Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade

02/16/18 • 51 min

This work opens many doors to wonderful and exciting musical study. It is a fine example of Orientalism and our perception of “the other”. Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about who Rimsky-Korsakov was, his 19th-century influences from Mendelssohn to Wagner, and his contributions to the music of the 20th century.

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Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor Op 77

Your hosts Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77, which will be performed by Guy Braunstein with the NAC Orchestra in January 2018. This work in four movements is technically and emotionally challenging for the soloist. It’s been termed “probing” and “sarcastic” – which may be why it spent time on the shelf after being completed in 1947-48, before seeing the light of day after Stalin’s death in 1953.

Jean-Jacques and Marjolaine also talk about Shostakovich’s second piano concerto, which appears in the NAC Orchestra program in March 2018 and sees Russia-born Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg at the keyboard. This work was born after Stalin’s death, and was written for the composer’s 19-year-old son, Maxim, a detail that upholds what some have said was the youthful character of the final movement.

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Kaija Saariaho, Violin Concerto Graal théâtre

Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier talk about Saariaho’s violin concerto which was featured as part of the 2017 Ideas of North festival produced by the NAC Orchestra. Saariaho is seen as a wonderful and intriguing contemporary composer who will stand the test of time, with master works into the turn of the century.