Quite a few members have mentioned in passing the outstanding contemporary Finnish composer Kalevi Aho. I think that he deserves a thread of his own!
I won't repeat what I said about him in another post but I shall provide the link-
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7529.40.html
Hopefully other admirers might like to comment :) ;)
You've got my attention here! ;D
Kalevi Aho is just great. And the disc with the Clarinet Concertos is fantastic. Martin Frost is a beast!
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cto0ePwEL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
I don't know a whole lot of Aho yet, but I love the Insect Symphony, it's outrageously fun and imaginative.
Special mention goes to his Symphonic Dances, a 30 min delicacy of air, wind, and fire, which wouldn't sound out of place in a movie! Vivid and dancy writing.
Dundonnell, what else can you suggest? He has written a lot...
Quote from: Dundonnell on May 28, 2008, 03:43:07 PM
Quite a few members have mentioned in passing the outstanding contemporary Finnish composer Kalevi Aho. I think that he deserves a thread of his own!
I won't repeat what I said about him in another post but I shall provide the link-
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7529.40.html
Hopefully other admirers might like to comment :) ;)
I have one disc of Aho, the Symphonic Dances (after Uuno Klami) and the 11th Symphony. Both very fine; I need to try some more of his work!
Quote from: Greta on May 28, 2008, 04:11:48 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cto0ePwEL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
I've always thought that album cover is ridiculous. What exactly is Martin Frost supposed to be doing? Running from a clarinet thief? Jazz dancing? Winding-up to whack his agent with his clarinet? ;D
What are your recommendations for someone new to Aho?
Quote from: Keemun on May 28, 2008, 05:38:06 PM
I've always thought that album cover is ridiculous. What exactly is Martin Frost supposed to be doing? Running from a clarinet thief? Jazz dancing? Winding-up to whack his agent with his clarinet? ;D
Well, it's Martin Frost. ;D He's kinda crazy like that, see below...
Frost and Aho talking about the concertohttp://www.youtube.com/v/17DKJziXppQ
This is a composer I need to explore. Where do I start please?
Exploring the music of a new composer to whose idiom one feels attuned is a wonderful voyage of discovery(I know that sounds a bit pretentious-but it's true!). When it is a living composer one has the additional knowledge that the composer will develop his art further in the future(hopefully, at least). And when a record company has kindly put most of that composer's music onto disc the task is so much easier! :)
I started with Aho's Symphony No.1 because it was the first one recorded and because it had been highly praised by the perceptive British music critic Robert Layton-whose views I respect, particularly with regard to Scandinavian music on which he is an authority.
The 1st is clearly indebted to Shostakovich(the Shostakovich of the Eighth and Eleventh symphonies, for example) but shows considerable imagination for a 20-year old composer still in his first year as a student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki(studying under Rautavaara)with its eerie distortions of a baroque idiom. The fourth movement is a very Russian-sounding, grimly impressive fugue of considerable power. It seemed obvious to me that this was a young man with something to say, that there was a clear underlying purpose to the music, that it was 'going somewhere'-which is not something, I fear, that I can say of some very modern music!
(I admit that I do like a lot of Scandinavian music for that very reason and because the serious, Nordic sound does appeal very much to my ear.)
Of course, Aho's idiom does develop and become somewhat more challenging in the later symphonies but I can appreciate and admire them all. He has not 'lost me' despite my 'conservative' tastes in music.
Sorry if I am rambling over-subjectively! :) I shall try to pull myself together to comment more objectively on some of the later symphonies anon.
Colin,
That's actually very helpful. Thank you.
Jeffrey
I downloaded Aho's Eighth Symphony for organ and orchestra a few weeks ago, but haven't come round yet to listening to it. When I have, I'll report back.
The only Aho I've heard is the "Insect" Symphony (No. 7), both the BIS recording and a broadcast online with Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra (recorded in 2005). Fascinating piece, and one I'd like to get to know much better. IIRC Vänskä intends to do more Aho on his Minnesota programs.
--Bruce
He did very fine orchestration of Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death. Available on BIS with Salminen singing accompanied by Lahti/Vänskä.
