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rolf Martinsson– focusing on vocal music

opera premiere by

Jüri reinvere

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nEWSLET TEr FroM GEHrMAnS MUSiKFÖrLAG & FEnnicA GEHrMAn

Sound samples , video clips and other material are available at www.gehrmans.se/highlights www.fennicagehrman.fi/highlightscover photo: nils Harald Sødal (Erik Berg), Jüri reinvere (Jana nowack), rolf Martinsson (Mats Bäcker), Lisa Larsson (Merlijn doomernik)Editors: Henna Salmela and Kristina FryklöfTranslations: Susan Sinisalo and robert carrolldesign: Göran LindiSSn 2000-2742 (Print), iSSn 2000-2750 (online)Printed in Sweden by TMG Sthlm, Bromma 2014

Inaugural works for Malmö LiveFive composers have been appointed to write one short concerto each for the principals of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra’s wind players. The works are to be performed during the inaugural season 2015-2016 of the new concert hall Malmö Live. Tobias Broström will write for flute, Albert Schnelzer for oboe, Marie Samuelsson for clarinet, Daniel Fjellström for bassoon and Benjamin Staern for French horn.

Popular collections transfer to Fennica GehrmanThe piano and violin tutors previously published by F-Kustannus became the property of Fennica Gehrman on 4 July. Among them are many lasting favourites for beginner pianists (Pianon avain, Lukutunti pienille pianisteille, and the Aaron and Thompson piano tutors) plus collections and teaching material for the violin (Iloinen viuluniekka and the Violin Etudes series). They can be purchased online from Fennica Gehrman.

Bengt Johansson centenary On 2 October 2014, a century will have passed since the birth of Finnish composer Bengt Johansson (1914–1989). He studied the cello, orchestral conducting and composition at the Sibelius Academy and actively composed from the 1940s onwards. He is particularly well known in choral circles, where many of his works have become classics. The Tomb at Akr Caar, his interpretation of the mystical poem by Ezra Pound, is a work of dramatic dimensions. In its day, it represented a break away from Neo-Classicism into new, contemporary realms. Other examples of choral works are Triptych, the Venus and Adonis suite and Missa a quattro voci.

Einojuhani Rautavaara – life and worksSamuli Tiikkaja has written a weighty book running to over 600 pages about the life and music of Einojuhani Rautavaara. Originally compiled in English and now published in Finnish Tulisaarna (The Fire Sermon) weaves together the dramatic periods in Rautavaara’s life and traces a work-by-work history of his compositions. The book draws on source material of unprecedented scope, embracing works that were thought to be lost, sketches, correspondence, conversations and diary entries.

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Valfridsson newsJonas Valfridsson was one of the two winners of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Fund/Norrköping Sym-phony Orchestra’s Composition Competition 2014. According to the jury Valfridsson “in the piece A Sudden Recollection: Le Jardin des Plantes creates a palpable atmos-pheric feeling that touches con-cert audiences as well as orchestral musicians. He possesses a natu-ral feeling for expression that he converts into shimmering and

dreamy musical states.” The prize consists of the commission of a new orchestral work for the Norrköping Symphony, to be premiered in the spring of 2015. Valfridsson will spend this autumn in Latvia, where he is embarking on close collaboration with Sinfonietta Riga. In November the Stockholm New Chamber Orchestra (SNYKO) will also premiere his new work for string orchestra at the Sound of Stockholm festival.

Högberg’s Melodrama on tour Following the successful premiere this spring of Fredrik Högberg’s musical play Melodrama, baritone Olle Persson and the saxophone quartet Rollin Phones now bring the work on Swedish tour. Five performances are scheduled for this autumn and spring 2015 will see another ten perfor-mances. As usual Högberg gives us something out of the ordinary and with a great sense of humour.

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Sundqvist premieres clarinet concertosChristoffer Sundqvist will be the soloist premier-ing two new clarinet concertos in October. The first is Gipsy Heart, a concerto for clarinet and chamber orchestra by Jukka Linkola, to be performed with the Pietarsaari Chamber Orchestra on 3 October, and on 30 October he will be the soloist with the Oulu Symphony Orchestra when Johannes Gustavsson conducts a concerto commissioned from Olli Kortekangas.

