NO

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IC4/2012HIGHLIGHTS

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

Focus on Karin Rehnqvist

Mikko Heiniö’sunusual concerto hybrids

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

NO

RD

IC

HIGHLIGHTS 4/2012

NEWSLET TER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN

Sound samples , video clips and other material are available at

www.gehrmans.se/highlights

Cover photos: Jussi Vierimaa (Mikko Heiniö),

Ester Sorri (Karin Rehnqvist),

Soren Svendsen (Trio con Brio Copenhagen)

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

Hakola makes newsJohn Storgårds, the WDR Symphony Orches-

tra and the Helsinki Philharmonic have com-

missioned Kimmo Hakola to write a new Vio-

lin Concerto to be premiered in Cologne on 18

January 2013. Hakola also has another impor-

tant premiere in his diary: a monologue opera,

Akseli, to be performed by the Avanti! Chamber

Orchestra in February. Singing the leading role

will be baritone Jorma Hynninen.

Alba Records has released a new CD of Ha-

kola’s popular Kivi Songs and settings orchestrat-

ed by him of Toivo Kuula’s South Ostrobothnian

Folk Songs. Th e soloist is Hynninen, with the

Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra conducted

by Juha Kangas.

Phot

o: K

aapo

Hak

ola

Phot

o: G

östa

Gla

se

Finnish music in CadizAudiences in Spain had a chance to hear

some Finnish music in November, at a

four-day event at the Gran Teatro Falla

in the city of Cadiz. Finnish composer

Timo-Juhani Kyllönen is composer-in-

residence at this celebrated theatre for

the period 2009–2013. Th e Trumpet

Concerto, Op. 84 “Cadiz 2012” was com-

posed by him as a commission and pre-

miered on 6 November. Th e concerto is,

according to Kyllönen, a blend of histori-

cal and Spanish moods and fanfares.

Tenth anniversary of

Fennica GehrmanOctober marked the tenth anniversary of Fen-

nica Gehrman, founded to continue the work on

behalf of Finnish classical music formerly done

by Edition Fazer and Warner/Chappell Music

Finland. Fennica Gehrman purchased their clas-

sical catalogues in 2007 and its catalogue now

runs to over 12,000 Finnish titles. Read more on

the Highlights website.

Samsara from USA to Russia 28 November saw the Russian premiere of To-bias Broström’s Samsara – Concerto for Violin,

Marimba and Orchestra at the Mariinsky Th ea-

tre in St. Petersburg. Hugo Ticciati and Johan Bridger were soloists with the Yakutsk Philhar-

monic Orchestra under the direction of Fabio Mastrangelo. Samsara received its US premiere

in Chicago in January this year, and was also

performed and recorded by the Västerås Sinfo-

nietta/Swedish National Youth SO in October.

A video clip from the Västerås performance is

now available on Gehrmans’ YouTube site.

Margaret Atwood songsAlbert Schnelzer will be the fi rst to set Marga-ret Atwood´s poetry to music. Th e poems Pig

Song, Bull Song, Rat Song, Song of the Hen´s Head

and Song of the Worms from “You Are Happy”

(1974) will be included in his song cycle for Su-sanna Andersson and the Helsingborg Sym-

phony Orchestra. Th e premiere is scheduled for

the 2013/2014 season.

Svanholm Singers

Composition AwardChristian Engquist won First Prize, among

46 contestants from fi ve continents, in the

Svanholm Singers international compo-

sition competition; with his piece It Is so

Peaceful here Now for men’s choir a cappella.

Th e award consisted of 5,000 Euros and the

publication of the work by Gehrmans Musik-

förlag. Th e Svanholm Singers premiered the

winning entry during the Lund Choral Festi-

val in October.

Söderlundh centenaryTh is year we celebrate the centenary of Lille Bror Söderlundh’s birth. He is best known for

his ingenious settings of Nils Ferlin’s poems,

but he also composed choral songs, chamber

and orchestral music. Concerto per violino ed or-

chestra, Concertino for Oboe and String Orchestra,

Christina Music, Th ree Folk Waltzes for string

orchestra and the ballet suite Th e Emperor of

Portugallia are among his most important works.

He found the inspiration in Swedish folk music

and remained faithful to his ideal throughout his

creative career. As he put it, “He who betrays the

folk music within, betrays himself; without folk

music no one can become a real composer”.

