Estimated duration
1 h
Organizer
Radion sinfoniaorkesteri
Kaisa Kortelainen, traverso
Jouko Laivuori, harpsichord
Kaisa Kallinen, Baroque violin
Ritva Kaukola, Baroque viola
Jukka Rautasalo, Baroque cello
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Musical Offering BWV 1079
Johann Sebastian Bach famously met King Frederick the Great in Potsdam in 1747. The King presented a theme of his own devising and asked Bach to improvise a fugue on it. Bach sat at the keyboard and played a three-part fugue. The King then requested a six-part fugue, but this was too much even for a dazzlingly brilliant improviser like Bach, so the composer asked permission to compose such a fugue later and have it engraved and sent to the King.
Two months later, the composition — containing far more than just the requested six-part fugue — was completed and printed under the title Musikalisches Opfer and sent to the King. It is not known whether the King acknowledged the gift in any way, or indeed reimbursed Bach for the costs of the printing.
Tickets to Musiikkitalo concerts and other events are available to purchase on our website, by telephone and at our physical box office.
Book tickets for 10–20 or more people is by contacting group sales service by email at ryhmat@musiikkitalo.fi or by telephone on 0600 411 101 (Monday to Friday, 9:00–15:00).
How about a cup of coffee, a bite to eat or a glass of bubbly during the interval? Order your drinks in advance to beat the queues and make the most of your concert visit. Interval refreshments are not available at all concerts.
Our location could not be more central or easier to get to. Almost all forms of Helsinki public transport stop right outside our doors, cycle parking is provided at all our entrances, and Aimo Park Finlandia, our nearest multi-storey car park, offers lift access directly to our main foyer.
At Helsinki Music Centre we are proud to be an accessible and welcoming place for everyone. Tactile handrails and signage have been fitted across the building, and there are tactile indicator strips on the floor too to guide partially sighted and blind visitors. Induction loops are always available, and guide or companion dogs are of course permitted within the building.
Concert Hall
When purchasing a concert ticket in the Music Centre’s ticket shop, you can view the sightline from your seat in a 360-degree view.
How to use the 360-degree view: Select your preferred seat on the seating map and then choose the ticket type.
On a mobile device, the 360-degree image opens when you tap the chevron at the top edge of the bottom panel. Tapping the image again opens it in full-screen mode, allowing you to rotate the view.
On a computer, you will find the “My Seat” section in the upper-right corner of the ticket shop. Below the heading, a photo of the Concert Hall is displayed. Clicking the image opens the view from the selected seat. You can rotate the image with your mouse to explore the view from the seat in greater detail.
The route to your seat is always printed on your ticket. Check the door number to find out which entrance to take. The seating areas are marked with letters. There is level access to all wheelchair seats from the main entrances. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff are always on hand to help you find your seat.
Black Box, Camerata and Sonore
Use the row number printed on your ticket to find your seat. Wheelchair seats are situated on the same level as the entrance. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with our venue – our staff area always on hand to help you find your seat.
Unallocated seating
Please choose your seat on the day.
Floor plans
You can view our floor plans before your visit.
Cloakroom
We ask you to leave your coat and any larger items in the cloakroom. The cloakroom is free of charge.
Latecomers
Latecomers will be asked to wait until a suitable break in the performance or admitted after the interval.
Photography
You are not permitted to record concert performances at Helsinki Music Centre. However, you may take photographs before and after the concert and during applause. Individual concert organisers may have their own, more detail guidance regarding recording and photography.
Dress code
We’re happy to say we have no dress code at Helsinki Music Centre, and we positively encourage you to come as you are. However, we would be grateful if you could avoid wearing strong perfume during your visit so that people with asthma and fragrance sensitivity can enjoy our concerts symptom free.
