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IC2/2012HIGHLIGHTS

N E W S L E T T E R F R O M G E H R M A N S M U S I K F Ö R L A G & F E N N I C A G E H R M A N

Seven questions for Benjamin Staern

Focus on Kalevi Aho’s concertos

N E W S

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 2

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HIGHLIGHTS 2/2012

NEWSLET TER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN

Sound samples , video clips and other material are available at

www.gehrmans.se/highlights

Cover photo: Helena Juntunen in Jüri Reinvere’s opera

Purge (Stefan Bremer/Finnish National Opera)

Editors: Henna Salmela and Kristina Fryklöf

Translations: Susan Sinisalo and Robert Carroll

Design: Tenhelp Oy/Tenho Järvinen

ISSN 2000-2742 (Print), ISSN 2000-2750 (Online)

Printed in Sweden by TMG Sthlm, Bromma 2012

Colourstrings training in LondonA course for instrumental teachers will be held

in London on 29 July–3 August 2012. Th e string

course will form the fi rst part of the three-phase

education program to become a certifi ed Col-

ourstrings teacher, and following this there will

be an advanced “Phase 2 course”. Read more at

www.colourstrings.co.uk

Dan Styff e

Phot

o: L

ouise

Mar

tinss

onSamuelsson collaborationTh e Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra have jointly com-

missioned a 20-minute orchestral work by Marie Samuelsson. Th e premiere is scheduled for 2014.

Gehrmans has increased the collaboration with

Samuelsson which now also covers her chamber mu-

sic repertoire. Th e following works have been added:

Ö (Island) for violin solo, I vargens öga (In the Eye

of the Wolf ) for saxophone and CD, Improvisation

– Composition for two saxophones, Alive for violin

solo, Skuggspel (Shadow Play) for oboe and percus-

sion, and Elvahundratjugo grader (Elevenhundred and

twenty degrees) for cello and CD.

Phot

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ats B

äcke

r

US premiere for Sixten’s Requiem8 June will see the US premiere of Fredrik Six-ten’s Requiem. Scored for soprano, bass-baritone,

mixed choir and chamber orchestra, the work

will be performed by the Sonos Chamber Or-

chestra, choir and soloists, under Erich Ochsner

in S:t Peter’s Church New York.

Toivo Kuula Singing

Competition Summer 2013 will mark the 130th anniver-

sary of the birth of Toivo Kuula. Th e jubilee

celebrations will begin already in 2012 with

a national Toivo Kuula Singing Competition

in Alavus, the town where he was born, on

11–18 August, the aim being to highlight

and fi nd new interpreters of his music.

A Dream Play in WeimarDeutsches Nationaltheater and Staatskapelle

Weimar, under the direction of Stefan Solyom,

will put on Ingvar Lidholm’s opera A Dream

Play in the 2013 season, with the premiere on

20 April. Th e opera, which is based on August Strindberg’s famous theatre play, had its world

premiere at the Royal Opera in Stockholm in

1992, and has later been performed with great

success in Bern, Magdeburg and Santa Fe.

New chamber music

on YouTube Some new chamber works by Kai Nieminen

can be heard on YouTube: Refl ecting Landscapes

premiered by the Trio La Rue in November, and

Nocturnal Mindscapes (Lily-Marlene Puusepp,

harp, Malla Vivolin, alto fl ute, Linda Hed-lund, violin, Jussi Aalto, viola and Seeli Toivio,

cello). Tommi Kärkkäinen’s Duo for silent gui-

tar and harp is also on YouTube, performed by

Janne Malinen and Puusepp. Th ere are links at

www.fennicagehrman.fi /highlightsPhot

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nder

s Elia

sson

Double bass concertos

on CDDouble bass player Dan Styff e’s recording of

Fredrik Högberg’s concerto Hitting the First

Bass (2008) will be released on the Simax la-

bel at a concert featuring the Tromsø Cham-

ber Orchestra on 1 June. Simax will also re-

lease Rolf Martinsson’s Double Bass Concerto

(2011) with Styff e and the Oslo Philharmonic

under Jukka-Pekka Saraste, in connection

with the convention BASS 2012, in Copenha-

gen this August.

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 2

BBC Philharmonic at Luosto and other festival highlightsTh e BBC Philharmonic, the main guest at the Luosto Classic festival, has

been entrusted with the Finnish premiere of Kalevi Aho’s percussion

concerto Sieidi on 12 August. Th e open-air concert will be conducted by

John Storgårds and the soloist is Colin Currie. Also on the programme

will be Aho’s mighty Luosto Symphony. Lieksa Brass Week in July has

also scheduled in some Aho: his Horn Concerto, played by the Jyväskylä

Sinfonietta with Annu Salminen as the soloist.