To add a little to my earlier posts-
Aho's symphonies really divide into three groups:
Firstly, those he wrote whilst still in his twenties(Nos. 1-6, 1969-80). Of these, No. 1 is clearly indebted to Shostakovich with a very Russian sense of the grotesque, No.2 is a very fine work in one movement which, as in several of the early Aho symphonies makes extensive use of the fugue. No. 5, again in one huge movement requires a very large orchestra and, although it has received an adequate recording on Ondine by the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra under Max Pommer, BIS has not yet got round to recording either it or No. 6 because Robert von Bahr is looking for a larger orchestra than the Lahti Symphony to perform these works(which does seem a little odd since the Lahti orchestra has managed very well with the others!).
My own favourite out of these first six(I haven't heard No.6 of course) is No.4. This is on BIS-CD-1066 coupled with the Chinese Songs.
The symphony was composed in 1972-73(when Aho was 23 years old). It is a big symphony-44'20 minutes long and is immensely impressive, in my opinion. Yes, it does still-to an extent-remind one of Shostakovich or, to a lesser extent, Prokofiev-particularly in the violent percussive second movement-but there is a power and grandeur which is almost Brucknerian in its intensity without sounding like Bruckner-if I can make that distinction-in other words it doesn't sound like Rautavaara's 3rd.
Secondly, there is No. 7-the 'Insect Symphony'(1988)-which does stand apart from the others. Yes, it is great fun but it really is more of a suite, drawing as it does on material from Aho's Opera 'Insect Life'.
Thirdly, there are the symphonies Aho has composed for the Lahti Symphony Orchestra as composer-in-residence-Nos. 8-14. I haven't heard Nos. 12-14 but Nos. 8-11 are an extremely interesting and diverse group. No. 8 is for organ and orchestra, No. 9 is a virtuoso tour de force for trombone and orchestra, and No. 11 an amazing work for six percussionists and orchestra.
My own personal favourite out of the later symphonies is No.10(1996), a monumental masterpiece in my judgment and one of the greatest contemporary symphonies. The symphony quotes from both Mozart and Bruckner. It contains passages of tremendous lyrical outpourings from the strings, particularly in the 20 minute long Adagio slow movement.
I urge all those who have not heard any or much Aho to try Symphonies No.4 and No.10! They are fantastic achievements. I can think of few-if any-living composers still capable of writing such extended compositions combining strength, power and beauty as to be found in these two symphonies! As I write I am listening again to the Lento finale of No.4. It contains the most breathtaking desolation, a la Shostakovich, but a beauty too which recalls the magical world of the early Stravinsky ballets, just occasionally(believe it or not) Vaughan Williams-but all in a modern contemporary idiom. Sometimes I think of Schnittke but without the manic depressive overtones. I defy anyone not to be swept away, however, by the closing pages of a great symphony!
And...if you don't believe me, try this-
http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=12114&highlight=1&highlightterms=&lstKeywords=
There....enthusiastic enough for you?? :) :)
You're setting your kilt on fire, if you're not careful, Colin! Calm down!
I'll download #4 and #10. Just to check the veracity of your rant, mind you, nothing more.
;)
I've got the disc of No 4 with the Chinese Songs and it is a mightily impressive piece for a young composer. It may not quite sustain its length but it has an epic seriousness and traditional tonality that is quite rare in stuff written after the war.
Quote from: Jezetha on May 29, 2008, 09:57:46 PM
You're setting your kilt on fire, if you're not careful, Colin! Calm down!
I'll download #4 and #10. Just to check the veracity of your rant, mind you, nothing more.
;)
I am sure that you will enjoy them, Johan.
Just for the record....never worn a kilt in my life :)
Quote from: mr_espansiva on May 30, 2008, 01:16:08 AM
I've got the disc of No 4 with the Chinese Songs and it is a mightily impressive piece for a young composer. It may not quite sustain its length but it has an epic seriousness and traditional tonality that is quite rare in stuff written after the war.
Well said!
Quote from: Dundonnell on May 30, 2008, 02:27:09 AM
I am sure that you will enjoy them, Johan.
Just for the record....never worn a kilt in my life :)
Neither have I any clogs... ;)
:)
I don't know if you've seen it, but BIS is releasing Aho's Symphony No 12 "Luosto". I'm listening to the first movement on Naxos Music Library as I type, lot's of exciting percussion and brass!
It's not on the BIS web site yet, but eclassical's got it (http://www.eclassical.com/eclassic/eclassical?&composer=Kalevi+Aho&q=aho&limit=0&genre_id=5&last_page=record_list&page=record_list&y=0&cd_nr=BIS1676&x=0).
