This month, Wise Music composers from Australia and Finland will have their works premiered at the opposite ends of the globe. The Ring of Fire and Love by Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen premieres in Australia; while Sonata for Percussion and Piano by Australian composer Stuart Greenbaum premieres in Finland.
Finnish Premiere in Australia
Dalia Stasevska is one of the world’s most in-demand conductors, and she makes her much-anticipated Western Australian debut with West Australian Symphony Orchestra in a concert of Nordic masterpieces. The concert opens with Outi Tarkiainen’s earth-shattering exploration of life and love, The Ring of Fire and Love, and concludes with the majestic beauty of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 encapsulating the Nordic spirit.
The Ring of Fire is a volcanic belt that surrounds the Pacific Ocean and in which most of the world’s earthquakes occur. It is also the term referring to the bright ring of sunlight around the moon at the height of the solar eclipse, when the moon covers only the central part of the sun. Yet, the same expression is also used to describe what a woman feels when, as she gives birth, the baby’s head passes through her pelvis. That moment is the most dangerous in the baby’s life, its little skull being subjected to enormous pressure, preparing it for life in a way unlike any other. The Ring of Fire and Love by Tarkiainen is a work for orchestra about this earth-shattering, creative, cataclysmic moment they travel through together.
Symphony No. 5 by Sibelius is a three movement symphony containing the most profound and moving last movement of all of his symphonies.
June 28-29
Perth Concert Hall
Perth, Western Australia
Australian Premiere in Finland
Sonata for Percussion and Piano by Stuart Greenbaum will have its Finnish premiere in a concert to be delivered by Tiia Toivanen (percussion) and Kimmo Tapanainen (piano).
This sonata in 6 movements is written in contemplation of the theories and ideas of a parallel universe. The science is mind-bending and developmental; but regardless, it highlights existential questions that are at the heart of much of Greenbaum’s music. Who are we? Are we unique? Does what we do matter? Where is this all going?
June 2
Church of St. Lawrence
Janakkala, Finland
