Laukaa Cultural Weeks: Chamber Concert: Moments and Gems 23.8.

Sun 23.8. Lievestuore workers' hall Toivola at 16

Jyväskylä Sinfonia's cello quartet:
Ilkka Kauppi
Annika Valkeajoki
Otto-Aaron Takala
Marta Podwysocka

Wilhelm Fitzenhagen: Concert Waltz
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Andante cantabile
Josef Werner: Elegy
Richard Wagner: Feierliches Stück from the opera Lohengrin
Wilhelm Fitzenhagen: Ave Maria
Alexandre Tansman: Two Movements
Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion
David Popper: Concert Polonaise

The cello quartet of Jyväskylä Sinfonia will perform as part of the diverse programme of the Laukaa Cultural Weeks. The concert highlights the rich expressive range of the cello and brings together works from the Romantic era to contemporary music, as well as well-known arrangements from the classical repertoire.

The programme is built around works that showcase the cello’s distinctive character in many different ways. Wilhelm Fitzenhagen’s Concert Waltz and Ave Maria represent the Romantic cello tradition, where the instrument’s lyrical quality and virtuosity go hand in hand. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile brings to the concert one of the most beloved melodies of Russian Romanticism, while Josef Werner’s Elegy deepens the atmosphere with a quieter, more reflective tone. The solemnly resonant excerpt from Richard Wagner’s opera Lohengrin reminds listeners of the cello’s ability to convey grand and majestic expression.

The concert also broadens its perspective to the 20th century and the world of tango. Alexandre Tansman’s Two Movements offers rhythmic vitality and a more modern musical language, while Astor Piazzolla’s Oblivion introduces the wistful and intense atmosphere of Argentine tango. The evening concludes with David Popper’s Concert Polonaise, a virtuosic finale that highlights the cello’s technical brilliance and expressive power.