Quote from: the blurb on eclassical.com
Aho: Symphony No. 12 (Luosto Symphony). Written for a performance on the slopes of Mount Luosto in Finnish Lapland, it makes use of two orchestras, two vocal soloists and a number of brass players and percussionists placed at various distances from each other and the conductor, surrounding the audience. The primary inspiration for this four-movement work came from the natural surroundings and traditions of Lapland, and parts of it were actually composed during a bitterly cold spell in the solitude of a cottage at the foot of Orresokka, the mountain next to Luosto.
Taina Piira, soprano; Aki Alamikkotervo, tenor; Lahti Symphony Orchestra; Chamber Orchestra of Lapland; John Storgårds, conductor.
(http://www.eclassical.com/i/pictures/bis/BIS-CD-1676_72_150.jpg)
Quote from: Jezetha on May 30, 2008, 02:28:39 AM
Neither have I any clogs... ;)
I, however, did :D - and I even used to wear them, as a youth, when they were the most practical footwear imaginable, in that specific context. (However, a colleague who used to stumble around with them in an Amsterdam university, history department, 9th floor, was generally conceived to behave somewhat weird ... ) :)
At the same time: a never saw a windmill or for that matter: tulips, in my life. 8) And I never really tried Aho's music, :-\ :'( even if I own a few BIS CD's, the Eight among them, bought in Stockholm, but perhaps never played ... I surely will now!! 0:) :)
Quote from: Christo on May 30, 2008, 12:30:38 PM
I, however, did :D - and I even used to wear them, as a youth, when they were the most practical footwear imaginable, in that specific context. (However, a colleague who used to stumble around with them in an Amsterdam university, history department, 9th floor, was generally conceived to behave somewhat weird ... ) :)
Ah... Yes, the Free University - the English department where I studied (for a very short time) was one floor up...
Quote from: Jezetha on May 30, 2008, 02:28:39 AM
Neither have I any clogs... ;)
Yes, but I bet you eat lots of Edam cheese ;D
Must try those Aho symphonies now.
Quote from: vandermolen on May 31, 2008, 02:57:24 PM
Yes, but I bet you eat lots of Edam cheese.
By the carload.
0:) ;D
Hello all!
Just wanted to let you all know that the brand new recording of Aho's Symphony No. 12 "Luosto" will be broadcast on "Classical Discoveries" on Wednesday morning, June 11 at 10:00 am (Eastern time). The broadcast can be listened on line at http://www.wprb.com
The Classical Discoveries website address is http://www.classicaldiscoveries.org
A very exciting work!!
Best,
Marvin
Am listening to Aho Symphony 4. My first encounter with this composer. An extraordinary gripping work; clearly some influence of Shostakovich. Will probably take a few listens to get my head round it.
A section of the second movement sounds like it's straight out of George Antheil's 4th Symphony!
Quote from: vandermolen on June 14, 2008, 11:43:16 AM
Am listening to Aho Symphony 4. My first encounter with this composer. An extraordinary gripping work; clearly some influence of Shostakovich. Will probably take a few listens to get my head round it.
A section of the second movement sounds like it's straight out of George Antheil's 4th Symphony!
I am delighted that you are giving Aho a go-so to speak! No.4 is indeed extraordinarily gripping. I am sure that it will reward future listens, Jeffrey!
Quote from: Dundonnell on June 14, 2008, 05:56:19 PM
I am delighted that you are giving Aho a go-so to speak! No.4 is indeed extraordinarily gripping. I am sure that it will reward future listens, Jeffrey!
Thanks Colin, it is an extraordinary work and I already want to listen to it again. Some clear influences including DS and Antheil but it is also not like anything else either. I can't afford all the symphs, so after No 4 what would be your next recommendation?
Jeffrey
I downloaded Aho's 8th for organ and orchestra a few months ago. I think I'll have a listen...
Later: the work sounds like Rautavaara's 7th, but much wilder for most of its length. Though the last 10 minutes or so are as ethereal as anything Rautavaara can come up with. The work has great atmosphere. I'll have to listen to it again to understand its structure, though: it's in one movement and 50 minutes long.
Quote from: vandermolen on June 14, 2008, 11:18:42 PM
Thanks Colin, it is an extraordinary work and I already want to listen to it again. Some clear influences including DS and Antheil but it is also not like anything else either. I can't afford all the symphs, so after No 4 what would be your next recommendation?
