Finnish Baroque Orchestra • Haapsalu Early Music Festival XXXI
“Across Borders”
Anthony Marini, Kaisa Kallinen (violins)
Terhi Lehtiniemi (viola)
Louna Hosia (violoncello)
Eero Palviainen (archlute)
Annamari Pölhö (harpsichord)
Works by Telemann, Veracini, Händel, Nagajara
The music that composers write is a a product of the environment that surrounds them: current events, language, and culture. Because of this, during the Baroque era, many countries developed unique styles, making it possible to differentiate between e.g. French and Italian music simply by listening to the music without knowing the composer. But while these styles were distinct, composers were very aware of other styles. It was common for composers to travel and work in different countries, as well as to collect sheet music from their colleagues in different places. “Across Borders” is a programme which explores the music of composers who took the admiration of other national styles one step further: they composed music in a foreign style. A prime example of this is Georg Phillip Telemann, a German composer who was fascinated with music from different cultures, including folk music from Poland, the florid and operatic French style, and the brilliant and virtuosic Italian style. Other composers, including Veracini, Händel, and even the great J.S. Bach did the same. This “stylistic flexibility” carries into the current day as well, as we hear in music from italian Krishna Nagaraja, who has spent years studying Nordic folk music and has written, among others, in the Finnish style!
Come take a trip through Europe with musicians from the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, led by violinist Anthony Marini, as they bring crossover music to Haapsalu, old and new!
The Finnish Baroque Orchestra (FiBO) has been both an innovator and leader in the early music scene since its inception in 1989. Founded initially as the Sixth Floor Orchestra, FiBO’s wide-ranging repertoire and collaborative spirit have elevated the orchestra beyond standard repertoire and organisational models, taking advantage of the tight-knit network of musicians worldwide to position itself as both a world-class ensemble as well as a bridge-builder among festivals, concert organisers, and other ensembles.
As FiBO’s name suggests, the ensemble’s repertoire is grounded in Baroque music, but ongoing revelations in historical performance research encourage the orchestra to broaden its horizons to both much earlier and much later music. This includes everything from Medieval music to performing Jean Sibelius on period instruments, as well as a wide variety of newly commissioned works for period instruments.
The orchestra’s work has not gone unnoticed; in addition to press notoriety, FiBO has received awards such as the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s Finnish Musical Act of the Year and Disc of the Year. Its releases for Alpha, Ondine, Alba, BIS, and their own label FiBO Records, have received rave reviews as well as international recognition, including Gramophone Editor’s Choice (March 2021) and Diapason d’Or (May 2021).