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P r E m I E r E Sautumn 2014

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Ullén’s Deadly Sins in new versionMusica Vitae has commissioned a string orchestral version of Johan Ullen’s The Deadly Sins – Seven Tangos for Piano Trio. The premiere will take place at the Växjö Concert Hall on 26 February 2016, with Terés Löf as piano soloist, and it will be followed by a tour of southern Sweden.

Blomstedt conducts PoesisHerbert Blomstedt continues to conduct Ingvar Lidholm’s modernistic classic Poesis at major concert stages in Europe. Performances with the NDR Or-chestra in Hamburg, the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam and the Tonhalle-Orchester in Zürich are scheduled for the season 2015-2016. Over the last two years Poesis has garnered successes in San Fran-cisco, Oslo, Stockholm, Dresden and Bamberg, with Blomstedt at the podium.

Fennica Gehrman has published a brochure about Olli Kortekangas and his works. Included are articles about his music, a work list as well as a sampler CD featuring 14 tracks. The CD also presents some works not previously published on commercial recordings. The brochure is available free of charge from info@ fennicagehrman.fi and can be also downloaded online.

A brief presentation video has been issued of Kalevi Aho’s Concerto for Theremin and Chamber Orchestra (Eight Seasons) . The soloist, Carolina Eyck, demonstrates this exotic instrument and reports her impressions of Aho’s concerto, which she recently recorded for BIS. Eyck was the soloist in the premiere of the concerto with the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland in October 2012, and she will next be performing it in Innsbruck and Dornbirn, Austria, in November.

Bridge at Nobel Prize ConcertRolf Martinsson’s trumpet concerto Bridge will be performed at this year’s Nobel Prize Concert in the Stockholm Concert Hall on 8 December. Håkan Hardenberger will be the soloist with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic conducted by Andris Nelsons.

Short film of Aho’s Theremin Concerto

Kortekangas brochure and CD sampler

JOHN HØYBYEWhere Does Peace Come From? uppsala cathedral Boys and Girls choirs/Margareta raab, anders Bromander, organ6.9. Uppsala, Sweden (Symposium on Church Music)

ALBERT SCHNELZERBrain Damage – Concerto for OrchestraGothenburg so/alain altinoglu10.9. Gothenburg, Sweden

ROLF MARTINSSONGarden of DevotionMusica Vitae/Fredrik Malmberg, sol. Lisa Larsson, soprano25.9. Växjö, SwedenForlorn – Three Songs on Poems by Tagorenetherlands cho/Bas Wiegert, sol. Lenneke ruiten, soprano, Jakob koranyi, cello17.10. Amsterdam, Netherlands

JUKKA LINKOLAGipsy Heart – Clarinet Concerto Pietarsaari cho/Jukka Linkola, sol. christoffer sundqvist3.10. Pietarsaari, Finland

KALEVI AHOFrida y Diego, opera in four actssibelius academy opera /Markus Lehtinen, dir.Vilppu kiljunen17.10. Helsinki, Finland

OLLI KORTEKANGASClarinet Concertooulu so/Johannes Gustavsson, sol. christoffer sundqvist30.10. Oulu, Finland

JONAS VALFRIDSSONNew Work for String Orchestrastockholm new chamber orchestra snYko7.11. Stockholm, Sweden (Sound of Stockholm)

JYRKI LINJAMASonata da chiesa II, for organJan Lehtola8.11. Helsinki, Finland (Organo novo)

BENJAMIN STAERNPolar VortexGävle so/Leif segerstam13.11. Gävle, Sweden

MIKKO HEINIÖIsoisän runoja, for male choirLaulumiehet/Matti hyökki15.11. Helsinki, Finland

PAAVO HEININEN Opus Sylvanum, Metamorphoses, Preludes, for pianoelisa Järvi, annikka konttori-Gustafsson, tuomas Mali, piano25.11. Helsinki, Finland

JÜRI REINVEREPeer Gynt, opera in two actsnorwegian national opera/John helmer Fiore, sol. nils harald sødal, Marita sølberg, ingebjørg kosmo etc.29.11. Oslo, Norway

SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖMForce and Beauty – Five Dance Pieces for Violin and Chamber Ensemblekammarensemblen, choreogr. susanne Jaresand5.12. Stockholm, Sweden

Andris Nelsons

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The first project that they had in common was the Orchestral Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson , which was originally written for mezzo-soprano but adapted by Martinsson together with Larsson for soprano. A further step in their collaboration was the chamber work Till skuggan av en verklighet (To the Shadow of Reality), which Larsson and the British Kreutzer Quartet premiered last year. The cooperation has also led to two new large-scale vo-cal works. First in line is Garden of Devotion, set to texts by Rabindranath Tagore, for soprano and string orchestra, which is being premiered in September by Musica Vitae. The work has already aroused international interest and further per-formances are scheduled with no less than seven orchestras.

It will be followed by Ich denke Dein… for soprano and orchestra, a commission from Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich – jointly with Helsinki Philhar-monic, Netherlands Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra

London. The world premiere will be in Zürich under the direction of John Storgårds in Janu-ary 2015. The work will also be heard twice in the Concertgebouw with Lisa Larsson as solo-ist during Martinsson’s residency in Amsterdam. Furthermore, Martinsson has been asked to com-pose yet another work for soprano and orchestra, to be performed by Larsson at the inauguration of the new concert hall Malmö Live in August 2015.

collaborating with Lisa LarssonIt is indeed evident that Martinsson has once again found a congenial musical partner in Lisa Larsson. He is of the opinion that the optimal collaboration between composer and soloist is founded on a relationship in which candour, sensitivity, flexibility and mutual respect are con-tinually present, and he describes their working together in these words:

“Larsson is a brilliant and devoted interpreter of my works. She has a keen musical intuition and a deep feeling for my tone language. Her curiosity and interest in creating ever new musical solutions have been a great source of inspiration for me”.

Together they have had exhaustive discus-sions concerning the relationship between text and music, choice of text, phrasing, interpretation of

words, breathing and different aspects regarding vocal technique and voice idioms. These discus-sions have then become the point of departure for the concrete process of composition.

“For Garden of Devotion I selected some poems by Tagore from the collection The Gardener, and after careful consideration I selected the Ger-man poems for Ich denke Dein”, says the composer and stresses that “the collaboration with Lisa has been characterised by a great wealth of detail that has almost surprised me. But if the instrument is in your body, as is the case with the voice, then there arises, in connection with the artistic work of con-veying a feeling and a text, a great many details that

one as a composer has to relate to. I am very pleased and grateful that Lisa has wanted to work on the details. It has enriched my composing.”

The two works are quite dissimilar. In addition to the choice of language, they are also different in that while the texts in Garden of Devotion were written by one author and taken from the same collection of poetry, the texts in Ich denke Dein… were written by three different authors – Rilke, Goethe and Eichendorff. In this case Martinsson and Larsson have by virtue of their selection created a unified, composite suite of poems.

“We decided on a form in which three of the poems afford different perspectives on love, while the other two are depictions of nature”, says Mar-tinsson. And he points out that as a com poser he “had a feeling of devoutness stepping into the writ-ing rooms of these poets”. It is not only the poems’ qualities in respect to language and content that have interested him, but also the culture that they represent. All texts selected have in common that they are taken from an epoch for which Martinsson has a strong attraction, namely, German Romanti-cism and the fin de siècle Symbolism of the early 20th century. The music of these epochs, especially, has long constituted a sounding board for Martins-son’s musical world, and it is also discernible in the new works, which have been attired in a semitonal harmony characteristic of Martinsson.

new opera projectIt is obvious that one can look upon these new vocal works as a kind of preliminary study for the new opera project that is just around the corner. Martinsson has a commission from the Royal Opera in Stockholm for a full-length opera. The work is to be based on Joseph Conrad´s short story Amy Foster. Much preparatory work has already been done and author Stephen Plaice is finished with the libretto. It is true that Martinsson has never written an opera before, but his experiences from the many solo con-certos, which in many ways involve music-dramatic principles, stand him in good stead. And it is with confidence that he sets about composing in an opera form that is very much bound by tradition.

“Much of my vocal music already has music-dramatic undertones”, says Martinsson, who looks forward to soon tackling this huge – but at the same time exciting and challenging – composition project.