Jeffrey
I think that the Symphony No.10 is a masterpiece-it has the most beautiful and moving slow movement-but it is more 'advanced' in idiom('wilder' in Johan's terminology). Perhaps, therefore, I would suggest Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2. They were written when Aho was 20 and 21 years old and the composer was obviously still finding his feet but in both there is a clear sense of purpose and forward movement. The first and fourth movements of the 1st are fugues and the 2nd is entirely a triple fugue in one movement. Aho's explanation is worth quoting as an indication of his musical thinking-
"One(factor in his decision to use a fugue in a symphonic context) was a reaction against the developmental trends in the modern music of the 1960s. Tonality had broken down, melody had become a taboo subject, and musical form had become so fragmented that the formal logic of modern compositions was often very difficult to follow. In consequence an abyss opened up between the concert-going public and modern music. Modern music was displaced beyond the realms of normal concert activity; it came to occupy its own ghetto. The fugue form, which had already been pronounced dead, seemed to offer one possible solution-one well worth exploring-to the problem of reconciling the form of modern music and the reception it was accorded. This solution was to remain close to the traditional stereotype without hiding the structure at an unfathomably deep level."
These sentiments are 'music' to my ears. A contemporary composer seeking to communicate with his audience but without lapsing into either neo-romanticism or minimalism(not that I dislike either of these necessarily!),
I am extremely pleased that you rate the 4th symphony as "extraordinary"(obviously using the word in a complimentary sense) and hope that-in time-you will be able to explore more of the work of a composer I certainly have come to esteem.
You cruel lot. >:(
This thread is so interesting on a composer I've never heard of that I'm going to have buy some. >:(
Quote from: mahler10th on June 17, 2008, 05:21:40 AM
You cruel lot. >:(
This thread is so interesting on a composer I've never heard of that I'm going to have buy some. >:(
Why are you >:( ?
Go on...give Aho a try! I am sure that you will like him :)
Quote from: Dundonnell on June 17, 2008, 05:40:15 AM
Why are you >:( ?
Go on...give Aho a try! I am sure that you will like him :)
I am certain I will like him too Dundonnell. It's my walet that dislikes being part of this forum. :P Can't wait to get some, the eclassical link below will help!
Quote from: mahler10th on June 17, 2008, 05:48:11 AM
I am certain I will like him too Dundonnell. It's my walet that dislikes being part of this forum. :P Can't wait to get some, the eclassical link below will help!
Yep, my bank balance is suffering too! I think that I am addicted to buying CDs-particularly of composers whose music I have recently discovered. I went through a phase of buying different versions of the same piece(usually one of the great/famous symphonies) but I can't afford to do that AND buy new music. Unfortunately, this does mean that I have a lot of obscure stuff to which I don't return! Never mind-there are worse ways to spend one's money :)
Quote from: Dundonnell on June 17, 2008, 05:58:10 AM
Yep, my bank balance is suffering too! I think that I am addicted to buying CDs-particularly of composers whose music I have recently discovered. I went through a phase of buying different versions of the same piece(usually one of the great/famous symphonies) but I can't afford to do that AND buy new music. Unfortunately, this does mean that I have a lot of obscure stuff to which I don't return! Never mind-there are worse ways to spend one's money :)
Yes, I'm in the same boat here, with 20 copies of Walton's First Symphony etc :o
Quote from: vandermolen on June 18, 2008, 12:20:20 AM
Yes, I'm in the same boat here, with 20 copies of Walton's First Symphony etc :o
Which is your favourite, Jeffrey? I love Walton's First, but I have noticed it is a special work that needs the right conductor to really bring it off. He has to match the intensity the music possesses.
Ok, not so hard on my wee pennys this time, 7.99. I have just bought it and am now going to listen to it - the seventh, 'Symphony of the Insects' sounds right up my street (a childhood thing) and I'm looking forward to it. Will report back later.
