New work (world premiere)

Program notes

About the Work

This is a first performance, and at the time of writing very little about the piece has been made public. The orchestra and the Concertgebouw both list it simply as a new work by Magnus Lindberg, commissioned by the Concertgebouw Orchestra and receiving its world premiere in these concerts. No title, duration or scoring has been announced. Lindberg’s publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, describes it as a new large-scale orchestral work, to be premiered by the orchestra and Klaus Mäkelä in Amsterdam on 7 May 2027.

What can be said is where it comes from. Lindberg is best known for his orchestral music, and the orchestra writes of a special bond with him built up over the years; his publisher’s work list includes ‘Era’, written for the 125th anniversary of the Concertgebouw. Here he is in Finnish company: Mäkelä, the orchestra’s chief conductor designate, opens the concert with Lotta Wennäkoski’s ‘Flounce’ and follows it with the new piece, before the programme turns to France after the interval.

What to Listen For

With no score or description available, any detailed guide would be guesswork. In general terms, Lindberg’s publisher names energy, colour and a thrilling density of material as the hallmarks of his recent style, and Music Finland describes a composer who has moved from the hard-edged modernism of his early years towards an idiom in which melody matters more. The orchestra’s announcement adds that he always manages to draw new sounds from an orchestra. It is reasonable to expect a piece that uses the full ensemble and keeps it busy. This note will be updated when the orchestra publishes more.