Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Interwoven with scenes that are meant to grab attention by their stunning composition, this biographical look at Finland's violinist Arto Arsi is not so much a narration of his childhood and early years, as an attempt to artistically show what was happening inside his psyche during that time. Literally sold to a master teacher, Sergei Rippas (Tarmo Manni) by his mother when he was still a child, the violin prodigy was forcefully and strictly raised to practice, practice, and perfect his technique. Once an adult, Arsi finds a way to escape the rigors of a U.S. tour and drowns his overworked self in drink, or seeks out one-night stands, or otherwise lets off steam. The tightly-wound spring that has been coiled since he was forced into his grueling training and work sessions -- shown through symbolic images -- eventually snaps in a healthy way, freeing Arsi at last to continue on, simply for the love of music.

As part of the Usedomer Musikfestival 2025, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra will perform works by Wilhelm Stenhammar and Jean Sibelius under the baton of Jukka-Pekka Saraste. The programme includes four songs by Sibelius, sung and arranged by Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund, as well as the composer's Symphony No. 6.

This is the second video release with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Principal conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts Norway's national Orchestra in Jean Sibelius first symphony. The DVD and BLU-RAY edition contains a documentary of the orchestra's European tour the same year and a Sibelius presentation with the conductor