Scandinavian and Finnish composers.

[schweitzeralan]

Shocking!    Never heard the story before. Are you sure it wasn´t burnt in Ainola's green-tiled stove? 

Shocking indeed!  Almost as bad as Sibelius' not publishing his 8th.  Alas!

[offbeat]

Shocking indeed!  Almost as bad as Sibelius' not publishing his 8th.  Alas!

according to a recent documentary on Sibelius it showed the manuscript for the 8th symphony being thrown into the fire -if true its shocking as well as tragic 

[schweitzeralan]

according to a recent documentary on Sibelius it showed the manuscript for the 8th symphony being thrown into the fire -if true its shocking as well as tragic 

Exactly as I read.  Why?  Did the critics get to him?

[Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich]

Shocking!    Never heard the story before. Are you sure it wasn´t burnt in Ainola's green-tiled stove? 

Haha, the stove of Ainola, the greedy, ever burning green tiled black hole of the universe ; the legacy of Darth Sibbe.

[offbeat]

Exactly as I read.  Why?  Did the critics get to him?

I think it was more a question of his own mindset at the time - he felt that the 8th did not have the quality of his previous work - maybe his isolation from the real world finally got to him 

[schweitzeralan]

I think it was more a question of his own mindset at the time - he felt that the 8th did not have the quality of his previous work - maybe his isolation from the real world finally got to him 

This is probably what had happened. Question:  what was Ainola like? I had read that Sibelius' wife had to put up with his earlier drink iing phases.

[The new erato]

There seems to be an avalanche of releases of Norwegian music recently:

- Alnæs: Symphonies (Sterling)
- Olsen: Symphony + Orchestral woks (Sterling)
- Borgstrøm: Symphonic works, violin concerto (Simax)
- Kleven: Orchestral works (BIS)
- Schjelderup: Orchestral works (cpo)

I'm delighted, and I order these as they becomes available in th UK shops (currently we're waiting for Borgstrøm and Olsen)

[abidoful]

Any Islandic composers? Historical?

[DavidW]

Magnus Lindberg's Concerto for Clarinet.

I must say, this piece is a kick up the bum to anyone who has convinced themselves that music written in a contemporary language cannot be at all beautiful. Here we have a work full of modern sonorities and extended techniques, pushing the boundaries of every player and instrument. Of course, such writing can lead to some very intellectual, even interesting music but Lindberg, clearly a master of orchestration,  has created something far more engaging: a work of astonishingly sensuous and lyrical beauty, which, to me at least, has been most affecting. I find there is more than a touch of the oriental in this work; often it occurred to me that in Lindberg we perhaps have a Finnish equivalent of Takemitsu, and it certainly seems to me that Lindberg has an ear for impressionist harmonies/sonorities. That said, in this piece at least, Lindberg doesn't have the restraint of a Takemitsu and, indeed, we are treated (and it really is a treat) to a climax at the end of near-romantic proportions.

I can't praise this concerto highly enough: it really is a 21st Century classic and deserves to be peformed and live on forever.



Some highlights:

[0:00] A gripping start: emerging from the silence a series of clarinet figures, which strung together make up something of an indistinct melody, fragments of which will reappear throughout the work.

[1:00] Listen for the woodwind/string interjection which is surely a nod and a wink to Charles Ives!

[3:40] Fragments of the theme, this time on strings and percussion

[5:20] Jittering clarinet, reminiscent of Rautavaara in the bird song mode. Did we forget Lindberg is a Fin?!

[7:30+] By now, the piece has descended into a more predominantly minor mode (the slow movement), but there is no let up for the soloist, with what sounds to be highly demanding passages.

[9:30] Fragments of the theme return fleetingly on the clarinet

[11:30] Strings dominate as the clarinet figures at last finds its theme from the fragments we have heard before, together at last in a flowing melody, before ending on a high sustained, eardrum-piercing high note from our soloist. From here, the music descends into a period of wildness. At this point we have some really guttural sonorities coming from the clarinet, which I can only describe as being similar in sound to a didjeridu.

[19:10] Wow, listen to this high note from the soloist, for a moment it could be mistaken for violin harmonics! Now into a virtuosic cadenza, which really must be pushing the instrument to its limits.