Veli-Matti Puumala’s Mure commissioned by the Ensemble Intercon-

temporain can be heard in its fi rst Finnish performance at Avanti!’s Sum-

mer Sounds festival on 29 June.

Ilkka Kuusisto’s chamber opera Gabriel, tule takaisin! (Gabriel, come

back!) is on the programme for Opera Archipelago in fi ve performances

at Parainen on 3–11 August. His opera Miss Julie will receive its Aus-

trian premiere at the Feldkirch Festival, which has  Finland and Nor-

way in focus. Th e program contains also works by Kimmo Hakola and Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Chamber music by Mikko Heiniö can be heard at a concert during the

Turku Music Festival to be given in Heiniö’s own home on 11 August by

members of the Turku Ensemble.

Kimmo Hakola in the newsTh e Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra has

commissioned Kimmo Hakola to write a

song cycle – his own interpretation of the

12 South Ostrobothnian Folk Songs by Toivo Kuula. It is designed for a forthcoming CD,

to be coupled with Hakola’s Aleksis Kivi

Songs. Th e soloist will be Jorma Hynninen.

Another big event for Hakola this sum-

mer is the world premiere of his opera La

Fenice at the Savonlinna Opera Festival on 6

July. Th is opera buff a is a tragicomic tale of

the fi re at the Venice Opera House. In Octo-

ber, Hakola will be the focus composer at a

festival of contemporary music in Oulu.

Phot

o: Ti

mo

Sepp

äläi

nen

Broström’s LucernarisIn the upcoming season Håkan Hardenberger

will perform Tobias Broström’s trumpet con-

certo Lucernaris with four diff erent orchestras:

the Kristiansand SO/Johannes Gustavsson,

the BBC Philharmonic/John Storgårds, the

Helsingborg SO/Andrew Manze and the Oulu

SO/Johannes Gustavsson. Under the baton of

Ari Rasilainen the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen

gave the Swiss premiere in May. It was also the

fi rst performance by another trumpet player, the

Australian Gregory Flynn.

New works by MartinssonRolf Martinsson is presently working on a so-

prano saxophone concerto for soloist Anders Paulsson entitled Golden Harmony, which will

be premiered by the Norrland Opera Symphony

Orchestra on 6 September. Th e title gives associ-

ations to interplay, melodiousness, harmony and

mutual understanding. Th ere will be a great deal

of slow, beautiful, jazzy music, but also music re-

lated to the soft-fast as a contrast. Two shorter

concert-opening pieces for spring 2013 await

after the concerto; a commission for the inau-

guration of the new concert hall in Reutlingen

(Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen/

Ola Rudner), which will be followed by a piece

for the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra enti-

tled Tour de Force.

Paavo HeininenBrass Quintet “Vaskikaari”

Tampere Philharmonic Brass, cond. Tuomas Turriago

21.3. Tampere, Finland

Wind Quintet “Sykerre”

Arktinen Hysteria, 21.4. Tampere Biennale, Finland

Olli KortekangasOff ertorium, for gamba solo

Varpu Haavisto, 7.4. Hetta Music Festival, Finland

Jüri ReinvereNorilsk, The Daff odils

Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä & Kuopio SO, cond. Atso Almila

25.4. Jyväskylä, Finland

Albert SchnelzerViolin Concerto – Coupled Airs

Orchestra of the Swan, cond. David Curtis, sol. Hugo Ticciati

10.5. London, UK

Sven-David SandströmDansa (Dance)

Lena Willemark, soprano and violin, Cecilia Zilliacus, violin

14.5. Stockholm, Sweden

Anders EliassonKarolinas sömn (Carolina’s Slumber)

Opera in one act

Royal Swedish Opera, Lena Hoel, soprano

4.6. Stockholm, Sweden

Einojuhani RautavaaraCantus arcticus, version for piano and tape

Laura Mikkola, 14.6. Iitti Music Festival, Finland

Rolf MartinssonGolden Harmony – Soprano Saxophone Concerto No. 1

Norrland Opera SO, cond. Christoph Altstaedt, sol. Anders Paulsson

6.9. Umeå, Sweden

Veli-Matti PuumalaA new work for orchestra

Finnish RSO, cond. Hannu Lintu, 7.9. Helsinki, Finland

P R E M I E R E SDancing to NuorvalaA dance work called Morpho was performed in May to the music of String Quartet No. 2 by Juhani Nuorvala. Th e musicians were students at the Turku Music Academy and the dancers in the chore-

ography by Tuomo Railo were future professionals now training at the Turku Conservatory. Th ere

were four performances in all at Turku’s Sigyn Hall in May. Nuorvala also produced some electronic

music for the performance.

Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestracoupled with Symphony No.14 ‘Rituals’ etcAnna Kreetta Gribajcevic, viola / Chamber Orchestra of Lapland / John Storgårds (BIS-CD-1686) Concertos for Tuba and for ContrabassoonØystein Baadsvik, tuba / Norrköping SO / Mats RondinLewis Lipnick, contrabassoon / Bergen PO / Andrew Litton (BIS-CD-1574) Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra (Piano Concerto No.2) coupled with Symphony No. 13 “Sinfonisia luonnekuvia”Antti Siirala, piano / Lahti SO / Osmo Vänskä (BIS-CD-1316) In the BIS catalogue can also be found recordings of Aho’s Concertos for Flute, Clarinet, Violin and Cello, as well as other orchestral works and chamber music For further information, please visit www.bis.se

released on

Concertos by Kalevi Aho

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 2

Benjamin Staern has a couple eventful years with commissions, premieres

and awards behind him and now, in his early 30s, he has defi nitely

established himself as one of the most sought-after Swedish composers.

1. Since 2010 you have been Composer-in-Residence with the New European Ensemble based in Th e Hague. What has this collabora-tion meant to you?

A great deal! When the leader of the ensemble, Christian Karlsen, took the initiative I did not hesitate for a second. Th e ensemble consists of fantastically talented young musicians from all over Europe. Th ey play with integrity, devotion and love, and perform contemporary music with the same energy and power as music from the standard repertoire. Collaboration with them means that I can develop my musicality in a way that I never thought possible and attain to a spir-itual virtuosity.

2. Th e fi rst work that you wrote for the en-semble was a song cycle set to texts by No-bel Prize laureate Tomas Tranströmer. Next year at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, they will include the songs in a program with a Schoenberg theme. What connection do the Tranströmer Songs have with Arnold Schoenberg?

Th e song cycle revolves around a certain work, Schoenberg’s Serenade, which is scored, like my work, for clarinet, bass clarinet, mandolin, guitar, violin, viola and cello, as well as for a low voice (in this case a contralto). Th e sound world has its origin in Niccoló Paganini’s Sinfonia concertante, which gives the work an Italian ambience. And the texts, which are taken from Tranströmer’s Th e Sorrow Gondola, contain everything from tenderness, sorrow, pain and lyrical states till dramatic outbursts.

3. Last autumn you were awarded the Swed-ish Music Publishers’ Prize for your chamber symphony Bells and Waves , which you also wrote for the ensemble. Can you say a few words about the work?

It is about my childhood memories, playing with bells and my passion for water. My point of de-parture for the work was the physical phenom-enon “standing wave”, which is formed by two wave motions that move in opposite directions. As always when composing it was a journey, in which I could not imagine the fi nal outcome until getting to hear the music that I had in my head over a long period of time, performed in re-ality. It is always a daring venture!

4. Waves recur again and again in your music. A year ago your concert opener Wave Move-ments had its world premiere in Koblenz, Germany, a work that was commissioned by conductor Daniel Raiskin and the Rheinische Philharmonie. Do waves have a special mean-ing for you?

Apparently, ha-ha. From a purely musical view-point the waves in this work are above all me-lodic elements in a signifi cant focus that either control the harmony or go their own way as a contrapuntal contrast. Th en I have build up an aura around this.

5. Your latest orchestral work, the clarinet con-certo Worried Souls , which was premiered by Karin Dornbusch and the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in February, aroused strong emotions in the audience. What was it in the music, do you think, that aff ected people so powerfully?

Now, after some time for refl ection, I believe that the audience was deeply moved by both the mel-ancholy and the brighter sections, the sudden fl ashes of wit, the gestures and the great variety of the music. My father, the conductor Gunnar Staern, passed away just as I begun working on the piece, and this aff ected my composing. Th e work took another direction; in some places it became more heart-rending and expressive than

before. After the performance in Linköping an older couple came up to me during the intermis-sion and said, “It was wonderful! But next time the work is performed tell the people in advance to bring their handkerchiefs!”

6. Stefan Solyom, who conducted the pre-miere, and who has also conducted a number of your earlier works, speaks of a very interest-ing and positive development in your compos-ing, more meditative and lyrical. Do you feel that you have found your “style” now?

For every composer there is a secret garden to which no one else has access, and this is where I belong. I believe that since my debut in 2001 with Th e Th reat of War, and later with works such as Jubilate, I have tended toward a more ascetic tone of expression. What has most often been said about my style is that there are a lot of gestures, sudden fl ashes of wit, abrupt changes and dynamic and kinetic energy. Th at is still there but nowadays I have tried to tone down these means of expression in favour of a more tranquil, secret and searching state.

7. Th ere are many orchestras and musicians who want to commission works from you. Can you tell us about what you are presently work-ing on?

