Osmo Vänskä and 'The Unquenchable

The Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä regularly makes the case for Scandinavian composers in the Saturday Matinee. Now he is making the case for the Dane Carl Nielsen and the Swede Anders Hillborg.

New concert for Lawrence Power
The British viola player Lawrence Power has made dozens of commissions for his instrument possible. Together with Osmo Vänskä, he will give the Dutch premiere of the viola concerto by the Swede Anders Hillborg. Hillborg is involved in much more than just classical music. He received an Edison for his collaboration with the popular Swedish pop singer Eva Dahlgren. His music is exciting, playful, alternately challenging and subdued and always captivating.

Carl Nielsen's 'Unquenchable'
Carl Nielsen saw a bleak future when he began his Fourth Symphony in 1914.
"It is as if the world is falling apart. National feelings, hitherto distinguished as something noble and beautiful, have become a spiritual syphilis, which gazes at us disgustingly from empty sockets. He gives his symphony the name 'Det Uudslukkilige' - The Unquenchable. In the finale, we witness one of the most spectacular moments in twentieth century composition: a titanic battle between two timpanists. In this symphony, Nielsen wants to show what inspires him, despite all the trouble. Singing until you drop.