Salonen: the finale II, with Mitsuko Uchida

Programme

Esa-Pekka Salonen is joined by revered pianist Mitsuko Uchida in his final concert as Principal Conductor of the Philharmonia. In this typically thoughtful programme, Salonen distils all the creativity and sense of adventure that have been the hallmarks of his 13-year tenure, and claims his place in Philharmonia Orchestra history.

Generations of composers have looked to the music of JS Bach for instruction and inspiration. Salonen brings together a lush aria arrangement for strings by the Philharmonia’s first Principal Conductor Otto Klemperer; a masterclass in instrumental timbre by Anton Webern; and Luciano Berio’s homage to the king of counterpoint.

The joyful Prelude from Bach’s Partita No. 3, played by the Philharmonia’s Concert Master, sets the scene for Salonen’s own Fog, dedicated to the architect Frank Gehry. The piece takes its name from Gehry’s initials, but it’s easy to imagine a chilly, mysterious landscape as glimpses of Bach’s Partita emerge, coalesce and then disappear again.

Esa-Pekka Salonen and Mitsuko Uchida have worked together many times, in concert halls around the world. They join forces once more for Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, to crown this fascinating concert and mark the end of an extraordinary era for the Philharmonia.

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