Chicago Symphony Orchestra commentator Gerard McBurney joins Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä to discuss the many ways that Finnish culture and language permeate Sibelius’s music. We include examples of Sibelius songs sung by the Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat Chorus of Helsinki University, plus excerpts from two performances conducted by William Boughton: Rakastava, played by the English String Orchestra and the Symphony No. 2, played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The Finlandia Foundation’s Karoliina Kuisma narrates.
