Rautavaara's Riverboat

Started by karlhenning, May 01, 2007, 11:03:53 AM

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btpaul674

So I've been a big fan of Rautavaara for a while, and just recently I found out he has a Harp Concerto. So I picked up the disc with the 8th and the concerto on it. Wow!

btpaul674

I got the disc of the complete works for String Orchestra, and I am amazed to hear the similarities between works like the Divertimento and the Suite for Strings and their striking resemblance in many forms to the writing of Ralph Vaughan Williams. It seems to be my second favorite composer emulating my top favorite composer! Astounding.

Maciek

Radio transmission (webcast) of a concert that took place on June 20th in Dresden this year:

Rautavaara's Cantus arcticus
Philharmonic Orchestra of Helsinki
Leif Segerstam

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/43882216/Rautavaara_Einojuhani_Cantus_arcticus_Koncert_na_ptaki_i_orkiestr__op_61__1972__OF_w_Helsinkach_Leif
File-Size: 28,31 MB

Bonehelm

Quote from: Maciek on July 19, 2007, 03:05:24 PM
Radio transmission (webcast) of a concert that took place on June 20th in Dresden this year:

Rautavaara's Cantus arcticus
Philharmonic Orchestra of Helsinki
Leif Segerstam

DownloadLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/43882216/Rautavaara_Einojuhani_Cantus_arcticus_Koncert_na_ptaki_i_orkiestr__op_61__1972__OF_w_Helsinkach_Leif
File-Size: 28,31 MB

That's wonderful, thanks a lot! ;)

btpaul674

Quote from: btpaul674 on May 03, 2007, 07:37:54 PM
I couldnt find the First Piano Concerto of Rautavaara through Fennica Gehrman or anywhere else.

Does anyone have any leads to where I could find the score to this concerto?

I found it. I ordered it. I have it now. and I love it and I'm learning to hack through it.  ;D

Dundonnell

I am a great admirer of Rautavaara's music. He is one of the most distinguished living composers with an ability to produce music of great beauty and seriousness. Indeed, perhaps it is because so much of his music is so beautiful that he has not had his full critical due.
The Finnish label Ondine has however served him extremely well with a large number of excellent CD releases and Naxos now appears to be following suit.
I recall being initially gripped by his Third Symphony-which, as has been remarked, made me think that Bruckner had returned to earth!
The 7th symphony('Angel of Light') and the 8th('The Journey') are particularly impressive works.

Can I particularly recommend however two Ondince CDs-ODE 881-2 which contains the splendid Violin Concerto, beautifully(that word again) played by Elmar Oliveira, and two fine orchestral works 'Isle of Bliss' and 'Angels and Visitations', and ODE 921-2-which has the Flute Concerto('Dances with the Winds'), played by Patrick Gallois, coupled with 'Anadyomene' and the eery 'On the Last Frontier'-a choral work based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe.

The concept of "chill-out" music may be a little alien to some serious classical music listeners but when I do want to relax I often listen to Rautavaara or Hovhaness-except that I think that Rautavaara is, ultimately, a far finer composer with a much greater range than Hovhaness.

longears

Quote from: Dundonnell on September 23, 2007, 01:46:44 PM
I am a great admirer of Rautavaara's music. He is one of the most distinguished living composers with an ability to produce music of great beauty and seriousness. Indeed, perhaps it is because so much of his music is so beautiful that he has not had his full critical due.
The Finnish label Ondine has however served him extremely well with a large number of excellent CD releases and Naxos now appears to be following suit.
I recall being initially gripped by his Third Symphony-which, as has been remarked, made me think that Bruckner had returned to earth!
The 7th symphony('Angel of Light') and the 8th('The Journey') are particularly impressive works.

Can I particularly recommend however two Ondince CDs-ODE 881-2 which contains the splendid Violin Concerto, beautifully(that word again) played by Elmar Oliveira, and two fine orchestral works 'Isle of Bliss' and 'Angels and Visitations', and ODE 921-2-which has the Flute Concerto('Dances with the Winds'), played by Patrick Gallois, coupled with 'Anadyomene' and the eery 'On the Last Frontier'-a choral work based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe.

The concept of "chill-out" music may be a little alien to some serious classical music listeners but when I do want to relax I often listen to Rautavaara or Hovhaness-except that I think that Rautavaara is, ultimately, a far finer composer with a much greater range than Hovhaness.
Rautavaara is one of my favorite contemporary composers and the works you mention are all quite good--however, that Ondine disc with the VC & Angels and Visitations is a treasure!

btpaul674

A general question out of curiosity....

Does anyone know what Rautavaara is working on next? Like perhaps another concerto or symphony?

Lethevich

Quote from: btpaul674 on October 14, 2007, 08:08:01 PM
A general question out of curiosity....

Does anyone know what Rautavaara is working on next? Like perhaps another concerto or symphony?

I got the impression from various reports that he was very ill, and unlikely to be able to do much :(
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

btpaul674

#29
So Ondine just released a new Rautavaara disc with the Manhattan Trilogy and Symphony 3 on it....

http://www.ondine.net/index.php?lid=en&cid=2.2&oid=3488

Anyone planning on picking this up? I certainly am.