Staffan Storm

More information: www.rolfmartinsson.com

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This autumn Rolf Martinsson will embark on his seasons as Composer-in-Residence with both the Netherlands Philharmonic/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Helsingborg Sym-phony Orchestra. The international successes with his older works continue. At the same time a new tendency with a greater focus on vocal music can be discerned in Martinsson’s creativity, which above all is a result of his close col-laboration with soprano Lisa Larsson.

rolf Martinsson– focusing on vocal music

Lisa Larsson

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most faithful, yet versatile composers of our time. His works and life have been shaped by three essential factors: his childhood in an occupied country within the Soviet Union, his developing years in Finland and in Stockholm, and his private teacher Käbi Laretei, pianist and novelist, and, most importantly, the presence of her former hus-band, Ingmar Bergman in an environment which brought Reinvere close to the Nordic theatre tradi-tion and influenced him as a composer, a thinker and as a writer in the most personal way.

In addition to composing, Reinvere has pub-lished essays and poems, worked for the Estonian and Finnish radio, produced and written screen-plays for documentary films, translated and co-written books, and written the libretto for his earlier opera, Purge. Sofi Oksanen has described him as a “true cosmopolitan with Estonian roots”. Since 2005, Reinvere has lived and worked in Ber-lin, where he has also written contributions as a political essayist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as well as for radio and TV.

Reinvere’s music, known for being transforma-tional, highly versatile and subtle, is characterised by unpredictability and unreality. In his poet-ical thinking, it is possible to trace philosophical themes such as the concept of time, the enigma of God, the psychological depths of man and the state of trauma in post-Soviet societies. Most of his works are based on his own poetry, written originally in English, using different musical genres in an assessment of humanity and its polarities.

The operaPeer Gynt is a story of the search for an iden-tity that constantly escapes us. According to Jüri Reinvere, the character of Peer Gynt is a symbol of now. He is an exact embodiment of Western man: powerful and content. He has been true to his goals and engaged in lurid ventures, achieving

“I have long felt that Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt was well suited to opera,” says Per Boye Hansen, Director of the Norwegian National Opera. “Its theme is as relevant today as when it was written, while the open format offers many interpretive possibilities and affords a composer great freedom.”

“When Per Boye Hansen approached me, I was immediately enthusiastic at the prospect,” com-ments Jüri Reinvere. “To make an opera of Peer Gynt is a fantastic idea. This drama embraces the history of Norway and Europe – it is about our very identity. The opera will also incorporate ele-ments from other Ibsen plays as well as lines from the Edda and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Peer Gynt was specially written for the singers of the Norwegian National Opera and will be sung in Norwegian, although the original work is in German.

The composerWith the international acclaim of his first opera Puhdistus (Purge), premiered at the Finnish National Opera in 2012, Estonian-born composer Jüri Reinvere gained his reputation as one of the

the ultimate diamond: success. Yet he is unfulfilled and has become contrite.

There is a saying: “One cannot become a great businessman without going bankrupt three times: twice financially and once personally.” In the opera, Peer Gynt – being utterly true to Ibsen – returns home personally bankrupt. He has been a great businessman, and like all great businessmen he understands that success needs to be seen only as a resource for something else. But what is there behind the maze of goals and greed? Who stands at the gate? Solveig, a woman, trying to redeem him from himself? And if she cannot do so, who can redeem him from offences that have affected millions?

“Our Western culture is on the road down-wards, together with all its outsourcing and delu-sional life – and yet we do nothing but dwell on the beauty of our symbols,” says Peer Gynt morosely in the new opera. Yet he never gives up hope. Hope for redemption, somehow, somewhere.

In addition to Nils Harald Sødal, cast in the role of Peer Gynt, the world premiere presents such rising stars as countertenor David Hansen. Reinvere has created new roles for him and Johannes Weisser – characters that Ibsen did not have in his play. The stage director is Sigrid Strøm Reibo, famous in the theatre for her renderings of Ibsen and Shakespeare. The costume and stage designs are by Katrin Nottrodt.

