Mozarts Pianokonsert Nr 23 by Mozart, Bång, Bartók, Alkaen (2023/2023), Musiikinjohto Dima Slobodeniouk, Konserthuset (Stockholm Concert Hall), Stockholm, Sweden

With her charged and elegantly balanced playing, Argentinian Ingrid Fliter is one of the most sought-after pianists on the international classical music scene. She was supposed to be a guest at Konserthuset Stockholm last season, but the concert was canceled due to the pandemic. Now we finally get to meet her in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, one of his most played and loved. Malin Bång's music is full of energy and literally boils with sonorous power. For her piece splinters of ebullient rebellion, she has received both the orchestra prize for best composition at the music days in Donaueschingen and the Swedish Christ Johnson prize. It is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's co-commissioned work, which is now being performed in the Konserthuset for the first time. We also get to hear Béla Bartók's vibrant Dance Suite that he wrote for the 50th anniversary of the city of Budapest. He had left his expressionist period behind and instead chose to immerse himself in folk music, but despite the title, it was never intended as music to dance to. The suite consists of six pieces of fanciful folk music with both Arabic influences and imitations of a bagpipe. The Royal Philharmonic plays under the direction of the Russian-born conductor Dima Slobodeniouk, who has long been based in Finland.