Symphonies – With A Difference by Sibelius, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, De (2019/2019), Director musical Hannu Lintu, Liszt Academy, Budapest, Hungary

While American newspapers praise his sensitivity to the nuanced sounds and colours of the orchestra and extol his characteristic dynamism on the stage, Hannu Lintu, musical director of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, appears most often in Asia and Europe. His programmes, of course, devote special attention to his home country: on this occasion, he will conduct the imaginative, single-movement final symphony by Sibelius, the creator of Finnish national music. Stravinsky’s Funeral Song is also unique: it was long believed to be lost only to be rediscovered just a matter of years ago. The Symphony of Psalms, on the other hand, is much better known, and with its fantastic pairing of choir and orchestra, is one of the classics of 20th century music. The performance of one of Prokofiev’s final opuses also promises to be exciting: we will hear the exceedingly difficult, multi-dimensional cello concerto, which Prokofiev dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich, accompanied by a leading figure in international music, soloist István Várdai.