Text sources: Jüri Reinvere, Norwegian National Opera

More information: www.peergynt-opera.netwww.operaen.no www.reinvere.de

The Norwegian National Opera, a byword in opera circles the world over, commissioned Jüri Reinvere to write an opera based on Norway’s national epic, Peer Gynt. The music by Edvard Grieg for Ibsen’s drama is known uni-versally. Reinvere has interpreted the work anew with his music and his own libretto, and the new opera will receive its world premiere at the Oslo Opera House on 29 November 2014.

World premiere of an ibsen opera by reinvere

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r E P E r T o I r E T I P S

DANieL BöRtzsinfonia 11 (2006) dur: 22’ 2222-2200-10-0-stra markedly dramatic sinfonia in four movements, in which fits of rage lurk

even in the loveliest of passages. the middle move-ments vacillates between hope and despair while the outer movements are at the same time epic and con-centrated.

KimmO HAKOLAMaro (2006) dur: 15’Version for chamber orchestra2222-2221-02-hp-pf-stthe idea behind Maro ties in with a

wider cultural landscape, the Baltic sea, and hakola’s concern for its future. Musically, it is an allegory for the sea of legend – “the bosom of great narratives, of infinite tension and even tragic heroism. it is the embodiment of mysterious forces, of happiness and blissful calm. all this can be found in my orchestral poem Maro,” writes the composer.

HALvOR HAuginsignia (1993) dur: 15’ 2222-2200-10-0-strhaug composed insignia after his first visit to Lofoten, a group of islands off

the northern coast of norway, where the magnificent scenery inspired him tremendously. the work has the subtitle “symphonic Vision for chamber orchestra” and the somewhat harsh tonal language and the drama in the music produces images of the rugged landscape.

miHKeL KeRemdivertimento i (2007) dur: 13’ 2222-2200-10-strin divertimento kerem wanted to write a work that was both modern and, instru-

mentally, almost haydnish. the players all need to act as part of an ensemble but have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate their skills in numerous solo passages. the divertimento focuses especially on the unified me-lodic movement of the instrumental sections. it evolves towards the expanding and merging of instrumental groups, and in the last section they all work together to a triumphant finish.

OLLi KOsKeLiN...Like a Planet silently Breathing (1992-93) dur: 14’2221-2000-01-stra rich, transparent texture, hypnotic

string effects and rhythmically static music that from time to time soars to cosmic heights. as fellow-composer Juhani nuorvala puts it: “a fragile, chorale-like string texture, wistful solo songs, gushing arpeggios mounting to ecstasy, and the slow pacing of the vibraphone are dis-tinctive features of this piece.”

Works for chamber orchestra miRjAm tALLyLament (2013) dur: 10’ 2222-1111-12-0-strLament was composed as a companion piece to Beethoven’s ninth symphony.

tally uses a lyrical cello recitative from the iV movement and repeats it in her work to such an extent that it al-most becomes a kind of mantra. it is mixed with typical tally elements as clusters, airy whispering sounds and overtone glissandi. an unobtrusive but exquisite salute to Beethoven.

tAPiO tuOmeLALappic double (2003) dur: 16’2222-2110-01-strLappic double was originally composed as background music for the exhibition

hall in rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland devoted to Lapp nature and heritage. tuomela later reworked it as a con-cert version in which the orchestra is divided into two complementary, mutually commenting groups; this ver-sion has not yet been premiered. the overall character is elegiac and descriptive and readily evokes images of the Lapp scenery in summer.

jONAs vALfRiDssONthe only thing that You keep changing is Your name (2009) dur: 12’2222-2200-11-0-strthe work is based on a simple motif

consisting of a descending minor third followed by a minor second, and it recurs throughout the whole work in different variations. Valfridsson mixes the simple motif with a more ambiguous and complex orchestral texture, effervescent instrumentation and compact so-norities. altogether it creates a mysterious and thrilling atmosphere.

HARRi vuORiMythic images (2002) dur: 20’sinfonietta for chamber orchestra2222-2200-03-strMythic images received great public and

critical acclaim. inspired by Finno-ugric mythology, the images lead the listener to a world that exists in the col-lective subconscious. the music proceeds dynamically, with rapid twists, and throbs with primitive energy in the closing movement, “spells”. the dazzling and refined handling of the orchestra, the pliable glissandos and the myriad musical colours are guaranteed Vuori.