His Tapestry of Life will be premiered by New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in April 2008, directed by Pietari Inkinen. Glorious.

He also is apparently working on his next large-scale opera based on texts by Federico García Lorca.

Please Einojuhani, give me a 9th Symphony!!!!

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: btpaul674 on February 18, 2008, 07:56:44 PM
So Ondine just released a new Rautavaara disc with the Manhattan Trilogy and Symphony 3 on it....

http://www.ondine.net/index.php?lid=en&cid=2.2&oid=3488

Anyone planning on picking this up? I certainly am.


I ordered it last week. JPC sent me an email yesterday saying it's been posted. Should arrive today....any minute now actually (mail usually arrives between one and two CET).

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Lethevich

Quote from: btpaul674 on February 18, 2008, 07:56:44 PM
He also is apparently working on his next large-scale opera based on texts by Federico García Lorca.

Wow, I'm glad to hear this mentioned. The last I heard about him, his health was in an extremely poor state.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Sef

I picked up the Ondine 7th symphony ('Angel of Light') from the Library at the weekend without much idea of what I was borrowing, but informed enough to know that I was lucky to find it in a provincial library. I listened to it yesterday at work and can immediately agree that it provides very good background music without the need to invest much personally. That probably means I'll have to spend some time at the weekend to really listen to it. Normally I would play it during my commute, but I fear the dynamics would be lost in my rust bucket of a draughty car!
"Do you think that I could have composed what I have composed, do you think that one can write a single note with life in it if one sits there and pities oneself?"

J.Z. Herrenberg

I am listening to the Third Symphony (Pommer/ Leipzig Symphony Orchestra), and the opening made me smile - Bruckner 4 all over again, and no mistake. It was Forum member Christo who mentioned Rautavaara's name to me, but that was more than ten years ago... Now I am listening for the first time, and I must say - this is very atmospheric and beautiful music!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Dundonnell

Quote from: Jezetha on February 19, 2008, 02:07:52 PM
I am listening to the Third Symphony (Pommer/ Leipzig Symphony Orchestra), and the opening made me smile - Bruckner 4 all over again, and no mistake. It was Forum member Christo who mentioned Rautavaara's name to me, but that was more than ten years ago... Now I am listening for the first time, and I must say - this is very atmospheric and beautiful music!

It certainly is that!! I could not believe what I was hearing the first time I listened to the Third Symphony.

I too have the Pommer/Leipzig Symphony Orchestra version. Ondine has just released a new version with Segerstam conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra. Has anybody heard this new version? How does it compare? Should I buy the new one?  I was tempted by its Manhattan Trilogy coupling but I'm going to get that work along with the new Naxos version of the 8th Symphony.

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Dundonnell on February 19, 2008, 03:15:04 PM
It certainly is that!! I could not believe what I was hearing the first time I listened to the Third Symphony.

I too have the Pommer/Leipzig Symphony Orchestra version. Ondine has just released a new version with Segerstam conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic orchestra. Has anybody heard this new version? How does it compare? Should I buy the new one?  I was tempted by its Manhattan Trilogy coupling but I'm going to get that work along with the new Naxos version of the 8th Symphony.

Sarge will be commenting on the Ondine release tomorrow...
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Benji

The new Ondine disc with the 3rd is a must!! Also the Naxos disc with the 1st Piano Concerto (which is certainly better than it's equivalent Ondine disc).

Also, fellow fans, Naxos will soon be releasing a third recording of the 8th Symphony for our aural pleasure, played by the usually excellent New Zealand SO with an up-and-coming young Finnish conductor. The NZSO really aught to be great in this kind of music, as anyone who has heard their disc of Douglas Lilburn's symphonies might testify. High hopes I have!

:)

Benji

Oh, and the new Naxos disc will have a recording of the Manhattan Trilogy, so anyone who warms to that work will only have wait a matter of weeks for a companion interpretation. Aren't we lucky?!  ;D

btpaul674

Quote from: The Notorious MOG on February 19, 2008, 03:33:08 PM
Also the Naxos disc with the 1st Piano Concerto (which is certainly better than it's equivalent Ondine disc).



:)

Are you saying that Laura Mikkola's performance is better than Gothoni's, or are we talking about the recording itself? I ask because Mikkola's performance of the first is sloppy, lacks character, is unbalanced, neglects important features in the music, and is overall unsatisfactory. The only complaint I have of Gothoni is the third movement, which needs some serious realignment.

btpaul674

As man of you know, Naxos released their disc with the 8th, Manhattan Trilogy, and Apotheosis with New Zealand and Pietari Inkinen. Any thoughts on comparisons with the Ondine disc Manhattan trilogy?

Personally I dont have the Ondine disc yet, but I soon will.

The interesting difference is the 4th mvt of the 8th with Inkinen versus the Ondine recording with Helsinki and Segerstam. Inkinen really exploits the Con Grandezza-ness of Con Grandezza. That theme from Thomas is hard to listen to as slow as Inkinen takes it. I do like Inkinen's flow of the Sciolto  section. The real discerning factor is the highlight of the 4th mvt; the horns playing the symmetrical inversion D-G-C-F#-A-C-C of the opening motif. NZ pulls it off, but not with the intensity of Helsinki.


Thoughts?