Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra with Sol Gabetta

The Swan of Tuonela, with its melancholic alto oboe solo, is an evergreen in its own right by Jean Sibelius. It is part of the musical portrayal of the Finnish saga cycle Kalevala, which many believe to be Sibelius' first real masterpiece. For his beloved First Cello Concerto, the wandering Czech composer Bohuslav Martin? was inspired by Bohemian folklore and Baroque concertos by Handel and Corelli. Music is life', said the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. And music, like life, is unquenchable'. His Mahlerian Fourth Symphony is permeated by that unquenchable life force. Under a barrage of duelling timpani, the music shows itself to be stronger through struggle, to culminate in a brilliant finale.