Johan Bridger in Västerås

Lille Bror

Söderlundh

Kimmo Hakola

Timo-Juhani Kyllönen

N E W S

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

Phot

o: G

uy V

ivie

n

November 2012 – February 2013

Sven-David SandströmFour Pieces for String Trio

Trio ZilliacusPerssonRaitinen

5.11. Stockholm, Sweden

Three Pieces for Violin and Cello

Ann-Marie Lysell, violin, Astrid Lindell, cello

12.11. Stockholm, Sweden

Håll ut näktergal! (for soprano and 4 percussionists)

Marie Alexis, soprano, percussionists from Swedish Radio SO

27.11. Stockholm, Sweden

Timo-Juhani KyllönenTrumpet Concerto “Cadiz 2012”

Camerata del Gran Teatro Falla/José Luis Aranda, sol. Alejandro

Gomez Hurtado

6.11. Cadiz, Spain

Einojuhani RautavaaraThree Romances from the opera Rasputin (for mixed choir)

Dominante Chamber Choir/Seppo Murto

7.11. Helsinki, Finland

Kai NieminenMarcovaldo (Concerto for Cello, Accordion and Orchestra)

Pori Sinfonietta/Jukka Iisakkila, sol. Marko Ylönen (cello), Matti

Rantanen (accordion)

15.11. Pori, Finland

Joonas KokkonenRequiem, version for organ, mixed choir and soloists (arr. Jouko Linjama)

Jan Lehtola, organ, Klemetti Institute Chamber Choir/Heikki Liimola,

sol. Terttu Iso-Oja, soprano, Joose Vähäsöyrinki, baritone

17.11. Organo Novo Festival, Helsinki, Finland

Fredrik HögbergIce Concerto

NorrlandsOpera SO/Rumon Gamba, sol. Niklas Sivelöv, piano

22.11. Umeå, Sweden

Jyrki LinjamaErstes Werk / Esikoisteos

Annami Hylkilä, soprano, Ilmo Ranta, piano

25.11. Kuopio, Finland

Rolf MartinssonOpening Sounds

Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen/Ola Rudner

14.1. Reutlingen, Germany

Kimmo HakolaViolin Concerto

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln/Jukka-Pekka Saraste, sol. John Storgårds

18.1. Cologne, Germany

Akseli, monologue opera

Avanti! & Finnish Chamber Opera/Ville Matvejeff ,

sol. Jorma Hynninen

28.2. Helsinki, Finland

Olli KortekangasMobile

Tapiola Youth Symphony

24.1. Espoo, Finland

Frida and Diego – a new opera

by Kalevi AhoKalevi Aho is composing a new chamber

opera, called Frida and Diego. Composed as a

commission from the Sibelius Academy for its

opera students,

it has tentatively

been scheduled

for the autumn

2014 season at the

Helsinki Music

Centre. It is Aho’s

fi fth opera, and is

about the life of

Frida Kahlo. Th e

libretto, in Span-

ish, is by Mariza Núñez.

Th e French ensemble Musicatreize is to give the

premiere in Finland of Tapio Tuomela’s

musical fairytale Antti Puuhaara on

1 December. Th e performance will

take place in the Sonore Hall of

the Helsinki Music Centre.

Th e production is an unusual,

delightful combination of

puppet and shadow theatre.

Th e ensemble of eight singers

and six players will be

conducted by Roland Hayrabedian. Th ere

will also be 4 additional

performances in

France during

December.

Tuomela’s musical fairytale in Finland

Open Mind US premiereRolf Martinsson’s concert opener Open Mind

will receive its US premiere on

15 February in Carnegie Hall,

New York, performed by the

Royal Stockholm Philhar-

monic under the direction of

Sakari Oramo. Furthermore

Manfred Honeck will con-

duct the Cleveland Sym-

phony Orchestra in four

performances of Open

Mind in Severance

Hall on 23-26 May.

Staern and Eliasson awarded Benjamin Staern

has been awarded

the most prestigious

Swedish composi-

tion prize, the Christ

Johnson Prize, for

his clarinet concerto

Worried Souls. Ac-

cording to the jury

“with astonishing

talent he handles

large-scale musical

forms in an original

and personal way, in a work characterized by a

richly varied orchestration and dazzling virtuos-

ity in the solo part.”

Anders Eliasson received the Swedish Music

Publishers’ Award 2012 for his Violin Concerto

Einsame Fahrt (Solitary Journey) in the category

Classical Music Work of the Year – Orchestra/

Opera. According to violinist Ulf Wallin Elias-

son’s music is timeless. It is as moving and stir-

ring as it is uncompromising and ascetic, not one

tone could be taken away from or added to it.

Phot

o: M

ats B

äcke

r

Rolf Martinsson

Phot

o: To

ny L

undm

an

Anders

Eliasson

Benjamin Staern

will rece

15 Feb

New Y

Royal

monic

SakarMandu

p

Phot

o: M

ats B

äcke

r

Poster: Jukka Veistola

P R E M I E R E S

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

Do you enjoy being a professor?– I do. I have colleagues, something I have not

had before, and not least students.

I know that Karin has a degree in music edu-

cation but I can’t resist asking whether she feels

the need to teach.

– Perhaps rather the need to share with others;

that makes me feel good, and to pass on knowl-

edge. Moreover, I have discovered that I actually

know quite a bit.