Right now I am at work on a Concerto for Or-chestra for the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, which is scheduled to be premiered in spring 2013. It will be followed by a new song cycle set to texts by Karin Boye for contralto Anna Lars-son and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. Th en I just found out about a new commission for the New European Ensemble, a large-scale work including video projections and electron-ics, which will be premiered at the Norrlands-Opera during Umeå’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2014.

But now I must go on writing before my inspi-ration for the day runs dry!

More information on www.benjaminstaern.se

Kristina Fryklöf

Seven questions for Benjamin Staern

Phot

o: To

bias

Bro

stöm

Kalevi Aho is not only Finland´s most

prominent living composer of sympho-

nies, but also Finland´s most produc-

tive composer of solo concertos with currently

nineteen works on his opus list. Actually there

are even more, as the borderlines between the

diff erent genres sometimes are blurred. Th is is

the case with Symphony No. 3 for violin and or-

chestra , No. 8 for organ and orchestra, No. 9 for

trombone and orchestra and No. 11 for per-

cussion and orchestra. Th e Th ird Chamber Sym-

phony is an alto saxophone concerto in disguise.

Aho started out on his career as a symphon-

ist in 1969, and twelve years later composed his

fi rst solo concerto for his own instrument, the

violin. It is one of the peaks of the Finnish violin

literature after Sibelius. Here, as with Sibelius,

the stunning technical demands never become

ends-in-themselves but proceed logically from

the existing musical and dramaturgical context.

Th e postmodern, pluralistic aesthetics that Aho

had then adopted were also manifest in the high-

ly expressive Cello Concerto and in the massive

First Piano Concerto from 1989.

Relaxed ideal of beautyDuring the 90s Aho concentrated primarily on

opera, symphonies, chamber music as well as in-

strumental solo pieces, and his concerto produc-

tion was not resumed until the beginning of the

new millennium with the elegiac and cantabile

Tuba Concerto. It was also at this time that the

absolutely unique idea of composing a series of

concertos for every instrument in the symphony

orchestra was born.

Kalevi Aho has up to now written nineteen solo concertos

and more are on the way.

In 2002 followed one of the key works in

Aho´s production, the lyrical and melodious

Flute Concerto, written for Sharon Bezaly.

It is his most frequently performed concerto and

one of the fi rst in an afterwards growing number

of easily accessible and spontaneously communi-

cating works in which the complexity yields to a

more relaxed emotional tone with a surprisingly

shameless ideal of beauty in focus.

Every individual concerto represents a unique

emotional and stylistic world. It is no coinci-

dence that the Second Piano Concerto in which

the symphony orchestra is replaced by the string

orchestra, constitutes the greatest possible con-

trast in its neo-classicism with considerably

sharper contours. After a Concerto for Two Cel-

los and Orchestra, exemplarily concentrated in

expression as well as form, follows an exciting

expedition that explores the lowest registers.

Th e multifaceted Bassoon Concerto brilliantly

enriches the genre, while the Contrabassoon Con-

certo is the second ever for the instrument. Th e

Double Bass Concerto is the second Finnish work

in the genre after Einojuhani Rautavaara´s

and fruitfully explores the instrument´s playing

techniques.

New aesthetic dimensionIn 2005 Aho completed his Clarinet Concerto.

Once again he had the advantage of col-

laborating with one of the world´s most talented

artists in the fi eld, Martin Fröst. Th e solo part,

extremely technically demanding, is convincingly

integrated into the emotionally and dramatically

constructive and contrastive whole. After the

mostly sombre and expressive Viola Concerto,

written for the Lapland Chamber Orchestra as

a link in Aho´s – to say the least – original pro-

ject of composing an entire concert programme

for orchestra, we come to the second key work,

the Oboe Concerto. Here Aho takes the decisive

step into a new aesthetic dimension by means of

an exceptionally personal way of integrating eth-

nic and oriental elements. Aho´s rhythm, in the

manner of percussion and coloured by ostinato,

has already appeared in his musical vocabulary

and now the Arabian darbuka and the West Af-

rican djembe are incorporated into his musical

tool box. Th e oboe often utilizes quarter tones

and spices the work with melismas of an Arabian

fragrance.

Th e same means of expression also recur in

the Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orches-

tra, written for the Raschèr Quartet, subtitled

Bells (the suggestive bell sounds have their origin

in the ringing of the bells at the funeral of his

friend and colleague Pehr Henrik Nordgren),

as well as in the absurdly demanding Trombone

Concerto premiered in 2012.

However, the skilfully applied ethnic infl u-

ences in Aho´s music never feel like pasted-on

eff ects but rather like a naturally integrated part

of the musical mosaic. Th is is true in the high-

est degree for the irresistibly swinging Percussion

Concerto “Sieidi” (Lappish for holy sacrifi cial

rock), written for Colin Currie, in which Aho

clearly stresses the fact that the percussion are

primarily rhythm instruments and only in the

second place melody and timbre instruments.