Quote from: Dundonnell on June 16, 2008, 02:25:43 PM
I think that the Symphony No.10 is a masterpiece-it has the most beautiful and moving slow movement-but it is more 'advanced' in idiom('wilder' in Johan's terminology). Perhaps, therefore, I would suggest Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2. They were written when Aho was 20 and 21 years old and the composer was obviously still finding his feet but in both there is a clear sense of purpose and forward movement. The first and fourth movements of the 1st are fugues and the 2nd is entirely a triple fugue in one movement. Aho's explanation is worth quoting as an indication of his musical thinking-
"One(factor in his decision to use a fugue in a symphonic context) was a reaction against the developmental trends in the modern music of the 1960s. Tonality had broken down, melody had become a taboo subject, and musical form had become so fragmented that the formal logic of modern compositions was often very difficult to follow. In consequence an abyss opened up between the concert-going public and modern music. Modern music was displaced beyond the realms of normal concert activity; it came to occupy its own ghetto. The fugue form, which had already been pronounced dead, seemed to offer one possible solution-one well worth exploring-to the problem of reconciling the form of modern music and the reception it was accorded. This solution was to remain close to the traditional stereotype without hiding the structure at an unfathomably deep level."
These sentiments are 'music' to my ears. A contemporary composer seeking to communicate with his audience but without lapsing into either neo-romanticism or minimalism(not that I dislike either of these necessarily!),
I am extremely pleased that you rate the 4th symphony as "extraordinary"(obviously using the word in a complimentary sense) and hope that-in time-you will be able to explore more of the work of a composer I certainly have come to esteem.
Thanks v much Colin for introducing me to the music of Aho. I have already lent Symphony No 4 to a CD nutter friend/colleague, who has already played it through twice in a row. No 1 or 2 or 10 next I think :)
Quote from: Jezetha on June 18, 2008, 12:39:12 AM
Which is your favourite, Jeffrey? I love Walton's First, but I have noticed it is a special work that needs the right conductor to really bring it off. He has to match the intensity the music possesses.
My opinion keeps changing Johan but the famous Previn version is not one of my favourite recordings as I think that it lacks mystery at the start, which is my crucial test:
My favourites are Boult (Pye/Dutton version not BBC Radio Classics)but it has a poor recording quality. I like the Sargent (unavailable), Thomson on Chandos is excellent, Haitink on EMI a worthwhile unidiomatic version. I prefer the later Previn RPO, which is more epic than the more famous recording. Mackerras (EMI/CFP) is very good as is Ashkenazy on Decca. For budget versions, Adrian Leaper, with the unlikely Orchestra of Grand Canary (Arte Nova) is very good indeed. Handley (EMI with Hindemith Variations) is v good.
Quote from: vandermolen on June 18, 2008, 11:52:56 AM
My opinion keeps changing Johan but the famous Previn version is not one of my favourite recordings as I think that it lacks mystery at the start, which is my crucial test:
My favourites are Boult (Pye/Dutton version not BBC Radio Classics)but it has a poor recording quality. I like the Sargent (unavailable), Thomson on Chandos is excellent, Haitink on EMI a worthwhile unidiomatic version. I prefer the later Previn RPO, which is more epic than the more famous recording. Mackerras (EMI/CFP) is very good as is Ashkenazy on Decca. For budget versions, Adrian Leaper, with the unlikely Orchestra of Grand Canary (Arte Nova) is very good indeed. Handley (EMI with Hindemith Variations) is v good.
Excellent survey, Jeffrey! Thanks!
The Insect Symphony has set my kilt on fire. :P
As has been said, it is not a bona fide Symphony (not following traditional Symphonic structure), but more of a suite. I love the Dung beetles grieving over some stolen dung, and the fantastic foxtrot and tango of the butterfly...I just love this sort of thing. Of course, on listening I am seeing a number of dung beetles observing and investigating a patch of dung which they once had delight in and planned to delight in again, except this time its gone, and the orchestral forces are smelling that lost love up for them as they scratch and scramble around the stolen dung patch, filled with suspicion and each one a possible suspect. (Probably nothing like what Aho had in mind with his 'Dung beetles grieving over some stolen dung', but this is what the music 'does' to me.) ;D
'The Ants' is busy as hell, fine marching, just as I see them.
It looks like my next buy will be No 10. I still haven't listened to number 2 though. :-[
Quote from: vandermolen on June 18, 2008, 11:45:53 AM
Thanks v much Colin for introducing me to the music of Aho. I have already lent Symphony No 4 to a CD nutter friend/colleague, who has already played it through twice in a row. No 1 or 2 or 10 next I think :)
My very great pleasure, Jeffrey!
