Kalevi Aho(born 1949)

[snyprrr]

If you are a skeptic, it means that you know already some of his music. Sym 2-4 I would recommend to someone who just starts and who likes DSCH. If you are not interested in that period I would start with 10 or later. Actually I probably would recommend to start with 15 since you also get the tone-poem Minea and a double-bass concerto. If you don't like anything of this, just stop trying. Then Aho may not be your cup of tea.
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Out of all the sampling, 15 was the one that spoke to me the most. OK, I'll file this one then...


I've been plowing through the Nordics here trying to find sooomething I like- Aho, no; Sallinen, no; Holmboe, no;,... Nordgren, maybe yes;, I do like Kokkonen (Sym. 4 today, two recordings); Eliasson, no; Norgard already taken care of; errrr, who's next???

[vandermolen]

Just received a second hand copy of No.11. Will report back.

[Wieland]

Out of all the sampling, 15 was the one that spoke to me the most. OK, I'll file this one then...


I've been plowing through the Nordics here trying to find sooomething I like- Aho, no; Sallinen, no; Holmboe, no;,... Nordgren, maybe yes;, I do like Kokkonen (Sym. 4 today, two recordings); Eliasson, no; Norgard already taken care of; errrr, who's next???

Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho, Fartein Valen, Harold Saeverud, Halvor Haug...

Kokkonen 4 is one of the greats!!

[snyprrr]

Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho, Fartein Valen, Harold Saeverud, Halvor Haug...

Kokkonen 4 is one of the greats!!

What Lindberg would you recommend for those who've already been through the Ondine mill with him- and I don't have any of the Ondines anymore, sold a decade ago- and yet I surely want to give hi m another shot... the Sony discs?

Saariaho I have the one Ondine with 'fumee' and the Kronos piece... I like that, but have been wary of her other stuff.

Valen I have the SQ... Saeverud I would need the best possible recommendation...

Yes, Kokkonen is neck and neck woith Norgard in favorability


Any others? I'm all ears!!

[Wieland]

For me three of his best

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[vandermolen]

Kokkonen 4 is one of the greats!!

+1

[vandermolen]

Have just listened through Symphonic Dances, which I greatly enjoyed and I loved the hymn-like ending. Now on to Symphony 11.

[Karl Henning]

Have just listened through Symphonic Dances, which I greatly enjoyed and I loved the hymn-like ending. Now on to Symphony 11.

Do you mean Kokkonen, Lindberg, or Aho?  TIA  0:)

[North Star]

Do you mean Kokkonen, Lindberg, or Aho?  TIA  0:)

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The Symphonic Dances are derived from Aho's completion of Klami's ballet Whirls - the premiere of which I managed to see. 
I should revisit the work, I recall enjoying it.

[Karl Henning]

[asin]B0001LYG3A[/asin]

The Symphonic Dances are derived from Aho's completion of Klami's ballet Whirls - the premiere of which I managed to see. 
I should revisit the work, I recall enjoying it.

Groovy, thanks!

[vandermolen]

Hi Karl. North Star is right. I should have made it clearer.   

[relm1]

Kalevi Aho has completed a massive new Symphony No. 17.

From the composer:
I have been asked a more detailed information about the 17th symphony, which was finished a couple of days ago. The subtitle of the work is "Sinfonisia freskoja" (Symphonic Frescoes). The titles and the durations of the three movements are: I. Syvyydestä (From the Depth; 26'); II. Scherzo macabre (13'30''); III. Kaukaisia lauluja (Distant Songs; 23'30''). The total duration of the work is 63 minutes. Each movement can be played also as an independent symphonic poem. The size of the orchestra is big, but not too big (about 70-75 musicians are enough). There are in the in the instrumentation three rare instruments: lupophone (the lupophone part can be played also by heckelphone or bassoon); contraforte (can be played also by contrabassoon) and organ (used as orchestral instrument; there are no solo cadenzas for organ as in my 8th symphony). The score has 274 pages and I started to compose the work in March. The premiere will take place in spring 2019.

[Maestro267]

Oddly enough, I genuinely had a look last night to see if a Seventeenth Symphony was on the way, so this is very exciting news!

[lescamil]

Kalevi Aho has completed a massive new Symphony No. 17.

From the composer:
I have been asked a more detailed information about the 17th symphony, which was finished a couple of days ago. The subtitle of the work is "Sinfonisia freskoja" (Symphonic Frescoes). The titles and the durations of the three movements are: I. Syvyydestä (From the Depth; 26'); II. Scherzo macabre (13'30''); III. Kaukaisia lauluja (Distant Songs; 23'30''). The total duration of the work is 63 minutes. Each movement can be played also as an independent symphonic poem. The size of the orchestra is big, but not too big (about 70-75 musicians are enough). There are in the in the instrumentation three rare instruments: lupophone (the lupophone part can be played also by heckelphone or bassoon); contraforte (can be played also by contrabassoon) and organ (used as orchestral instrument; there are no solo cadenzas for organ as in my 8th symphony). The score has 274 pages and I started to compose the work in March. The premiere will take place in spring 2019.

Whoa! I can't wait to hear this. Hopefully it will end up on the YLE site where we can listen to or watch it for free.

[North Star]

Whoa! I can't wait to hear this. Hopefully it will end up on the YLE site where we can listen to or watch it for free.

Agreed, this is very exciting news indeed.

[Maestro267]

The 17th Symphony is set for its world premiere as part of a 70th birthday concert for the composer on 4th April 2019: https://www.sinfonialahti.fi/konsertit-ja-liput-arkisto/symphony-concert-20/?lang=en

[relm1]

The 17th Symphony is set for its world premiere as part of a 70th birthday concert for the composer on 4th April 2019: https://www.sinfonialahti.fi/konsertit-ja-liput-arkisto/symphony-concert-20/?lang=en

Additional details (looks epic):
3433 4332 13, harp, org, str [pic, afl, ehn, lupophon, bcl, contraforte]

Category

Works for Orchestra or Large Ensemble

Premiere

Sinfonia Lahti, Dima Slobodeniuk, cond. April 4, 2019, Lahti, Finland

Movements

I - Syvyydestä - From the deep
II - Scherzo macabre
III Finale - Kaukaisia lauluja - Distant songs

[Maestro267]

Bumping this thread as it is the day of the premiere of Symphony No. 17. No idea if it will be on Youtube afterwards, like No. 16 was, but you never know...

65 minutes, scored for large orchestra including organ...this looks awesome!

[calyptorhynchus]

I'm beginning to go through Aho now. The early symphonies i've heard haven't done much for me but #8 I find very impressive.
I also love the disk with the tuba and contrabassoon concertos. These are amazing, both studies in the Wisdom of Bass Instruments, but quite different from each other (guess I better listen to the Double Bass Concerto).
Also found a recording of his SQ3 on YT. This very good, but I gather he hasn't pursued SQs, which is a pity.
On to the later symphonies!

[calyptorhynchus]

Oh, I'm surprised and rather disappointed that I haven't found any works of Aho's apart from those I mentioned above which I really like. Plus I have only a limited amount of funds to pour into the Swedish economy via Bis, so I think I'll give Aho a rest for the moment. Even the much-praised Symphony No. 10 didn't do anything for me