It all started with a project in high school. Ka-

rin set to music a poem by Stagnelius for fl ute,

piano and voice. Later on she studied counter-

point, among other subjects, with Hans Eklund

at the Royal College of Music.

– It was very liberating to get to write lines.

And to learn techniques?– Yes, but you can’t get stuck in thinking that

competence is everything. Just because you know

a great deal about composition doesn’t mean that

you will be a good composer

– I invent the wheel every time. It requires enor-

mous concentration, do write that!

But it actually began with choirs: a children’s

choir, a girls’ choir, an adult choir at the church

in Nybro. Having arrived in Stockholm, she led

the Stans kör (City Choir) for 15 years.

– We did productions with a purpose and one

idea that we carried through. I wrote music that

was not diffi cult but diff erent – TILT and Fields

of Light, for instance. I think what we did still

seems fresh.

You have written a great deal for young sing-ers where I as a listener perceive that they get something to tell. Is your music infl uenced by the performers you write for?

– I have set to music children’s texts in which

they can recognise themselves. But I have also

used texts that give them strength, texts to grow

with. If you are allowed to sing “I am strong”, you

will also become strong.

– It is important to write something which helps

the performer to develop and takes him/her on

a journey. But contact with the public is at least

as vital, a concert is something that people do to-

gether. It has to do with communication – and a

sense of humour. I like to surprise my audiences

with something that is a little nutty, “you weren’t

expecting this”, without it being jaunty. With any

luck something happens to the listener as well, a

transformation.

Light has been a theme with you. But some of your later works, for example Tenebrae – with a text by Paul Celan – have dark, dense and rather diffi cult texts, with music that is sparesly written and with quarter tones that give them an almost tormented expression; and Teile Dich Nacht has a painful text by Nel-ly Sachs. Is there more darkness nowadays in your works than before? – No, the darkness has always been there. Al-

ready Song from Th e Story of Fatumeh, which I

wrote for Orphei Drängar in 1988, is a song of

mourning for men’s choir, although I was actu-

ally not aware of this until afterwards. Th is was

interesting because it constituted a breakthrough

into a traditionally female arena.

How do you go about choosing texts and language?– A text should sound good, it should have a

mood and a dominant character that is suitable

for the piece, and I should be able to add some-

thing.

Sometimes I start out with the idea and cre-

ate a framework for the piece and then I try to

fi nd an appropriate text. Sometimes I get struck,

for example by Björn von Rosen’s text in To the

Angel with the Fiery Hands.

– One can hardly expect that a choir from a

foreign country can do justice to a Swedish

text. Th en it is better to choose another lan-

guage, as in Salve Regina – which is in Latin. I

tried out various sounds and suddenly the word

“salve” suggested itself. Th at is how I happened

to choose the Salve Regina text: “Hail, Holy

Queen, Mother of Mercy…” It is a fantastic text

with both joy and lamentation. And I also added

a line of my own: “pray for our earth”; I thought

it was needed.

In her piece, Haya, Karin even went so far as

to invent her own language.

– I wrote the music fi rst and then I made up a

bright language with many consonants. It was

extremely hard to fi nd something that does not

sound like anything else.

Not only did the Hayan language come into

existence, the piece was also a Rehnqvistian out-

cry with a character and expression unlike any-

thing in the Swedish choral tradition.

When one sings Bach’s music one is struck by how instrumentally it is written, even the vocal parts. In your case it seems just the opposite, as if your point of departure is the voice even when you write for instruments. – Th e voice is the source of all. I like to research

the vocal sound, as in To the Angel with the Fiery

Hands, where the oboe plays for a long stretch

together with two voices, so that in the end one

doesn’t know which is which. Cries, head tones,

falsetto song, chest voice – I love chest voice – it

doesn’t have to be beautiful.

One often fi nds in Karin’s music an undula-

tion, a crescendo-diminuendo, which is similar

to breathing. And, of course, in order to use one’s

voice one must breathe.

– I always start by singing forth the ideas, I “ar-

ticulate myself along” as someone said. Most of

the expression lies in the articulation. Th e tones

only need to be right.

Karin Ekedahl

Karin Rehnqvist: The voice is the source of allWhen I search for the word `professor` on the Internet, images of nothing

but prim and proper bespectacled elderly men in suits pop up. Th at is pretty

far afi eld from the Karin Rehnqvist whom I meet dressed in a khaki green

anorak and a thin knitted cap. But she is a professor in composition at the

Royal College of Music in Stockholm all the same.Ph

oto:

Est

er S

orri

Phot

o: Ju

ssi V

ierim

aa

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

Mikko Heiniö once joked that he wouldn’t even attempt to write ten symphonies,

but that ten piano concertos would be a bit more unusual. Unusual and untypical

his concertos are indeed, exploring the worlds of choral music, dance, opera and

jazz with a disregard for artistic borders.

