Five excellent classical concerts you can enjoy from your couch

For those who appreciate classical music but cannot attend live performances, a selection of five outstanding concerts is now accessible from the comfort of home. The Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) offers these high-quality recordings, ensuring that exceptional musical experiences remain available.

Among the featured performances is the Radio Symphony Orchestra, led by Chief Conductor Nicholas Collon, whose contract has been extended to 2030. The orchestra's rendition of Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto and Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique," is noted for its excellence, with soloist Augustin Hadelich delivering a "fantastically good and deep" performance. The program also includes the Finnish premiere of Betsy Jolas's "A Little Summer Suite."

Another highlighted performance is "Aamutähti" (Morning Star), an opera based on Karl Ove Knausgård's novel. Composer Sebastian Fagerlund and librettist Gunilla Hemming created this work, which explores themes of a mysterious morning star, blurring the lines of death, while adults are preoccupied with daily life and children are neglected. The production, directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess, notably features children as silent witnesses from the beginning, a directorial choice approved by Knausgård himself. The opera's ending, with the children's choir singing "nu är vi här" (now we are here), is described as both ominous and comforting.

The article also points to Sauli Zinovjev's "Taste of Metal" symphony, which powerfully utilized the Helsinki Music Centre's organs. During rehearsals, conductor Hannu Lintu questioned if the audience wanted the "ground to shake," to which Zinovjev responded with a smile, "Isn't that pretty cool?" The performance featured deep, resonant organ sounds designed by the composer, inspired by Markus Copper's installations. This concert is available online through HKO Screen and Areenan.

Finally, the Tapiola Sinfonietta's "Indie" series is mentioned for its fusion of stage art and music. Clarinetist Lauri Sallinen's "Ele" composition, created by Lotta Wennäkoski, was performed in May. Sallinen, wearing a white mask, evoked the spirit of mime masters and engaged in "comical chaos."