In a concert conducted by Olari Elts, the uniqueness of the musical moment is highlighted through works by three French composers. In pieces by Dutilleux and Debussy, the Balkan folk instrument cimbalom rings out, played by its master Hans‑Kristian Sørensen.
Claude Debussy
Danse
Henri Dutilleux
Mystère de l’instant for cimbalom, strings, and percussion
Claude Debussy
La plus que lente, CD 128
Interval
Camille Saint-Saëns
Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 2, Movements II and III
Camille Saint-Saëns
Symphony in A major, R.259
The moment is a state of being that resonates in space. In the moment, time has not stopped, but condensed: the past, the present, and the future are simultaneously present. A musical moment is singular and unique; it is experienced in the present but can only be grasped in retrospect. Henri Dutilleux’s Mystère de l’instant explores the “mystery of the moment” and weaves a chain of moments linking back to Debussy and perhaps even Saint-Saëns. As a guarantee of this uniqueness, a Balkan folk instrument, cimbalom, rattles between the strings and percussion. Its string arrangement is a mystery to everyone except Hans-Kristian Sørensen. Dutilleux’s interest in the exotic was shared by his French predecessors, whose works conductor Olari Elts has included in the concert program.
Tapiola Hall, Espoo Cultural Centre
Tickets 10–35 € + subscription fees (starting at €1.50 + 0.65% of the total amount of the order www.lippu.fi). Concert tickets go on sale on 1 December 2026.
