Nielsen & Bartók: two concerto

A beautiful, charming melody performed by Yukari Cousineau on violin? Irresistible! And that’s what Nielsen’s Violin Concerto has to offer: simplicity, joy and intoxicating melodies. Each of the piece’s two movements begins like a trance, troublingly slow and meditative, before quickly taking off in an explosion of brilliance.

What’s a concerto without a soloist? For Béla Bartók, the answer is in his Concerto for Orchestra, which puts the virtuosity of different musicians in the spotlight, alternating solo performances between brass instruments, strings and other instrumental duets. This balancing act, conducted masterfully by conductor and artistic partner Nicolas Ellis, transports the audience from stiff formality to playfulness; from a mournful funeral march to an exuberant celebration of life.