Magnus Lindberg
Accused for soprano and orchestra (2014)
Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major op. 82 (1915/19)
- Anu Komsi Soprano
- Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
- Sakari Oramo Conductor
Introduction one hour before the concert with Michael Kube
Jean Sibelius described the work on his Fifth Symphony as a »struggle with God«. It took him three failed attempts during the First World War, attempts in which his own thrive for the perfect sound drove him into despair. Eventually, the composer reached a form for his Fifth, combining his search for new spheres of sound and his love for the Nordic culture. 100 years later, Sibelius’s compatriot Magnus Lindberg also found himself struggling – not with God but with the alleged summit of His creation: Lindberg’s Accused calls on all those who, by means of brutal violence, bereave their fellow human beings of internal and external freedom and therefore of their dignity. The concertante drama for soprano and orchestra develops an overwhelming musical energy, based on interrogation protocols from times of the French Revolution, the GDR and the war in Iraq. The Finnish soprano Anu Komsi lends her voice to victims and offenders. Sakari Oramo, also born in Finland and first-time guest conductor at the Gürzenich Orchestra, shares his authentic view on the great music of his home country.