LOttA WeNNäKOsKihava (2007) dur: 10’2222-2200-01-strhava is an example of Wennäkoski’s more recent quick-paced expression. the

focal textural element of this scherzo-like, fleetingly-ornamented work is “the idea of falling, like the feeling of leaves floating down”. the title is hungarian and means “snow”. the lyrical element is nevertheless a vital compo-nent of Wennäkoski’s music, as are the rich, ear-whetting timbres.

tOmmi KäRKKäiNeNatrum unda (2001-02) dur: 10’2221-2200-01-pf-str the work was, says the composer, inspired by an autumnal landscape in which the

shifting reflections on the surface of water momentarily blurred their attachment to their surroundings. the trum-pets occupy a prominent role – the opening trumpet fanfare returns, in modified form, towards the end. kärk-käinen’s idiom is alternately delicate and impassioned, and there is a wild timpani solo at the climax.

juHANi NuORvALAnotturno urbano (1996) dur: 9’ 2222-2100-10-strthe zippy rhythms and shimmering colours make notturno urbano unusu-

ally entertaining – the work has strong associations with american film music. it passes through a romantically-singing moment of calm, arriving at a breakneck closing section in disco-dance tempo. nuorvala plays with the synthesiser-like thump of beats and subjects the dance rhythms to wonderful variation, keeping the rhythm exciting and catchy.

mARie sAmueLssONairborne Lines and rumbles (2009) dur: 18’ 2222-2200-10-strthe title here gives you a hint of what

the music is about. the airborne flageolets in the strings and quick trills in the winds are combined with powerful, thundering chords and rumbling percussion that propel the music forward. “an abstract, but nonetheless grip-pingly evocative tone-painting”, wrote music journalist Guy rickards.

ALBeRt scHNeLzeRthe enchanter - oboe concerto (2009) dur: 23’ 2222-2200-11-0-strthis concerto has two main sources of

inspiration. the soloist Francois Leleux (for whom the concerto was written) and the novel “the enchantress of Florence” by salman rushdie. the atmosphere of magic is apparent right from the start in the quivering, shimmering orchestral textures from which the oboe part grows gently.

BeNjAmiN stAeRNWave Movements (2011) dur: 11’ 2222-2200-11-0-stra concert opener bubbling with energy. staern has been inspired here by water

and its movements; it drips, it ripples, it flows, it eddies, the waves roll and wash over one. the piece can be divided into three parts that overlap one another: a rhythmical first part, a more stationary and melodic second part, and a concluding section where both elements are combined, ending up in a magnificent climax.

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Impassioned and surprisingTraces began the festival with an impassioned 2010s proclamation. The shimmering timbral spectra are like our digitalised lives, full of stimuli and surprises.Helsingin Sanomat 7.6.Tiina Myllärinen: TracesWorld premiere: Pro Musica Foundation orchestra/atso almila, 5.6. 2014 helsinki, Finland

Shimmering sonorotiesin Samuelsson´s violin concerto, the demanding solo part is in focus the whole time. The soloist passes through varying orchestral landscapes and one encounters sophisticated and shimmering sonorities alternating with culminations charged with energy.Sydsvenska Dagbladet 7.5.Marie Samuelsson: Bastet the Sun Goddesscd: royal stockholm Po/Mats rondin, sol. anna Lindal, violin (Myran Prod 01)

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Some of the best for pianoThe highly-evocative Kwaidan Ballads inspired by Japanese ghost stories are some of the best works for piano ever composed in this country.Hufvudstadsbladet 3.8.Pehr Henrik Nordgren: Kwaidan Balladsakiko & henri sigfridsson, piano, 31.7.2014 korsholm Music Festival, Finland

Theatrical Linjama operaif such a strong sense of theatre can be achieved in a recording, a live performance must surely be quite stunning… Linjama’s idiom bears both a distinctive imprint and the strong starter dough of Western music.Etelä-Suomen Sanomat 19.6.Jyrki Linjama: Die Geburt des Täufers (The Birth of the Baptist) cd: soli deo Gloria/Juhani Lamminmäki, sol. ursula Langmayr, esa ruuttunen etc. (alba aBcd 370)

