Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra / Kian Soltani / Ryan Bancroft

Accompanying Soltani are the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and its principal conductor Ryan Bancroft, who are themselves regular guests and bring a Nordic programme with them: »Tapiola« begins by wandering through the deep, mythical forests of Finland. In contrast, the Second Symphony by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen sets to music the four fundamental human temperaments: choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine.

Schumann’s Cello Concerto also sets two very different temperaments to music, as Kian Soltani discerns from the score. They are the composer’s alter egos: on the one hand Florestan – extroverted and impulsive – and on the other Eusebius – reserved and melancholic. The challenge of this work, he says, lies in switching at lightning speed between the intimate and explosive moments of the music in dialogue with the orchestra. The young star cellist has already recorded this favourite work of his and demonstrated just how light-footed and meltingly tender it can sound.