Two other recent Aho concertos, very diff er-

ent from one another, include the Concerto for

French Horn and Chamber Orchestra in which

the soloist´s movements in space are utilised,

and the Concerto for Trumpet and Symphonic

Wind Orchestra which evinces fresh infl uences

from jazz. A new concerto for theremin is to

be premiered in October 2012 – yet another

valuable addition to the series of concertos for

unusual instruments. Over the years Kalevi Aho

has created his own musical universe, in which

extrovert virtuosity and profound introspection

are eff ortlessly combined within the framework

of an expressive and extraordinarily elastic syn-

thesis.

Today, of the orchestral instruments, only the

harp lacks its own concerto. Before that concer-

tos for violin and soprano saxophone are waiting

in line, and BIS Records continues loyally to save

Aho´s music for posterity.

Mats Liljeroos

Concertos for all orchestral instruments

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 2

TOMMIE HAGLUNDIl regno degli spiriti (Land of Souls) (2001) 23’We can listen to sounds never heard before,

integrated into the well known, when Tommie

Haglund lets chords proceed according to a

logic that at fi rst amazes us but afterwards seems quite natural.

This is nocturnal music with all that that implies. Commissioned by

the Medici Quartet for their 30th anniversary and premiered at the

Cambridge Music Festival in 2001.

FREDRIK HÖGBERGMore is More (2006) 10’An energetic and lively work the title of which

is a play on the concept “less is more”, but just

the opposite. There are a great many tones

and a whole lot of energy contained in this

quartet. It is also a homage to Maurice (More is) Ravel whose only

string quartet has been a major source of inspiration for Högberg

throughout the years. Commissioned by the Weber Quartet.

JUHA T. KOSKINENString Quartet No. 1 (2005) 15’A work premiered at the Takefu International

Music Festival in Japan in 2005, when Toshio

Hosokawa gave Koskinen a chance to write it

for the Diotima Quartet. The main rhythmical

material comes from a poem by the 13th century Italian poet Iaco-

pone da Todi. There are also two musical fl ashbacks from Koskinen’s

opera Madame de Sade. The intensity and charge of the quartet are

relieved in the Oceanico Epilogue built on hypnotic triplets.

KIMMO KUITUNENLeino meets StrQ (2000/2008) 12’This three-movement quartet could be de-

scribed as vocal music for strings. It is based on

Kuitunen’s Erotessa for choir. The original text

by the Finnish poet Eino Leino can be projected

onto a screen in the background, as was done at the performance

by the Zagros quartet. The work represents homogeneous dodeca-

phony in the spirit of the second cantata by Anton Webern. It also

has lyricism and vigorous rhythmic elements.

PEHR HENRIK NORDGRENString Quartet No. 11 (2008) 21‘Nordgren’s last quartet is introspective and

devout in tone. Its distinctive soundscape is the

result of the abnormal tuning, which returns to

normal in the lively Rondo and is “as if a light

were shining from a very confi ned space”. The Lamentoso interlude

is an excruciatingly beautiful meditation on a chorale theme, and

the short closing Pietoso epilogue is like a fl ash of another real-

ity. Commissioned by the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival and pre-

miered by the Tempera Quartet.

R E P E R T O I R E T I P S

SVENDAVID SANDSTRÖMSeven Pieces for String Quartet (String Quartet No 4) (2009) 16’Seven short pieces of varying character where

the listener can never feel really sure of what

comes next. Sandström is continually full of

surprises. Commissioned by the Weber Quartet.

ALBERT SCHNELZERString Quartet No 2 – Emperor Akbar (2009) 12’ Inspired by a novel by Salman Rushdie in which

Emperor Akbar is one of the main characters.

He has a very complex personality, and this is

also refl ected in the music. The string quartet starts out literally

with the emperor decapitating a young rebel. After that, rhythmi-

cal and violent passages alternate with more contemplative scenes.

A commission from the Nordland Music Festival for the Brodsky

Quartet.

FREDRIK SIXTENChaconne (2007) 6’With the fi rst eight bars the basic harmonic

structure of the whole work is laid out. There is

a kind of pulse, but where the variations fl uctu-

ate between the passionate, the melancholy,

the sublime and the fervent. The conclusion is surprising but yet so

still. Commissioned by the Forza Quartet.

HARRI VUORIString Quartet No. 2 (2005) 20’In typical Vuori style, the quartet represents

delicate, readily-accessible modernism with

microtones, spectral timbres and glittering

glissandos that create a dream-like atmos-

phere. The heart of this three-movement quartet is the middle

Pastorale; its cantus fi rmus is a song by Otto Kotilainen. The last

movement has a big cello cadenza. Premiered by the Avanti! Quar-

tet in London.

