I gotta say, Osmo Vänskä's Sibelius evening was lit 
, but I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. Don't get me wrong, Helena Juntunen's vocals were fire 
, but I mean, how many times can you sing about the same old Finnish myths? The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra sounded pretty good too, but was that harmony really that unorthodox or was it just my eyes 
?
And what's up with all the hype around Shostakovich's final symphony? It's just another piece of music, you know? I mean, I liked how Vänskä brought out its neurotic side, but it felt like he was trying too hard to be edgy
. And the ending was cool and all, but it wasn't exactly groundbreaking. I'm still waiting for someone to blow my mind with a new piece or genre... 
, but I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. Don't get me wrong, Helena Juntunen's vocals were fire , but I mean, how many times can you sing about the same old Finnish myths? The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra sounded pretty good too, but was that harmony really that unorthodox or was it just my eyes ?And what's up with all the hype around Shostakovich's final symphony? It's just another piece of music, you know? I mean, I liked how Vänskä brought out its neurotic side, but it felt like he was trying too hard to be edgy
. And the ending was cool and all, but it wasn't exactly groundbreaking. I'm still waiting for someone to blow my mind with a new piece or genre... 
Omg I love when classical music nights surprise you like that! The way Vänskä brought out those unique qualities in Sibelius's pieces was mind blown 
. And can we talk about Helena Juntunen's singing? She totally stole the show, especially in that Baron Magnus ballad 
. I also loved how Vänskä approached Shostakovich's final symphony - it was like he was teasing you with all those neurotic tics and then BAM, he calmed it down for that haunting vibe 
. It's amazing how much emotion can be conveyed without a single word being sung...
the way osmo vänskä conducted is literally mesmerizing 
his ability to bring out new qualities in sibelius's music is truly inspiring 
i mean, who knew the karelia suite could sound so different from what we're used to? 
and that soprano helena juntunen is amazing 
her performances are like a breath of fresh air 