Poulenc, Prokofiev & Britten: Sinfoniettas Sinfonia Lahti & Dima Slobodeniouk

• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963): Sinfonietta in F Major, FP 141:
• 1 Poulenc: Sinfonietta in F Major, FP 141: I. Allegro con fuoco 08:22
• 2 Poulenc: Sinfonietta in F Major, FP 141: II. Molto vivace 05:45
• 3 Poulenc: Sinfonietta in F Major, FP 141: III. Andante cantabile 06:15
• 4 Poulenc: Sinfonietta in F Major, FP 141: IV. Finale. Très vite et très gai 06:29
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953): Sinfonietta in A Major, Op. 48:
• 5 Prokofiev: Sinfonietta in A Major, Op. 48: I. Allegro giocoso 05:18
• 6 Prokofiev: Sinfonietta in A Major, Op. 48: II. Andante 04:19
• 7 Prokofiev: Sinfonietta in A Major, Op. 48: III. Intermezzo. Vivace 02:51
• 8 Prokofiev: Sinfonietta in A Major, Op. 48: IV. Scherzo. Allegro risoluto 03:23
• 9 Prokofiev: Sinfonietta in A Major, Op. 48: V. Allegro giocoso 04:39
• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976): Sinfonietta, Op. 1:
• 10 Britten: Sinfonietta, Op. 1: I. Poco presto ed agitato 04:32
• 11 Britten: Sinfonietta, Op. 1: II. Variations, andante lento 06:13
• 12 Britten: Sinfonietta, Op. 1: III. Tarantella 04:11
• Total Runtime 01:02:17

Info for Poulenc, Prokofiev & Britten: Sinfoniettas

The term sinfonietta is generally used to describe a work that is smaller in scale or lighter in approach than a standard symphony. It only came into common usage during the first half of the 20th century, which is when the three works included on this disc were in fact composed.

Worth noting is also that Sergei Prokofiev and Benjamin Britten wrote their respective sinfoniettas while they were still in their teens – early attempts at multi-movement works for ensemble. Prokofiev revised his Sinfonietta twice, with the 1929 version recorded here, and went on to become one of the great symphonists of his time. Britten chose a different path, with operas forming the most important part of his legacy. Perhaps symptomatically, his Sinfonietta – his Op. 1 – was initially composed for wind quintet and string quintet, a scoring which he later expanded into the version heard on the present recording.

Like Britten, Francis Poulenc was not naturally inclined towards large-scale orchestral works, and his Sinfonietta is indeed his only symphonic piece. The most recent of the works on the disc, it is in a neo-classical vein with sparkling dance rhythms as well as lyrical moments. The three works are here performed by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk, a team which has released several highly acclaimed discs on BIS.

Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor

Dima Slobodeniouk
was principal conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra from 2016 until 2021. Since September 2013 he has also been music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, winning particular praise for his inventive programme planning and deep knowledge of the repertoire. In his conducting, Slobodeniouk combines the cultural and musical heritage of the country of birth, Russia, with that of his adopted homeland, Finland.

Orchestras with which he has worked include the Concertgebouworkest in Amsterdam, Berliner Philharmoniker, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and the Boston, Chicago and Sydney Symphony Orchestras. Soloists at concerts he has conducted include Leif Ove Andsnes, Lisa Batiashvili, Yefim Bronfman, Truls Mørk, Yuja Wang, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Patricia Kopatchinskaja.

Born in Moscow, Dima Slobodeniouk studied the violin at Moscow Central Music School, Jyväskylä Conservatory and Sibelius Academy. He studied conducting under Atso Almila, Leif Segerstam and Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy, and also under Ilya Musin and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Slobodeniouk has in recent years worked with students at the Verbier Festival Academy and begun a conducting initiative with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, providing an opportunity for students to work on the podium with a professional orchestra.

The Lahti Symphony Orchestra
is an orchestra that is proud of its traditions but also has an innovative attitude. At the heart of its activity is a broad and wide-ranging series of symphony concerts, plus high-quality concerts of lighter music. The orchestra is based at the Sibelius Hall, the acoustics of which have been listed as among the best in the world.

For some decades the chief conductors have been Finnish musicians of worldwide renown – Osmo Vänskä, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Okko Kamu, Dima Slobodeniouk and most recently Dalia Stasevska, who took over as principal conductor in the

autumn of 2021. The same conductors have also served as artistic director of the Sibelius Festival that the orchestra has organized since 2000.

The widespread worldwide acclaim of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra stems from its extensive catalogue of recordings, numerous international tours and online concerts. More than thirty years of recordings, mostly for BIS, have resulted in around a hundred discs, many international record prizes, three platinum discs and seven gold discs.

The Lahti Symphony Orchestra has appeared at many prestigious festivals and at leading venues all over the world, including the BBC Proms in London, the White Nights Festival in St Petersburg, performances in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Philharmonie in Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Concert tours have taken the orchestra to Japan, China, South Korea, the USA, South America and many European countries.

Booklet for Poulenc, Prokofiev & Britten: Sinfoniettas