VICTORIA YAGLINGString Quartet No. 2 (2001) 18’Yagling was herself a cellist, and this work

demonstrates her vast knowledge of string

instruments’ potential. The quartet opens with

a melancholy Adagio and continues with a viv-

id and lyrical Moderato con moto. The Scherzo is a highly effi cient

virtuoso movement charged with drama and temperament, and in

the fi nale the violin melodies soar in Russian mood, striking straight

to the depths of the heart.

21st century string quartets

Aho’s concertos in LondonBig and bold, Aho’s Sieidi arrived with some thunder-

ous drumming…Its music is a ride on the big dipper

of extreme contrasts – macho punch-ups with bellig-

erent rhythms (a soundtrack for the next Bond fi lm?),

long melodies that fl oat over a barren landscape and

simple passages for solo drums like shamanistic ritual.

…There is an energy about his concerto that holds

the attention. It is a lively, virtuoso piece and Currie

made the most of it.

Financial Times 21.4.

The skill with which the soloist’s material is ampli-

fi ed and transformed through the orchestra adds to

a sense of wonder that grows steadily over nearly 40

minutes.

The Guardian 19.4.

Kalevi Aho: Sieidi (Concerto for Solo Percussion

and Orchestra)

World premiere: London PO, cond. Osmo Vänskä, sol Colin Currie,

18.4. 2012 London, UK

The music calls on the soloist occasionally to sing

while playing – not as alien an eff ect as you might

think – and creates a subtle balance between fast and

slow, tension and relaxation within a longer contin-

uum: very Sibelian, not least in the fi rst movement’s

alone-in-nature cadenza. The most distinctive ideas

come in the second movement, a scherzo, in which

the soloist shimmies his way through an increasingly

heated, jazz-infused drum-dance.

Financial Times 13.5.

Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra

UK premiere: BBC SO, cond. Alexander Vedernikov, sol Jörgen van Rijen,

10.5. 2012 London, UK

Heart-rending; beautifulSuovanen could savour dramatic swells, powerfully

resonant high notes and delicate pianissimos com-

pletely at will, and the result was simply delicious.

Lapin Kansa 28.4.

Lars Karlsson: Sju sånger till text av Pär Lagerkvist

(Seven Songs to texts of Pär Lagerkvist)

World premiere: Lapland ChO, cond. John Storgårds,

sol. Gabriel Suovanen, baritone, 26.4.2012 Rovaniemi, Finland

Colin Currie

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arco

Bor

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R E V I E W S

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 2

Arresting and expressionisticDaniel Börtz’s compelling Songs and Dances provides

an impressive display of Hardenberger’s wide range:

the arresting and dramatic opening, Energico, takes

the soloist to stratospheric heights, only to plummet

in the following Lento misterioso, where low notes

are coloured with glissandi and fl utter-tongue eff ects.

With Hardenberger as its champion, this expressionis-

tic concerto deserves to enter the concert repertoire.

Classical-Music.com 13.5.

Daniel Börtz: Trumpet Concerto – Songs and Dances

CD: Malmö SO, cond. Gilbert Varga, sol. Håkan Hardenberger

(BIS-CD-1021)

Sofi Oksanen’s novel Purge contains all the right

elements for the big stage: love, jealousy, betrayal,

violence, memory, regret…Jüri Reinvere makes no

attempt to set the book to music; his Purge is much

more a musical refl ection on Oksanen’s characters.

By putting us inside a mind that shuts off in self-

defence at the onset of brutality, Jüri Reinvere tells

us more than any amount of thrusting orchestral

violence ever could.

Financial Times 23.4.

Purge probably belongs among the most impor-

tant operas ever premiered at the Finnish National

Opera.

Hufvudstadsbladet 22.4.

A Purge worthy of homage…Reinvere contrasts

the sensitive and subtle with brutality…The chorus,

which makes an impressive contribution during

Purge – a tour de force of music theatre

Heiniö’s work most fascinating…The climax proved to be the premiere of Mikko

Heiniö’s new Piano Concerto…Most of all I was fas-

cinated by the exquisite orchestration, the use of

big-band sound and the dramatic arch, especially in

the fi rst movement of the concerto. The piano part is

virtuosic and spins along, and was performed in sov-

ereign manner by Kirmo Lintinen. Towards the end is

a humorous allusion to the Ride of the Valkyries.

Hufvudstadsbladet 23.4.