Now-take your discussion of Sir William's 1st Symphony off to the Walton thread! :) :)
(Where-you can tell me what you make of Paul Daniel's Naxos version-much praised elsewhere, including the Penguin Guide-and which I bought on that recommendation.)
Review by controversial (on these boards) David Hurwitz on Classics Today:
(http://classicstoday.com/images/coverpics/11705_coverpic.jpg)
(http://classicstoday.com/images/sp_art/p10s10.gif)
Kalevi Aho loves a challenge, though at times (as in his recent disc of concertos for contrabassoon and tuba) the effort can seem more an end in itself than a musically rewarding experience. Not so here. His Twelfth Symphony is a bold extravaganza for full orchestra, distant chamber orchestra, and extra brass and percussion "in the round". It was composed for performance in an outdoor amphitheater in Luosto, Lapland, and requires about 120 players and two singers whose wordless vocalise recalls similar moments in Nielsen's Third Symphony. This, then, is nature music--at least for the most part--supremely evocative and atmospheric (and full of arresting, attractive melodic invention).
The piece begins with some primal drumming and ends with a whopper of a storm as vivid as the finale of Aho's equally magnificent Symphonic Dances. In between there's a "darkness to light" second movement that reveals Aho's newly found love of the contrabassoon far more appropriately than his "symphony" for said instrument, followed by a lyrical "Song in the Fells" featuring the tenor and soprano soloists, plus saxophone.
Obviously a piece such as this was made for SACD recording, and BIS's engineers have captured the "surround" experience with exceptional vividness. That said, I still prefer to listen in regular stereo, and would sooner die than hear the thing outdoors, as originally intended. Happily, the work's musical substance is more than strong enough that its impact emerges just as powerfully through two speakers. So if you haven't invested in a surround system you have nothing to worry about. It goes without saying that the performance is outstanding, with John Storgards coaxing his battalion of players to produce a wonderfully full, integrated sonic experience. In other words, the spacial element sounds natural, not gimmicky, and the performance has as much to do with that as does the engineering. A wonderful disc for the adventurous. [5/23/2008]
--David Hurwitz
This disc is released in the United Kingdom on Monday 30th June. So I, at least, will have to wait a fortnight or so to hear Aho's 12th.
Thanks to Mr. Hurwitz I have given the Symphonic Dances another listen.
This unusual work-which is the BIS coupling for Aho's Symphony No.11- was originally written as the third act of Uuno Klami's Ballet "Whirls". Klami intended the ballet to be his magnum opus(it is based on a story from the Kalevala about the forging of a magic Sampo) and spent time thoughout the 1940s and 1950s sketching out the music for the ballet despite reservations that the final work might be too difficult to perform at the National Opera in Helsinki. Klami died in 1961. The music for Act II had been completed but that for Act I was only in piano score. Aho orchestrated the music for Act I and both it and that for Act II have been recorded by BIS. He then went further and composed his own music for Act III. When the planned stage premiere of the entire ballet came to nothing because of the opposition of the Finnish National Ballet Director(despite the fact that Aho had received his commission for the National Ballet) permission was instead given for Aho's music to be separately performed. He retitled the work "Symphonic Dances-Hommage a Uuuno Klami".
It is certainly wildly magnificent ballet music, superbly orchestrated and performed with a supreme verve and elan by the Lahti orchestra. It again totally puzzles me why this orchestra cannot apparently be trusted with Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6! I can imagine however that as a ballet it would require expensive sets and performers whose skill would be severely tested. Anyway, most Russian ballet music post Stravinsky sounds extremely tame compared to this exciting score!
Quote from: Dundonnell on June 18, 2008, 04:36:06 PM
This disc is released in the United Kingdom on Monday 30th June. So I, at least, will have to wait a fortnight or so to hear Aho's 12th.
FWIW, if you're in a hurry it's available electronically on eclassical (http://www.eclassical.com/eclassic/eclassical?&composer=Kalevi+Aho&q=aho&limit=0&genre_id=5&last_page=record_list&page=record_list&y=0&cd_nr=BIS1676&x=0), iTunes Music Store and Naxos Music Library (the previous mention (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7786.msg189051.html#msg189051) got lost in a discussion on kilts, clogs and cheese). :)
Quote from: rickardg on June 19, 2008, 12:28:23 AM
FWIW, if you're in a hurry it's available electronically on eclassical (http://www.eclassical.com/eclassic/eclassical?&composer=Kalevi+Aho&q=aho&limit=0&genre_id=5&last_page=record_list&page=record_list&y=0&cd_nr=BIS1676&x=0), iTunes Music Store and Naxos Music Library (the previous mention (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7786.msg189051.html#msg189051) got lost in a discussion on kilts, clogs and cheese). :)
It can also be found on eMusic (http://www.emusic.com/album/John-Storgards-AHO-Symphony-No-12-Luosto-MP3-Download/11224192.html) (for those that have a subscription there).
