Explore the Symphony Canada's National Arts Centre

Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier study The Four Temperaments, the second symphony by Carl Nielsen. The hosts find this Danish composer a little enigmatic and difficult to reach. They explore the world around him at the time of this composition, and talk about his music in that context. Find out how he lived his life, allowed his wife to pursue a career, and gave orchestral musicians a little something to talk about.

Music Excerpts:

NIELSON Symphony No. 2 The Four Temperaments II. Allegro comodo e flammatico

Danish National Radio Symphony


Nielsen: Commotio, Op. 58, FS 155

Organ Recital: John, Keith

Marjolaine Fournier and Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer discuss the role of religion in Mozart’s life and music. This in depth conversation focuses on Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and its beautiful celebration of universality that lead the way towards 18th-century romanticism.

Marjolaine Fournier and Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer describe the music of Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt, his A minor Piano Concerto, and his C minor Symphony. His music, his melodies and his small works for piano are simply perfect. Can you believe that his symphony, composed in 1864 when Grieg was only 21, was played in 1981 for the first time? Listen to this podcast to learn more about why his Piano Concerto is his greatest work, and what influenced his composition style.

Marjolaine Fournier and Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer talk about two Concertos for orchestra: one by Béla Bartók and the other by Witold Lutosławski. They take a moment to explain the format of a concerto for orchestra (what do you mean, a concerto without a soloist?), and the dialog that develops within the orchestra performing it. Bartók and Lutosławski, who lived concurrently but in different contexts, composed two completely different and marvellous works.

Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer and Marjolaine Fournier discuss Verdi’s Requiem, first performed in Milan in 1874. The text for this was written in about 1250, when a requiem was meant to be music to sustain the mass of the death. Our hosts uncover some history about the evolution of requiem works and their cultural significance, and shed light on Verdi’s atheist and anti-clerical views had a role in taking the requiem into the concert hall.

Marjolaine Fournier and Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer discuss the masterful Claude Vivier, composer from Québec. His music, which can be characterized as “beautiful, immense, tragic, inspiring,” is celebrated and heard regularly in France, Germany, Holland and Austria. Lonely Child will be featured during the NAC Orchestra’s tour in Europe in May 2019.