FRSO Chamber Music Concert: Insights

Elina Päkkilä, who plays First Violin with the FRSO, compiled this Sunday concert programme to feature pieces where a string ensemble is used to express things as varied as coded language, natural phenomena or completely different instruments. In terms of time, the music spans more than 1,000 years. Hildegard von Bingen was an Abbess in the 11th century in what is now Germany. Her antiphon O virtus sapiente describes a creature with three wings that is imbued with divine wisdom. Kaija Saariaho gives voice to the sparkle of snow and the structure of ice crystals in Fleurs de Neige. The title piece of the programme, Insight by Dobrinka Tabanova, is an experiment in how to make a string trio sound like an accordion or a brass fanfare. The concluding Three Essays by Caroline Shaw is a musical exploration of spoken and written language.