I'm dying to play his quintet for saxophone, bassoon, viola, cello, and double bass. Does anyone know if a recording exists?
(http://www.emusic.com/img/album/108/881/10888188_155_155.jpeg)
Thanks!
I don't know how many members may have bought the new BIS CD of Aho's Symphony No.12 "Luosto"-but I can strongly recommend it!!
It is, admittedly, short measure at 48'56 but BIS has the grace to add a note to say-
"In accordance with the composer's wishes, this monolith of a symphony is allowed to stand alone, despite its playing time of just under 50 minutes. Its many-dimensional character-along with the huge forces involved-make it into a unique music and audio experience which renders any additional work meaningless in the context of a single SACD."
Goodness knows what the work sounds like in 5.0 Surround sound but it's pretty spectacular in ordinary stereo! The opening-with thunderous bass drums beating out hypnotic Shamanic drumming-is truly exciting and the last movement represents a storm in the wastes of Lapland with wind machines and rainsticks which is terrifyingly realistic.
Review from David Hurwitz-
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=200410
Unlike Mr. Horwitz, I would love to hear the work live in the open-air on the slopes of Luosto mountain! The fact that the LuostoClassic Festival plans to play the work every few years with different orchestras speaks volumes for Finnish cultural progressiveness!
Any more feedback from those members who were off to explore more Aho?
On 7.7.2008 I wrote this:
Quote from: Jezetha on July 07, 2008, 12:01:11 AM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61RyBuMqvRL._SS500_.jpg)
Listening to Aho's Second Symphony - dark, concentrated and intense.
I should listen to it for a second time to be less terse...
Quote from: Jezetha on July 13, 2008, 09:54:11 PM
On 7.7.2008 I wrote this:
I should listen to it for a second time to be less terse...
This is the Aho album I also have. The second is indeed dark and intense, and magical too. And isn't it amazing that dung beetles can play a major part in a symphonic work.
Quote from: Dundonnell on July 13, 2008, 05:02:34 PM
Any more feedback from those members who were off to explore more Aho?
Little yet, I'm afraid. I tried the Eight, but didn't come to grips with it in one listen. To be continued! :)
For a splendid new and extraordinarily comprehensive survey of the BIS Aho survey see-
http://www.musicweb-international.com/Aho/Aho.htm
Quote from: Dundonnell on July 13, 2008, 05:02:34 PM
Any more feedback from those members who were off to explore more Aho?
Trying to limit mad/compulsive CD expenditure, so haven't ventured beyond No 4 yet: a great work.
I am listening to the Tenth. Will report back.
Have listened. I think the work hangs together very well. The atmosphere is serious. The third, slow, movement gives you a shock, like the opening of Rautavaara's Third does and for the some reason - the Return of Bruckner. Aho's Adagio quotes the Adagio from Bruckner's Ninth. This is such a striking move, I don't yet know how to assess the movement as a whole. Another composer this movement reminded me of was Stravinsky, the close of Orpheus.
I'll have to listen a second time.
Thanks for the report, Johan :)
There can't be that many composers of Aho's age(under 60 that is) composing music of this sort and this quality today ;D
Quote from: Dundonnell on October 01, 2008, 04:37:53 AM
Thanks for the report, Johan :)
There can't be that many composers of Aho's age(under 60 that is) composing music of this sort and this quality today ;D
I think I agree. The work is impressive, without sounding derivative. The Bruckner quote isn't a sign of weakness, either - I think Aho is invoking a whole tradition.
I just caught up on this thread. Fascinating reading, and (symphonic) Aho certainly had me at the Bruckner quote, if nowhere else!
Now, to draw up a battle-plan... I'll have a look at what's available locally, tomorrow morning, and see where I might take it from there. :)
Quote from: Renfield on January 02, 2009, 04:36:15 PM
I just caught up on this thread. Fascinating reading, and (symphonic) Aho certainly had me at the Bruckner quote, if nowhere else!
