Tour: Prokofiev, Mendelssohn

The BFO will open its tour in China with a sampling of grotesque opera, a world-famous violin concerto and some hidden criticism of the Soviet regime. The program is framed by the two musical sides of Prokofiev: the composer himself created a six-movement orchestral piece from his opera buffa, while his symphony has whispered allusions to his own previous compositions. The Mendelssohn concerto in the middle, comprising a challenging opening movement, a lyrical aria and a finale evoking A Midsummer Night’s Dream will feature 20-year-old Amira Abouzahra as the soloist. This artist, who rose to fame in the talent show Virtuosos, was not only awarded the Junior Prima Prize in 2025, but has also won a number of domestic and international competitions in recent years. Additionally, she has performed with artists such as Zubin Mehta and Christoph Eschenbach.

The melancholic prince laughs at the wicked witch who trips over her own foot. The witch then casts a curse on him: he must find three giant oranges which hide beautiful girls. But only the third one remains alive after being found, and the prince eventually marries her. That is a short summation of the plot of The Love for Three Oranges. The opera, which premiered in 1919, was met with harsh critical reception and negative reviews, and therefore, Prokofiev decided five years later to save what could still be saved in a concert suite. The selected symphonic movements include a prologue showcasing the characters, who are represented by instruments; a shadowy game of cards; the infamous “mistuned” march; a scherzo; a romantic intermezzo; and finally the comic closing scene.

Following his violin concerto, composed at the age of thirteen – not bad for a teenager! – Mendelssohn returned to the genre only after more than a decade and a half. His work was hindered by other projects and illnesses, and he only finished the piece six years later, in 1845. Despite being an outstanding violinist himself, the composer relied on the help of his violinist friend Ferdinand David for technical matters throughout; the piece was eventually dedicated to him. The result was Mendelssohn’s final major orchestral work: a simply structured, yet thoroughly innovative, violin concerto. Instead of an orchestral introduction, the soloist kicks off the beginning of the first movement, and the virtuoso cadenza also comes earlier than what would be suggested by the format of the movement. It is not only the violinist who is impatient in this piece: the three movements, also relate to one another thematically and flow seamlessly with harmonic connections and no pauses. After the slow movement, evoking the world of Songs Without Words, the piece concludes with a joyous finale, introduced with a fanfare of trumpets.

With the end of World War 2 drawing near, the USSR’s regime was convinced of its victory, and expected artists to share its optimism. Though Prokofiev claimed in an official statement that his Symphony No. 5, composed in just one month in 1944, was intended as "a hymn to (Man’s) mighty powers”, it is full of musical allusions that suggest otherwise. Spotlighting the wind instruments, the macabre-style scherzo following the moderately paced opening movement features motifs from his Cinderella, while the dream-like slow movement quotes the nostalgic style of his Romeo and Juliet. The piece concludes with an iconic finale, heading towards victory but ultimately drowning in manic madness.