The Swedish National Orchestra Academy comprises students from the classical music programs at the Academy of Music and Drama. Under the baton of conductor Simon Crawford-Phillips, the symphony orchestra presents two concerts featuring music by composers from the Slavic cultural sphere: from Grażyna Bacewicz’s Polish neoclassicism, through Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Russian late Romanticism, to the Bohemian melodies of Antonín Dvořák.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
Grażyna Bacewicz: Overture for Orchestra
The Polish composer and violinist Grażyna Bacewicz is regarded as one of the leading Polish composers of the 20th century. Her music is usually described as neoclassical, although her later works from the 1950s and 1960s move towards a freer and more modernist style. Bacewicz composed her Overture for Orchestra in 1943, working clandestinely due to the German occupation of Warsaw. The work is written for a large symphony orchestra with an expanded woodwind and brass section, as well as percussion. Right from the opening, the timpani set the rhythmic pulse, whilst the strings drive the music forward with virtuoso energy. In the work’s calmer middle section, the flute and horn come to the fore before the powerful finale regains the initiative.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
The Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff is one of the leading figures of the late Romantic period, particularly beloved for his piano concertos and his melodic musical language. The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, was completed in 1901 following a period of profound creative crisis and was dedicated to the doctor whose treatment helped the composer return to composing. The concerto is written for piano and a large symphony orchestra and allows the soloist and orchestra to interact rather than compete. The piano part is virtuosic yet always musically integrated, whilst the strings carry some of the work’s most famous melodies. With its combination of technical brilliance, rich orchestral sound and powerful emotional expression, the concerto has become one of the most cherished works in the Romantic repertoire.
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
The Czech composer Antonín Dvořák is one of the most beloved symphonists of the Romantic era, known for works such as Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ and his Slavonic Dances. Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, was composed in 1889 and is one of his most luminous and life-affirming works. It is written for a large symphony orchestra with double woodwinds, four horns, trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings. Dvořák makes full use of the orchestra’s entire colour palette, but often lets the woodwinds carry the melodies with bird-like lightness, whilst the horns lend the music a pastoral warmth. The symphony combines classical form with a rich melodic flow and rhythms inspired by Bohemian folk music, giving the work its unmistakable freshness and natural charm.
