songe
Sibelius Symphony No. 5 in E-flat, opus 82
Performers
Edith Van Dyck
flute