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Splendid piano quintetA splendid piano quintet in its rhythms and characters, in which quotations from Lewis carroll whispered and shouted by the players make for a relaxed atmosphere both on the platform and in the auditorium.Helsingin Sanomat 26.8.Mikko Heiniö: Piano QuintetMeta 4, nataša kudrtiskaja, piano, 24.8.2014 helsinki, Finland

Nothing short of a masterpiece?The concerto begins in excellent fashion: a lulla-by growing out of the low register that becomes increasingly mysterious and portentous. Aho does not contrive an obstacle course; rather, the music grows organically. A tasty contrast is the top-speed episode in 5/8 time… no holding back on speed and danciness.Helsingin Sanomat 7.6.Kalevi Aho: Cello Concerto No. 2World premiere: Lahti so/osmo Vänskä, sol. arto noras, 5.6. 2014 naantali Music Festival, Finland

Astonishing clarity and focusAho’s Horn concerto is a work of astonishing clar-ity and focus. indeed, the more i listened to it the more i was struck by the level of inspiration here. musicwebinternational.com July 2014Kalevi Aho: Horn Concerto, Theremin Concerto “Eight Seasons” cd: Lapland ch.orch./ John storgårds, sol. annu salminen, horn, carolina eyck, theremin (Bis cd 2036)

Studied tones from HeininenHeininen’s works for organ have arisen from liturgical themes, the impressionism of timbres and images, digital dexterity and virtuosity. All these and many other characteristics are strongly present in his new organ concerto.Hufvudstadsbladet 29.5.Paavo Heininen: Organ Concerto “Aiolos”World premiere: Guard’s Band/Petri komulainen, sol. Jan Lehtola, 27.5.2014 helsinki, Finland

Convincing string quartet debutThey [Brooklyn rider] stood up literally and figuratively in support of the new work with their understanding and devotion, with their dynamic and rhythmical millimetre precision. Sydsvenska Dagbladet 24.4.Tobias Broström: String Quartet No. 1World premiere: Brooklyn rider, 23.4.2014 Malmö, sweden

Tantalising paradoxeson the surface, the new work by nuorvala, a com-poser known for his techno leanings, is “easily accessibly” romantic-Postminimalistic…yet it could literally not be more “radical”. nuorvala takes two basic pillars of pitch-based composition, harmony and melody, and takes them to opposite extremes.www.amfion.fi 16.5.Juhani Nuorvala: SeptimaliaWorld premiere: Finnish rso/santtu-Matias rouvali, 16.5.2014 helsinki, Finland

Exquisite Songs for MalenaSven-david Sandström’s dramatic tone language fuses seamlessly with Tranströmer’s words. The heavy and saturated tones quiver in the air from their boughs like the first sweet fruits of late summer. Svenska Dagbladet 18.7.

The music is tailored to her [Malena Ernman’s ] voice with its unique capacity and great wealth of variation. The tones are loaded with expression and her voice is exquisitely woven into the string sonorities. Sydsvenska Dagbladet 27.8Sven-David Sandström: Four Songs for Malena, Resan, Missa Breviscd: Musica Vitae, Gustaf sjökvist chamber choir/Gustaf sjökvist, sol. Malena ernman, mezzo-soprano (northern Grace nG002)

Spectacular performanceThe most important work here is “Music for orches-tra” from the late 1940s, and it must be considered one of the composer’s seminal compositions. The performance is spectacular and captures the music’s broad range of expression.Sydsvenska Dagbladet 2.7.Lars-Erik Larsson: Music for Orchestracd: helsingborg so/andrew Manze (cPo 777 671-2)

Impressive StaernBenjamin Staern also displays almost voluptuously his craft of composition. He works unhindered with all the means of composing: melody, harmony, rhythm and polyphony; and the orchestration is brilliant… i must admit that i am profoundly impressed. Skånska Dagbladet 17.5.

