Premiere of Zinovjev's Taste of Metal in Helsinki, but it's rare Tchaikovsky that's worth savouring
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra offers up a double-serving of Tchaikovsky, with Hannu Lintu and Daniel Lozakovich, alongside the world premiere of Sauli Zinovjev's First Symphony.
Because my review of Sauli Zinovjev’s debut symphony performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic is published in Bachtrack, I will not be publishing my show notes, here, and instead direct you to read more off-site. Sometimes the best part of a meal is a side dish, and that’s fine, you still get to enjoy a nice thing.
Performance Date: 13 February 2026
New works for orchestra generally do not have it easy, but intelligent programming can sometimes give enough context for audiences to be open to the intrusion upon the repertoire. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) chose to program the world premiere of Sauli Zinovjev’s First Symphony, subtitled Taste of Metal and co-commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris, alongside a piece so hated by its composer that the existing score had to be reconstructed from its parts after his death…