Mikko Heiniö (b. 1948) has composed two

symphonies, three operas and numerous

other works for very diff erent combi-

nations of voices and instruments.

His piano concertos, which already

number nine, nevertheless repre-

sent the only genre he has returned

to again and again. Why?

Back in time, his musical awak-

ening was prompted very much by

his aff ection for the piano – his own

instrument – and for the concerto as a

form of composition. It is also in his con-

certos that he has been most inventive, active-

ly seeking alternative modes of expression and

revolutionising the generic concept. Many of his

piano concertos are indeed fantastic hybrids full

of surprises, intelligence, fantasy and seductive

appeal, and the pianist is always an integral el-

ement of the texture rather than a lone vir-

tuoso soloist.

Every new work should, in Hei-

niö’s opinion, succeed in conjur-

ing up something unique, so

that the listener will feel

it would have been a

great pity had it

never been composed. He aims at a specifi c, dis-

tinctive concept for each when deciding on his

instruments, the way the piece will fi t the per-

forming venue, and any multi-art aspects he can

work into it.

Th e fi rst two piano concertos had already been

written before Heiniö embarked on his composi-

tion studies and he has subsequently withdrawn

them. Th e Th ird (1981) was premiered by Liisa Pohjola, his piano teacher at the Sibelius Acade-

my. It clearly diff ers from his other concertos and

(like the Fifth) represents the traditional format.

It has a challenging, virtuoso solo part for which

the orchestration leaves plenty of breathing

space. As usual in Heiniö’s works, percussions

occupy a prominent role. Right up to the climax,

the concerto is constructed using a sort of canon

technique, the diff erent sections of the orchestra

each in turn imitating the piano.

Acting as foils to the soloist in the Fourth Piano

Concerto (Genom kvällen/Th rough the Evening,

1986) are a mixed choir and a string orchestra.

Th e dreamy text by Bo Carpelan blends via the

choir to become part of the glittering fabric. Th e

piano part underlines the moods and colours the

content, but it also allows the soloist to show off .

Genom kvällen evokes associations with Heiniö’s

Landet som icke är (Th e Land Th at Is Not) for

children’s choir and the world of the church op-

era Riddaren och draken (Th e Knight and the

Dragon) with its impressive vocal writing.

Th e Fifth Piano Concerto (1989) begins with

a violent Agitato that integrates the piano with

the orchestra, as it were, with its repetitive clus-

ter chords. As the work proceeds, it gives way

to transparent arpeggios and its role becomes

more lyrical and noticeable. Sounds muted and

plucked at times lead the soloist into mysti-

cal spheres. Th e ending is almost excruciat-

ingly beautiful orchestral music that has points

in common with Heiniö’s symphony Possible

Worlds.

Th e Sixth and Seventh Piano Concertos,

Hermes (1994) and Khora (2001), are sister

works and their powerful, intensive topics point

to Greek mythologies and their psychoanalyti-

Mikko Heiniö’s unusual piano concerto hybrids

▶▶▶

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

TOBIAS BROSTRÖM Piano Concerto No. 1 – Belle Époque

(2010/11) Dur: 21’string orchestra

A nostalgic retrospect of an epoch long past,

viewed in a modern light. The opening movement is quick and live-

ly, with energetic, rhythmical motives. It passes over into a lyrical

refl ection, which leads on to the calm, impressionistically coloured

middle movement that also bears traces of Swedish folk music. In

the fi nale the rhythmical motives return and culminate in a brilliant

virtuoso ending.

DANIEL BÖRTZ Concerto for Piano – Songs (2004)

Dur: 32’2232/4221/11/str

Börtz describes his concerto as “dark and

broad”, and points out the prominent role of the percussion. There

are eff ective dynamic contrasts, powerful culminations, extraor-

dinary sonorities and serene, cantabile passages which create a

feeling of tranquillity and solitude. The work is concluded with a

strikingly built-up climax in the orchestra (ff ff ), which then fades

away and leaves the pianist alone in a quiet chorale.

KIMMO HAKOLA Piano Concerto (1996) Dur: 55’3222/2220/12/synth/str

Kimmo Hakola’s mammoth Piano Concerto

caused quite a stir at its very fi rst performance.

Its lavish range of styles has everything the soloist or listener could

hope for, from heroic pathos and humour to heavenly visions. Ha-

kola says he did not wish to impose any constraints, but rather to let

the work decide where it wanted to go. The result is an unorthodox

cornerstone in Finnish keyboard literature.

FREDRIK HÖGBERGIce Concerto (2012) Dur: 25’2222-4231-14-piano/str/backtrack (optional

synchronised back projection videos by Hög-

berg)

Trying to reveal the secrets of the ice core, we are taken along to

the world of ice crystals, where we can experience delightful and

groovy music, as well as burning pianos. The inner essence of the

ice is interpreted on the fi lm screen by a forceful, partly animated,

dance. The music starts out virtuosic and beautifully, and ends with

a hair-raising pop fi nale. Something out of the ordinary.