Staern shows that he knows how to orchestrate creatively with exuberant imagination and energy … i am reminded of a monumental film by Kurosawa in color, the sound-revolutionary Edgar Varése reborn. Sydsvenska Dagbladet 18.5. Benjamin Staern: GodaiWorld premiere: Malmö so/Marc soustrot, 15.5.2014 Malmö, sweden

mikko Heiniö

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H i G H L i G H T S 1 / 2 0 1 4

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KALevi AHOHorn Concerto, Acht Jahreszeiten (Eight Seasons), Concerto for Theremin and Chamber OrchestraLapland cho/ John storgårds, sol. annu salminen, horn, carolina eyck, thereminBis cd 2036

KuRt AtteRBeRgSymphonies Nos. 2 & 8Gothenburg so/neeme Järvichandos 5133 (orchestral Works Vol. 2)

LARs-eRiK LARssONSymphony No. 1, Music for Orchestra, Lyric Fantasy A Winter’s Tale, Pastoralhelsingborg so/andrew Manze cPo 777 671-2 (orchestral Works Vol. 1)

ALLAN PetteRssONSymphonies Nos. 4 & 16(including the SVT documentary ‘Who the hell is Allan Pettersson’ on DVD)norrköping so/christian LindbergBis cd-2110

eRKKi sALmeNHAARAPoemaostrobothnian cho/Juha kangasalba aBcd 372 (Poema – Works for cello and strings)

sveN-DAviD sANDstRöm Four Songs for Malena, Resan, Missa BrevisMusica Vitae, Gustaf sjökvist chamber choir/ Gustaf sjökvist, sol. Malena ernman northern Grace nG002

WiLHeLm steNHAmmARSerenade, Excelsior, Interlude from “the Song”royal Flemish Po/christian LindbergBis cd-2058

sveN-DAviD sANDstRömLay a Garlandfor male choir a cappellatext: Beaumont/ Fletcher/shakespeare (eng)Ge 12483  fReDRiK siXteNA Spiritual for Peacefor mixed choir a cappellatext: st. Francis of assisi (eng)Ge 12500

sOfiA söDeRBeRg-eBeRHARD, ARR.Noël nouveletfor mixed choir a cappella text: trad (Fr)Ge 12544  for male choirGe 12545 ANN-sOfie söDeRQvistWhat is Life? for solo voice and mixed choir a cappella text: Malin hülphers (eng)Ge 12495 

miHKeL KeRemSonata No. 1for violin and pianoFG 55011-216-2Sonata No. 2for violin and pianoFG 55011-217-9Sonata No. 3for violin and pianoFG 55011-218-6

T U T o r SjAANA LAAsONeNColour Flute, Book Ba flute method that has been praised as one of the best in its field.FG 55011-172-1Colour Flute, Teacher’s Guide for Book A text in FinnishFG 55011-178-3

KALevi AHOSolo VIfor double bassFG 55009-691-2Solo VIIIfor euphoniumFG 55009-693-6Solo XIfor guitarFG 55011-215-5

c H A M B E r & i n S T r U M E n T A L

c H o r A LANDeRs göRANssON, ARR.Ding, Dong! Merrily on Highfor mixed choir a cappellatext: trad (eng) Ge 12541

jOHN HØyByeWhere Does Peace Come From?for descant choir ssaa and organtext: eward Broadbridge (eng)Ge 12524

PäR OLOfssONThe Secretfor choir, percussion, rotating tubestext: kahlil Gibran (eng)Ge 12488 (version for mixed choir)Ge 12489 (version for descant choir)

The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol for baritone and mixed choir a cappellatext: trad (eng)Ge 12490   

S c o r E SsveN-DAviD sANDstRömNumber Fourfor orchestraGe 12327

iNgvAR LiDHOLmRiter/RitesBallet and concert suitefor orchestraGe 12047

jyRKi LiNjAmAEngel-Variationen / Enkelivariaatioitafor two violinsnew and inspiring chamber music for two violins. this 6-minute work is a suite of variations from the well-known song “es sungen drei engel”.FG 55011-162-2

WiLHeLm PeteRsON-BeRgeRFyra visor i svensk folkton/Four songs in swedish Folk stylefor voice and pianoGe 12526 (high voice)Ge 12527 (low voice)

sveN-DAviD sANDstRömOboe Quartetfor oboe violin, viola and celloGe 12572 (score and parts)

N E W C Ds

tOivO KuuLACollected Works for Violin / Kootut Viuluteokseta collection of kuula’s violin works edited by sirkka kuula.FG 55011-183-7