Mikko Heiniö: Nonno (Piano Concerto No. 9)

World premiere: UMO Jazz Orchestra, cond. Kari Heinilä,

sol. Kirmo Lintinen, 21.4. 2012 Tampere, Finland

Acclaim for new Rautavaara discJohn Storgårds and the Helsinki PO give exemplary

support in the big-boned textures of both concertos

but also shine on their own in Modifi cata. This is an

immensely noteworthy issue, not as a potential epi-

taph for Rautavaara the concerto-composer but for

the quality of the music.

Gramophone April 2012

Einojuhani Rautavaara: Modifi cata, Incantations,

Towards the Horizon

CD: Helsinki PO, cond. John Storgårds, sol. Colin Currie, percussion,

Truls Mørk, cello (Ondine ODE 1178-2)

Coupled Airs Schnelzer based this violin concerto around the rip-

pling octatonic scale to give the piece a fl uid feel.

Hugo’s engaging performance is true to the nautical

theme of the arrangement and he comfortably carries

the attention of the driving melody.

Time and Leisure 14.5.

Albert Schnelzer: Coupled Airs

World premiere: Orchestra of the Swan, cond. David Curtis, sol. Hugo Tic-

ciati, violin, 10.5.2012 London, UK

Well composed FantasiaMarie Samuelsson’s new Fantasia in a Circle is her

second work for the ensemble [peärls before swïne

experience]. It is soft, calm without a pulse, we get a

glimpse of an organ point and at the same time there

are bright fi gurations. It is terse, well composed and

above all personal.

Nutida Musik 1 2012

Marie Samuelsson: Fantasia in a Circle

World premiere: peärls before swïne experience,

18.10.2012 Stockholm, Sweden

Clarinet in suggestive surroundings “Worried Souls” was soft and imaginative…The so-called

scrap-percussion gave contours to Staern’s suggestive

sonorities and played along. Clarinet and orchestra con-

versed and inspired one another.

Corren 18.2.

This piece is brimming over with ideas… Staern moves

lithely through the colours, allows himself excursions

into jazz and sarcasm reminiscent of the Austrian H.K.

Gruber’s tone language, only to in the next moment fl ing

himself into an expressive seriousness that calls to mind

the modernism of the 1970s.

Dagens Nyheter 18.2.

Benjamin Staern: Clarinet Concerto – Worried Souls

World premiere: Norrköping SO, cond. Stefan Solyom,

sol. Karin Dornbusch, clarinet, 16.2.2012 Norrköping, Sweden

Ingenious BroströmBroström uses the full capacity of the orchestra.

Sometimes he spreads out thick layers of paint with

his brushes, sometimes he uses the most delicate

hues. I was completely captivated by his ingenuity,

not least by the eff ective ending with the gently click-

ing sound from the 13 kalimbas.

Helsingborgs Dagblad 17.2.

Tobias Broström: La danse

World premiere: Helsingborgs SO, cond. Andrew Manze,

16.2.2012 Helsingborg, Sweden

Martinsson’s much longed-for

PassionIncredibly eff ective and suggestive.

Västerbottenkuriren 3.4.

Both melodious and irresistibly enchanting.

Sydsvenska Dagbladet 3.4.

There were distinct features of the baroque in the

phrasing and harmony at times…a mighty conclud-

ing chord in the major shed a bright, positive light

over this much longed-for work.

Uppsala Nya Tidning 2.4

Rolf Martinsson: St. Luke Passion

World premieres: Canzonetta and Uppsala Cathedral Singers, Petri Sån-

gare, Umeå Oratorio Choir, soloists and musicians,

31.3–1.4.2012 Uppsala, Malmö and Umeå, Sweden

Daniel Börtz

Phot

o: G

eorg

Odd

ner

the evening with

shushing, fl utter-

ing consonants,

places a row of

burning candles

along the front of

the stage and bows in homage. And so do I.

Svenska Dagbladet 26.4.

Purge is a tour de force of music theatre. Reinvere has,

as composer and librettist, heightened and bright-

ened Sofi Oksanen’s novel as poetic theatre in a land-

scape of sound.

Aamulehti 20.4.

Jüri Reinvere: Purge, opera in two acts

World premiere: Finnish National Opera, cond. Paul Mägi, sol. Johanna

Rusanen-Kartano, Helena Juntunen etc, 20.4. 2012 Helsinki, Finland

Jüri Reinvere

Phot

o: To

ni H

ärkö

nen

Karin Dornbusch

N E W P U B L I C A T I O N S

KALEVI AHOChamber Symphonies 1-3

Tapiola Sinfonietta, cond. Jean-Jacques Kantorow & Stefan

Asbury, sol. John-Edward KellyBIS-SACD-1126

Chamber works (Quintet for Clarinet and String

Quartet, Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Sonata for Two

Accordions)

Osmo Vänskä, clarinet, Veli & Susanna Kujala, accordion etc.BIS-CD-1886

FINNISH TRUMPET SONATAS (Harri Wessman, Lasse Eerola, Arttu Sipilä, Tuomas

Turriago)

Jouko Harjanne, trumpet, Tuomas Turriago, pianoPilfi nk Records JJVCD-104

LARSERIK LARSSONFörklädd gud/A God Disguised

Royal Stockholm PhO, Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir, cond.