[21:00] Return of the orchestra, with string-led passages, clarinet in gasping, almost John Adams-esque repetitions of fragments, building to a glorious and spine-tingling final climax with the clarinet singing the theme in its full guise.

In conclusion, a completely satisfying lyrical and dynamic new clarinet concerto for the 21st Century, written in very contemporary musical language but challenging any notion that classical music in the new century cannot be approachable, even lovable (i'm on my 6th hearing in 2 days now!)

Great review Ben!   Boy some of those ear-rupturing high notes the clarinet does sounds like a child screaming in terror.  It is psychotic, but selectively, I like the trot out the freaky moments sometimes for effect over wonky honky 24-7 style.

[Benji]

Great review Ben!   Boy some of those ear-rupturing high notes the clarinet does sounds like a child screaming in terror.  It is psychotic, but selectively, I like the trot out the freaky moments sometimes for effect over wonky honky 24-7 style.

You know what - I don't recognise the 2007 me. 

But I stand by what I said, even if nowadays i'd say it less fruity-like. 

Wind instruments being what they are can be made to sound like awful, awful things. I want to learn the oboe but i'm terrified i'm going to attract ducks in mating season.

[kaergaard]

Rautavaara's Piano Concerto No. 3: The only issue for this concert I can find is the Ondine with Ashkenazy conducting and as soloist. Know any better ones?

[lescamil]

Rautavaara's Piano Concerto No. 3: The only issue for this concert I can find is the Ondine with Ashkenazy conducting and as soloist. Know any better ones?

There is a recording on Naxos with the second and third piano concertos and the Isle of Bliss that is much better. The pianist Laura Mikkola has a better control of her technique than Ashkenazy, whose age unfortunately shows in his rendition of the piece. Also, the conductor Eri Klas takes a bit of a quicker pace, which works to the advantage of the piece.

[AP100]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if you know about this already. I am trying to find where all the Pettersson fans hide on this forum.

I am currently listening to all of Allan Pettersson's orchestral works (plus a few other selected pieces) and writing a blog about it, in honor of his upcoming 100th birthday.

Pettersson fans, lovers of the 20th-century symphony, and anyone curious, please stop by, and leave comments or feedback!

http://allanpettersson100.blogspot.com/

See you there!

[Mirror Image]

Some favorite Scandinavian composers of mine: Pettersson, Sibelius, Nielsen, Lindberg, Salonen, Grieg, Langgaard, Norgard, Saariaho, Alfven, and Rautavaara. There's so many more I want to explore of course. I've become increasingly interested in Modern Finnish music lately, so this is an area I hope to explore more of soon.

[abidoful]

Some favorite Scandinavian composers of mine: Pettersson, Sibelius, Nielsen, Lindberg, Salonen, Grieg, Langgaard, Norgard, Saariaho, Alfven, and Rautavaara. There's so many more I want to explore of course. I've become increasingly interested in Modern Finnish music lately, so this is an area I hope to explore more of soon.

Try Usko Meriläinen, he is a very fine composer. In a sense continuation of  Väinö Raitio!

[vandermolen]

Some favorite Scandinavian composers of mine: Pettersson, Sibelius, Nielsen, Lindberg, Salonen, Grieg, Langgaard, Norgard, Saariaho, Alfven, and Rautavaara. There's so many more I want to explore of course. I've become increasingly interested in Modern Finnish music lately, so this is an area I hope to explore more of soon.

How about Rosenberg, Hurum and Tubin (is Estonia part of Scandinavia?)

[Mirror Image]

How about Rosenberg, Hurum and Tubin (is Estonia part of Scandinavia?)

I like Tubin a lot. I'm not sure if Estonia is part of Scandinavia or not. I'm not really that knowledgeable about Estonia.

[lescamil]

Estonia is technically not part of Scandinavia, but rather the Baltics. Still, there are lots of great Estonian composers that I love, too. Tubin and Tüür are possibly my favorites.

[The new erato]

How about Rosenberg, Hurum and Tubin (is Estonia part of Scandinavia?)

Yes, how come that M I hasn't latched on to Rosenberg?

[Mirror Image]

Yes, how come that M I hasn't latched on to Rosenberg?

That's a good question. I have not explored Rosenberg's music yet. There looks like there's an attractive release from BIS, but honestly there just isn't that much of his music available.