Adès: Orchestral Works Pekka Kuusisto, Tomas Nuñez, The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra & Nicholas Collon

• Thomas Adès (b. 1971): Hotel Suite from "Powder Her Face":
• 1 Adès: Hotel Suite from "Powder Her Face": I. Overture 03:52
• 2 Adès: Hotel Suite from "Powder Her Face": II. Scene with Song 06:20
• 3 Adès: Hotel Suite from "Powder Her Face": III. Wedding March 02:40
• 4 Adès: Hotel Suite from "Powder Her Face": IV. Waltz 04:19
• 5 Adès: Hotel Suite from "Powder Her Face": V. Finale 02:03
• Lieux retrouvés (Orchestral Version):
• 6 Adès: Lieux retrouvés (Orchestral Version): I. Les eaux 04:58
• 7 Adès: Lieux retrouvés (Orchestral Version): II. La montagne 04:21
• 8 Adès: Lieux retrouvés (Orchestral Version): III. Les champs 03:50
• 9 Adès: Lieux retrouvés (Orchestral Version): IV. La ville - Cancan macabre 03:41
• Märchentänze (Orchestral Version):
• 10 Adès: Märchentänze (Orchestral Version): I. — 04:00
• 11 Adès: Märchentänze (Orchestral Version): II. — 04:30
• 12 Adès: Märchentänze (Orchestral Version): III. A Skylark for Jane 02:07
• 13 Adès: Märchentänze (Orchestral Version): IV. — 03:44
• Dawn, Chacony for Orchestra at Any Distance:
• 14 Adès: Dawn, Chacony for Orchestra at Any Distance 06:22
• Total Runtime 56:47

Info for Adès: Orchestral Works

In the Autumn of 2021, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra together with its new chief conductor, Nicholas Collon, arranged a Thomas Adès festival in Helsinki devoted to the world famous composer’s music in addition to works by other composers chosen and conducted by Thomas Adès (b. 1971). One of the highlights of the festival’s program was the world première of Märchentänze in its version for violin and orchestra performed by violinist Pekka Kuusisto, Adès’ long-time artistic partner. This new album by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra includes four recent and exciting orchestral works written by the composer between 2016 and 2021 in world première recordings.

In addition to the Märchentänze, this album includes Adès’ orchestral Hotel Suite from Powder Her Face, an adaptation based on the music from the opera through which Adès first made a widespread name for himself in the mid-1990s. The orchestral version of Lieux retrouvés, originally written for Steven Isserlis, could be described as a cello concerto in the spirit of Marcel Proust. Orchestral work Dawn was written for the 2020 London Proms for ‘orchestra at any distance’, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Adès’ Dawn comes across as timeless music floating in a serene universe of beauty all its own.

Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Tomas Nunez, cello
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Collon, conductor

The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (FRSO)
is the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle), and its mission is to produce and promote Finnish musical culture. The Radio Orchestra of ten players founded in 1927 grew to symphony orchestra proportions in the 1960s. Its Chief Conductors have been Toivo Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Sakari Oramo, Hannu Lintu, and as of autumn 2021 Nicholas Collon. In addition to the great Classical-Romantic masterpieces, the latest contemporary music is a major item in the repertoire of the FRSO, which each year premieres a number of Yle commissions. The FRSO has twice won a Gramophone Award: for its album of Lindberg’s Clarinet Concerto in 2006 and of Bartók Violin Concertos in 2018. Other distinctions have included BBC Music Magazine, Académie Charles Cros, MIDEM Classical awards and Grammy nominations in 2020 and 2021. Its album of tone poems and songs by Sibelius won an International Classical Music Award (ICMA) in 2018.

Nicholas Collon
British conductor Nicholas Collon is recognized for his elegant conducting style, searching musical intellect and inspirational music-making. He began as Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony in August 2021 – the first non-Finnish conductor ever to hold this post. As part of the orchestra’s continuing commitment to the Ondine label, Nicholas Collon will record a number of albums in his first season. Collon continues as Principal Guest of the Guerzenich Orchester, and will also return to the Residentie Orkest, where he was Chief Conductor 2016–2021. The Aurora Orchestra, of which Collon is Founder and Principal Conductor, remains at the heart of his activities.

Booklet for Adès: Orchestral Works