OLLI KORTEKANGASPiano Concerto (2010-11) Dur: 27’2222/2221/12/hp/str

This virtuosic piece begins with a piano chorale,

the material of which is soon taken up and ap-

propriated by the orchestra. The third movement is a solo cadenza

constructed on the lines of a passacaglia, partly improvised or

planned. The concerto derives its strength from the shifting colours

and moods, and there are some quick, movie-like cuts.

KAI NIEMINEN Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

(Refl ections… In the Enchanted

Waves… of Time…) (2007) Dur: 35’2222/2200/11/hp/str

A work inspired by Georges Perec’s book Life: A User’s Manual. The

story in the book about the two swindlers has been transferred in

the music to the passages tinged with irony for the French horn.

Other key words of the concerto are Liszt, gondola and Venice. Nor is

Chopin forgotten, either; there is a brief quotation from the E minor

Piano Concerto in the closing movement.

VELIMATTI PUUMALA Seeds of Time (2004) Dur: 38’3333/4231/13/hp/upright piano/str

Puumala has divided his orchestra into smaller

units and singled out players to act as a bridge

between orchestra and soloist. The fi rst two, hectic movements are

“daytime music”, while the third has softer tones. It is a movement

of static images, of windows on a time that just exists without mov-

ing. Various seeds of time are sown here and there into the music:

snatches of jazz, beautiful melodic outbursts and meditative pas-

sages.

TAPIO TUOMELAPiano Concerto (2008) Dur: 32’2222/2200/01/0/str

This concerto written for Iiro Rantala works

on the principle of “faster, higher, stronger”. It

has room for improvisation, some jazzy jinks and a pinch of perfor-

mance. Tuomela makes the most of his sinfonietta-sized orchestra,

and the communication between conductor, soloist and orchestra

has all the panache of live music-making.

WILHELM STENHAMMAR Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor

(1904-07) Dur: 30’2222/4231/1/str

Conceived in one single span, this four move-

ment, romantic classic is characterised by a “war of the keys”. This

confl ict creates a tension between piano and orchestra, which is

only resolved when the soloist, after the cantabile and melancholy

third movement, with a subtle and virtuoso transition, lures the

orchestra into his key, in the glorious fi nale.

LEPO SUMERA Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

(1989/rev1997) Dur: 19’2200/1000/10/str

In the fi rst movement, the piano sparkles over

transparent orchestration. The role of the soloist is absorbed and

minimalistic rather than virtuosic. The second movement begins

with a meditative piano theme that grows and culminates in a

mighty crescendo. The use of the timpani in the manner of a sha-

man’s drum is evocative of the potent music of Veljo Tormis.

ADOLF WIKLUND Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Minor (1917)

Dur: 27’3223/4231/1/str

There are those who describe Wiklund’s Piano

Concerto as a combination of Rachmaninov and Grieg. Here we

have a fl owing elegance, expressive melodies, Nordic melancholy

and harmonic surprises. It is easy to be carried away by the unex-

pected sweeping gestures and melodies, as well as by the splendid

handling of the orchestra. A romantic gem.

cal interpretations. Heiniö composed them both

as dance works and installations in close part-

nership with choreographer Tiina Lindfors.

Hermes is scored for piano, soprano and string

orchestra, while Khora has fi ve percussion play-

ers instead of an orchestra. Both concertos can

also be performed in concert versions.

Rhythm has always been an integral part of

Heiniö’s music, and his passion for this can be

traced back to the rock bands of his youth. Th e

rhythmic beat springs both from the body and

from various generic traditions, culminating in

Khora, which also bears West African echoes.

But then Heiniö did, after all, spend several

periods at the Villa Karo in Benin, composing

and learning how to drum. “Th e body’s expres-

sive power, the performer’s transformation into

a grand illusion, the intensity of the presence…

Collaborating with Lindfors and the ERI Dance

Th eatre, I seriously began to believe in the magic

of music theatre,” he wrote.

In the Kuukonsertto (Moon Concerto, 2008)

commissioned by the Finnish Radio Symphony

Orchestra, Mikko Heiniö once again sets off

along a new path, and comes up with more sur-

prises. Pairing the piano is a mezzo-soprano, and

the music has an operatic feel and clear elements

of Lied. Th ere are also some quotations from

and variations on the song Kung Erik (King Eric)

by Hugo Ingelius and John Dowland’s Galliard

to Lachrimae for lute. According to Heiniö, the

listener may not always be aware of these lyri-

cal melodies, but the scent is nevertheless there.

Th e Moon Concerto is a kindred work to Heiniö’s

highly-acclaimed opera Eerik XIV (Erik XIV)

and proceeds like a drama, as if from one scene

to the next. Sometimes it is the piano’s job to

comment on the singer, at others to carry the

music along.

