Concert review | Jyväskylä Sinfonia's new electroacoustics helped sweet contemporary works and edgy Sibelius

Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä Sinfonia led by Meta4 Quartet and conducted by Okko Kamu in Jyväskylä Paviljong, January 18. – Lintinen, Clyne, Sibelius.

Puny. The echo of a wool sock. A crime against music.

For example, this is how you can describe the acoustics of the Jyväskylä Sinfonia's old home, or Teatteritalo. It works for a theater, but for a symphony orchestra, the space is not suitable even with the old electronic assistance.

When Teatteritalo is being renovated, the orchestra moved to the other side of the track and the city spent 7.5 million euros to upgrade the Pavilion into a concert hall.

The stage was enlarged, the materials were changed and the hall was fitted with a modern electronic Mayer Sound Constellation system, which was implemented by Audico Systems.

Salin the fan shape and some other details bring to mind all the terrible memories of Finlandia Hall's acoustics.

It was crazy when the eyes proved that the hall couldn't ring, but the ears told us that it did ring in its own unique way. Even so much that a third could have been removed due to artificial acoustics.

Kirmo Lintinen the commissioned piece had its premiere. La permanenza della Memoria the name brings to mind Salvador Dalí Permanence of memory with running bells.

The work, which lasts about eight minutes, is composed for a string quartet and a small orchestra. There was no need for a separate conductor, so the Meta4 quartet played the piece and the concertmaster showed the tempo at times.

I felt like the ancestor of the work by Claude Debussy Afternoon of the Faun. Impressionistic tones were accompanied by folk-song-like melodies, which Meta4 and the musicians of the delightfully good Jyväskylä Sinfonia played downright earnestly. Lintinen is also known to be good at jazz, but this piece was understated and controlled.

Anna Clyne In a work that received its European premiere Quarter Days at times even church acoustics came to mind. However, I had gotten a listening spot right next to the side wall, and from that point the sound bounced into my ears perhaps more abundantly than intended.

Clyne wants to depict autumn equinox, winter solstice, spring equinox and summer solstice in his work.

A nice idea and even beautiful music. I yawned sweetly once or twice.

This piece is also made for string quart
et and chamber orchestra, so Meta4 continued its upbeat performance without a conductor.

In the bigger ones in orchestral works, a good conductor enhances the use of limited rehearsal time and brings his own artistic contribution.

That's what happened now, when Jyväskylä Sinfonia's new main guest Ok Kamu ascended the conductor's podium.

It was interesting to hear by Jean Sibelius the familiar and edgy first symphony in new artificial acoustics.

Yes, it is clear that electroacoustics have been improved since the decline of Finlandia Hall. The first violins carried even supernaturally, but the musicians knew how not to rush. The sound was unforced and natural, as is usual in concerts led by Kamu. The balance was already quite satisfactory, and it gets better quickly when you get used to the gym.

I played as an extra Finland assured that the temporary solution would work. The audience gave a standing ovation.

But such a good orchestra in such an important city deserves a proper concert hall.

The kind where the acoustics don't need to be continued with electricity.