Gustaf Sjökvist, sol. Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano, Karl-

Magnus Fredriksson, baritone, Björn Granath, narratorSwedish Royal Court CD

LARSERIK LARSSON, HILDING ROSENBERGA Winter’s Tale, Orpheus in Town

Norrköping SO, cond. Alexander HanssonNaxos CD 8.572339 (Nordic Classical Favourites 2)

USKO MERILÄINENTimeline/Aikaviiva

Tampere PO, cond. Hannu LintuAlba ABCD 342 (”notkeatonline”)

SVENDAVID SANDSTRÖMFive Pieces for String Trio

Trio ZilliacusPerssonRaitinenPhono Suecia PSCD 189

CHORAL

FREDRIK SIXTEN Three Haiku Poems

for SATB a cappella

Text: Japanese 18th century: Kanna,

Kurako, Kin´ei (Jap), GE 12111

LINDA ALEXANDERSSON Three Songs from the

Dominican Breviary

Hommage a Arvo Pärt

for SATB a cappella (Lat), GE 12075

SVENDAVID SANDSTRÖM Långsam musik (Slow Music)

for six part mixed choir a cappella

Text: Tomas Tranströmer (Nobel Prize

Laureate 2011) (Swe)

First performed at the Nobel Prize lecture

on literature, GE 12066

KARIN REHNQVISTDer Herr ist mein Hirte/

Herren är min herde

for female choir SSAA a cappellaGE 11901 (German version)

GE 11835 (Swedish version)

PERHENNING OLSSON Marionetterna

(The Marionetts)

for male choir TTBB a cappella

Text: Bo Bergman (Swe), GE 12037

ROBERT SUND Juninatt (June Night)

for male choir TTBB a cappella

Text: Anders Österling (Swe), GE 12112

SCORES

CHAMBER/INSTRUMENTAL

LARSERIK LARSSON Preludium & Postludium

for organ

Recently discovered work by the famous

Swedish composer Ge 12114

BO NILSSONDéjà connu – déjà entendu

for wind quintetNMS 10341 (set of parts)

MARIE SAMUELSSONFantasia in a Circle

for fl ute violin, cello and pianoGE 12050 (score and parts)

Somebody is Learning

how to Fly

for clarinet soloGE 12052

FREDRIK SIXTEN Passacaglia

for organGE 12115

BENJAMIN STAERNFive Episodes

for violin and guitarGE 11945

JOHAN ULLÉNThe Deadly Sins

for piano trioGE 12090 (study score)

GE 11955 (score and parts)

JÖRGEN DAFGÅRDSinfonia No 1 GE 11085

FREDRIK HÖGBERGHitting the First Base

Concerto for Double Bass and StringsGE 11174

INGVAR LIDHOLMPoesis

for orchestraGE 12044 (conductor’s score)

GE 12046 (study score)

Mutanza

for orchestraGE 12043 (conductor’s score)

GE 12045 (study score)

GÖSTA NYSTROEMSinfonia EspressivaGE 12067

Concerto for Double Bass and Strings

P A R T I T U R / S C O R E

Der Herr ist mein HirteSSAA a cappella

The Deadly Sinsseven tangos for piano trio

Johan Ullén

ManskörManskör

MarionetternaFör TTBB

Per-Henning Olsson

INGVAR LIDHOLM POESIS PER ORCHESTRA PARTITUR / SCORE

Somebody is Learning How to Fly

F O R S O L O C L A R I N E T I N B

Marie Samuelsson

Three Haiku Poems

Blandad kör/Mixed choir a cappella

Lars-Erik Larsson

Preludium &Postludium

FÖR ORGEL

ERKKI MELARTINPäivänpaisteessa/A Place in the Sun

A collection of piano gems by Melartin

(Book & CD)FG 979-0-55011-104-2

LÁSZLO ROSSA JAANA LAASONEN Huilukamari 1-4 (Flute Chamber)

Chamber music for young fl utists based on

original versions for violin duos by Lászlo Rossa

and Géza Szilvay. Book I is intended for groups of

players of diff erent standards, II includes duos, II is

a selection of trios and IV is a book of quartets.FG 979-0-55011-089-2 (I), 55011-090-8 (II), 55011-091-5

(III), 55011-092-2 (IV)

CSABA SZILVAYCello ABC, Book B

Second part of the popular

Colourstrings cello schoolFG 979-0-55009-478-9

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