Heiniö’s most recent concerto is once again a

leap into new territory. Nonno for amplifi ed pi-

ano and big band (Piano Concerto No. 9, 2011)

was a commission from the UMO Jazz Orches-

tra. At fi rst, Heiniö decided to give jazz a wide

berth, even though there are some strong point-

ers to jazz in some of his earlier works, but in the

end he got carried away by the characteristic big

band sound. And this he successfully combines

in Nonno with orchestration steeped in colour.

Mikko Heiniö is already warming to the idea

of writing a tenth piano concerto. It could be

scored for piano, wind quintet and string quin-

tet, but he is also toying with other options. One

thing is, however, certain: it will once again be a

new, exciting and unique addition to his series of

piano concertos.

Henna Salmela

▶▶▶

R E P E R T O I R E T I P S Selected piano concertos

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

Choral music at its bestTormis ranks as a front-line

Estonian choral composer,

and that’s no mean thing!

He has sovereign com-

mand of the choral idiom,

and this CD is far from the

ordinary plodding male-

choir sound and repertoire.

Hufvudstadsbladet 26.9.

Veljo Tormis: Vastlalau-

lud, Pikse litaania,

Helletused, Raua needmine,

Muistse mere laulud, Hamleti laulud etc.

CD: Orphei Drängar /Cecilia Rydinger Alin (BIS-SACD 1993

“Curse upon Iron”)

Refi ned Madetoja symphonyThe orchestra has discovered both the elegantly-per-

fumed twirls of a waltz and brass fanfares of almost

military bearing in the Frenchly-refi ned score (3rd

symphony).

Kaleva 6.10.

Leevi Madetoja: Symphony No. 3, The Chess Game,

Lyrical Suite

Oulu SO/Markus Lehtinen, 4.10.2012, Oulu, Finland

Hakola does not leave coldEverything else that night was overshadowed by

Kimmo Hakola’s Guitar Concerto. Wow!... Southern

warmth, the wild rhythm of castanets and solemn

brass combined in an all-round frolic. The woefully

wonderful melody in the second movement was a

stunning mood piece. And fi nally the last movement

gleefully pulled the rug from under the audience’s feet.

Kaleva 20.10.

Kimmo Hakola: Guitar Concerto

Oulu SO/Santtu-Matias Rouvali, sol. Timo Korhonen, 18.10.2012, Oulu,

Finland

Daring MartinssonIt is a surprisingly direct work, with almost the warmth

of melody from a Hollywood movie – here we fi nd

passages ranging from the style of Korngold to that of

Bernstein, especially in the moonlit slow movement,

which develops into a brazen, broad melody remi-

niscent of something composers did not dare write

thirty years ago.

Toccata Press Sept. 2012

Rolf Martinsson: Double Bass Concerto

CD: Oslo PhO/Jukka Pekka Saraste, sol. Dan Styff e (Simax PSC 1324)

Haglund makes the cello singThe music combines lyrical reverie with a rare inten-

sity in expression. The long drawn-out mood painting

has at times a rather lofty feel, though in a refi ned and

sensitive manner. The music makes the cello sing as

if it were a natural instru-

ment, in a space that just

becomes ever larger.

Göteborgsposten 17.9.

Tommie Haglund:

Flaminis Aura

Gothenburg SO/David Afkham,

sol. Ernst Simon Glaser, 12.9.2012

Gothenburg, Sweden

Phot

o: B

engt

-Åke

Per

sson

Phot

o: S

oren

Sve

ndse

n

Impressive chamber worksAho’s decisions as a composer clearly are based

on a wish to communicate and to make an im-

pression on the listener’s emotions as well as on

his or her intelligence…all three of these works

are impressive.

International Record Review Sept. 2012

Kalevi Aho: Quintet for Clarinet and String

Quartet, Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano,

Sonata for Two Accordions

CD: Osmo Vänskä, clarinet, Veli & Susanna Kujala,

accordion etc. (BIS-CD 1886)

Dafgård’s swaying EspritIt is full of eff ects and witty rhythms that can drive

a musician crazy, but get audiences to sway in their

chairs from enjoyment; thus the piece is as easy to

listen to as it is hard to play. This is a piece which we

hope to hear again and which has its own spirit, its

own joie de vivre.

Sundsvalls Tidning 28.9.

Jörgen Dafgård: Esprit

World premiere: Nordic Chamber Ensemble, 27.9.2012 Sundsvall,

Sweden

Surely the mark of signifi cant artHaving listened with growing admiration to the

performance I am convinced that Alles Vergängli-

che is a major contribution to organ music to the

extent that it may prove to be the most signifi -

cant such work since Messiaen’s Livre du Saint

Sacrament…It has the quality of drawing the at-

tentive listener back to it, time and again – surely

the mark of a signifi cant work of musical art.

International Record Review Nov. 2012

Kalevi Aho: Organ Music (Alles Vergängliche,

Three Interludes)

CD: Jan Lehtola, organ

BIS-CD-1946

Illuminated SixthThe Sixth Symphony’s chaos and anxiety grab the lis-

tener at once and never really let go of their grip…it is

turned into a long, dark but deeply moving and beau-

tiful deathly wandering… How long will the Swedish

people live under the delusion that the country lacks

its own Sibelius, Grieg or Shostakovich?

OPUS.43 November 2012

Allan Pettersson: Symphony No. 6

CD: The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra/Christian Lindberg

(BIS-SACD 1980)

A dreamlike fantasyI would call the Triple Concerto a dreamlike fantasy in

which music history fl its by in all its lyrical delicious-

ness…It is amusing and rhapsodic, but also serene…

One is struck by how an almost Spartan score can

contain so much character.

Dagens Nyheter 2.11.

Sven-David Sandström: Six Pieces for Piano Trio

and Orchestra

Swedish premiere: Royal Stockholm PhO/Thomas Dausgaard, Trio Con

Brio Copenhagen, 31.10.2012 Stockholm, Sweden

Intense saxophone concertosThe most substantial work on the record is Anders

Eliasson’s half-hour-long concerto, swarming with

fl ashes of wit but still built on a large scale. Sven-Da-

vid Sandström´s Four Pieces are more playful, while

Rolf Martinsson, in his just recently composed Golden

Harmony, concentrates on the ethereal and romantic

qualities of the soprano saxophone. As always, An-

ders Paulsson entrances us with his intense and beau-

tiful playing.

Aftonbladet 5.11.

Anders Eliasson: Concerto for Soprano Saxophone,

Sven-David Sandström: Four Pieces,

Rolf Martinsson: Golden Harmony

CD: NorrlandsOpera SO/Christoph Altstaedt, Norrköping SO/Johannes

Gustavsson, Helsingborg SO/Tobias Ringborg, sol. Anders Paulsson

(Phono Suecia PSCD188)Phot

o: P

er M

ölle

rTrio con Brio Copenhagen

Anders Paulsson

Kalevi Aho

Tommie Haglund

Heavenly on the thereminThe electronic marvel, the theremin, proved in

the hands of Carolina Eyck to be an impressive,

enchanting instrument… The concerto was music

of heavenly beauty. Particularly impressive were

the episodes in which the theremin really had a

chance to rummage about in the low, gut-resonat-

ing register.

Lapin Kansa 12.10.

Kalevi Aho: Eight Seasons (Concerto for There-

min and Chamber Orchestra)

World premiere: ChO of Lapland/John Storgårds, sol. Carolina Eyck,

10.10.2012 Rovaniemi, Finland

Veljo Tormis

Phot

o: G

hadi

Bou

stan

i

R E V I E W S

ANDERS ELIASSON Concerto for Soprano Saxophone

and String Orchestra

ROLF MARTINSSONGolden Harmony

SVENDAVID SANDSTRÖMFour Pieces for Soprano Saxophone and Symphonic Band

NorrlandsOpera SO/Christoph Altstaedt, Norrköping SO/

Johannes Gustavsson, Helsingborg SO/Tobias Ringborg,

sol. Anders PaulssonPhono Suecia PSCD 188 (“Swedish Concertos for Soprano Saxophone”)

KIMMO HAKOLA Kivi-laulut (Kivi Songs)

TOIVO KUULA ORCH. HAKOLASouth Ostrobothnian

Folk Songs

Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra /

Juha Kangas,

sol. Jorma Hynninen, baritoneAlba ABCD 348 (“On The Fields of Tapiola”)

PAAVO HEININENMurasaki in Casa Ando

BIT 20 Ensemble/Ingar BergbyMirkk Art Forum/OVEM-00036

(”Nordic Music for Chamber Orchestra”)

MIKKO HEINIÖThree Folk Songs, for double mixed choir

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA Och glädjen den dansar

(With Joy We Go Dancing)

Kamarikuoro Kaamos/Dani JurisAlba NCD 47 (“Valossa”)

ERLAND VON KOCHTuba Concerto

Pleven PhO/Bjørn Breistein,

sol. Eirik GjerdevikLAWO Classics LWC 1039

(“Music for Blue Days”)

FREDRIK SIXTEN A Swedish Christmas Oratorio

Sofi a Vocal Ensemble, Capella Nordica/

Bengt Ollén, sol. Helena Ek, soprano Footprint Records FRCD 069

SVENDAVID SANDSTRÖMMusic for the Liturgical Year

Stockholm Cathedral Choir,

Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir,

Hässelby Motet Choir/Gustaf SjökvistLadybird 79556824

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA Divertimento

LEEVI MADETOJA Elegia

St. Michel Strings/José SerebrierAlba ABCD 341 (“Adagio”)

ALLAN PETTERSSONSix Songs, 24 Barefoot Songs

Torsten Mosssberg, tenor,

Anders Karlqvist, pianoSterling CDA-1672 (”Complete songs”)

JEAN SIBELIUSPresto

LEEVI MADETOJAElegia

Ostrobothnian Chamber

Orchestra/Juha KangasAlba ABCD 344 (“Nostalgia”)

CHORAL

TINA ANDERSSONThe Angel

for eight part mixed choir a cappella

Text: Michail Lermontov (Eng)

Prize winner in the Abbey Road Studios

Anthem Competition

GE 12171

CHRISTIAN ENGQUISTIt Is so Peaceful here Now

for male choir a cappella

Text: Christian Engquist (Eng)

Winner of the Svanholm Singers

Composition Award 2012

GE 12189

MIKKO HEINIÖJuhlamarssi hiljaisille miehille /

Festive March for Quiet Men

for male choir

Text: Phonetics

FG 55009-626-4

Tomumieli / Mind of Dust

for male choir and two djembe drums

Text: Lassi Nummi (Fi)

FG 55009-809 (chorus part),

55011-126-4 (djembe parts)

Maria Suite

for mixed choir

Text: trad., Bonilla, Luther, di Todi

(Eng/Spa/Ger/Lat/Rus)

FG 55011-105-9

MÅRTEN JANSSON Ora pro nobis

for fi ve part female choir a cappella

Text in Latin

GE 12172

OLLE LINDBERG Som hjorten längtar till vattenbäckar

(Like the Dear that Yearns)

for female choir and organ

Text: Psalm 42 (Swe)

GE 12145

SCORES

CHAMBER/INSTRUMENTAL

JÖRGEN DAFGÅRDClarinet Quintet – Whims and Wizardry

GE 12141 (score and parts)

ANDERS ELIASSONTrio per violino, corno e pianoforte

GE 12029 (score and parts)

MIKKO HEINIÖCafé au lait, for fl ute, clarinet,

violin, cello and piano

FG 55009-622-6 (score),

55009-623-3 (parts)

Canzona, for string trio

FG 55009-624-0 (score),

55009-625-7 (parts)

Piano Quartet ‘The Voice

of the Tree’ (‘Puun ääni’)

FG 55009-627-1 (score),

55009-628-8 (parts)

FREDRIK SIXTENValse romantique

for violin and piano

GE 12110

MIKKO HEINIÖSymphony No. 2

FG 55009-541-0 (score)

FREDRIK HÖGBERGHiggins and Mr. Wrengengengengeng

a music tale/ballet for narrator and

orchestra

GE 10513

ROLF MARTINSSONViolin Concerto No. 1

GE 10999 (solo part), GE 11000 (score)

ALBERT SCHNELZERViolin Concerto – Coupled Airs

GE 11989 (score), GE 11990 (solo part)

Gehrmans Musikförlag AB

Box 42026, SE-126 12 Stockholm, Sweden

Tel. +46 8 610 06 00 • Fax +46 8 610 06 27

www.gehrmans.se • info@gehrmans.se

Hire: hire@gehrmans.se

Web shop: www.gehrmans.se

Sales: sales@gehrmans.se

Fennica Gehrman Oy Ab

PO Box 158, FI-00121 Helsinki, Finland

Tel. +358 10 3871 220 • Fax +358 10 3871 221

www.fennicagehrman.fi • info@fennicagehrman.fi

Hire: hire@fennicagehrman.fi

Web shop: www.fennicagehrman.fi

Sales: kvtilaus@kirjavalitys.fi (dealers)

For further information about our works or representatives worldwide check our web sites or contact us at:

Clarinet QuintetWhims and Wizardry

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

Jörgen DafgårdThe Angel

Mixed choir a cappella

Ora pro nobis

Femstämmig damkör/Fivepart female choir

a cappella

It Is so Peaceful here NowLyrics and music

Male choir a cappella

Winner o

f First Prize

in the

Svanholm Singers

Composition Award 2012

t,

MIKKO HEINIÖEspresso, for violin, cello and piano

FG 55011-120-2 (parts)

KAI NIEMINENCompositions for Kantele

FG 55011-122-6Compositions for Kantele Quartet

FG 55011-123-3

The following works, previously published by Modus Musiikki, are now available at Fennica Gehrman

NORDGREN, PEHR HENRIKEpilogue, for cello and piano

FG 55011-119-6

TAPIO TUOMELAFoliant, for two pianos

FG 55011-124-0

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARANotturno e danza, for violin and piano

FG 55011-121-9

d Symphonic Band

oir

Albert Schnelzer

Violin ConcertoCoupled Airs

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

N E W P U B L I C AT I O N S N E W C D s