Now, to draw up a battle-plan... I'll have a look at what's available locally, tomorrow morning, and see where I might take it from there. :)
Good for you :) Go for it, young man ;D ;D
Born March 9th 1949. Balloons, cakes and fireworks!
Thanks for pointing that out, Matti ;D
Many, many happy returns to a quite magnificent composer! May he write many more symphonies, concertos and other works!
And BIS....get on and record the missing symphonies please ;D
I was in the audience when his Insect Symphony no 7 was premiered in 1989. He was younger then than I am now. How quickly time passes! I haven't even started my first. If I don't hurry, even Brahms will beat me.
;D
As you can probably see if you have looked through this thread I am a HUGE admirer of Aho's music ;D
One of my oldest friends is the former Director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestram Hugh Macdonald. Hugh hired Osmo Vanska as Principal Conductor of the orchestra and they played some Aho with the composer present. Apparently Aho is a very nice man...as well as a very good composer :)
For my money Aho's music will live and prosper, (although) he is a very intellectual composer, very well aware of the past and the present music - as well as things aside, e.g politics. His appearance and utterance is that of a reserved intellectual, but in fact he is ALSO a hilarious lunatic! Just think about his 12th symphony... what a crazy idea!
Quote from: matti on March 09, 2009, 04:06:51 PM
For my money Aho's music will live and prosper, (although) he is a very intellectual composer, very well aware of the past and the present music - as well as things aside, e.g politics. His appearance and utterance is that of a reserved intellectual, but in fact he is ALSO a hilarious lunatic! Just think about his 12th symphony... what a crazy idea!
I would love to go to Luosto to see and hear the symphony performed there :)
i used to have that original Ondine cd with sym 7 and one other (5 ?) before BIS began their series. i remember being very impressed, and i liked to go between that cd and the original Rautavaara Ondine label symphonies. i remember thinking they were somewhat similar, but it's interesting how they've diverged since.
BIS BIS BIS...never ending.
Symphony No.14 "Rituaaleja" for sixteen strings, wind quintet and two percussionists will be released by BIS later this month in an intriguing coupling-
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BISCD1686
Quote from: Dundonnell on April 02, 2009, 04:43:33 AM
Symphony No.14 "Rituaaleja" for sixteen strings, wind quintet and two percussionists will be released by BIS later this month in an intriguing coupling-
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BISCD1686
Oooooooooh! ;D
I've been listening to the Symphonic Dances a lot lately. I only just cracked it after giving it a blast about once a year and now I can't get enough. It reminds me a lot of Bartók and Ravel, not through similarity in style at all, just through the tangible sense of the magical the music conjours. I'd gladly recommend it to anyone who loves
The Wooden Prince,
The Miraculous Mandarin or
Daphnis et Chloe. And if that wasn't enough, the music would definitely win an award for most convincing use of wind machine, if such an award existed. 8)
p.s How beautiful are the closing few minutes?!
I have three Aho symphonies to date (2, 7, & 12 -- which I all enjoy). In addition, I have a Tuba Concerto and Contrabasson Concerto -- I may not have even known that these instruments were ever featured :) but I like what I hear.
I'm definitely an Aho fan and hope to add to my collection soon.
Symphony No. 6: I'm wondering if it has ever been recorded? If not, why not?
Yeah, Aho seems to be "traditional enough" for a 20/21st century composer in order to attract me. I'm knowing the Symphonic Dances.
Quote from: Benji on April 02, 2009, 08:57:46 AM
Oooooooooh! ;D
I've been listening to the Symphonic Dances a lot lately. I only just cracked it after giving it a blast about once a year and now I can't get enough. It reminds me a lot of Bartók and Ravel, not through similarity in style at all, just through the tangible sense of the magical the music conjours. I'd gladly recommend it to anyone who loves The Wooden Prince, The Miraculous Mandarin or Daphnis et Chloe. And if that wasn't enough, the music would definitely win an award for most convincing use of wind machine, if such an award existed. 8)
p.s How beautiful are the closing few minutes?!
Very persuasive. I have listened to a few of the symphonies, but these Symphonic Dances were still on my wishlist. Now's the time, I think, to have a stab at them.
A number of years ago I ordered just one Kalevi Aho disc because as a big fan of Mattti Salminen I wanted to hear Aho's arrangement and orchestration of Mussorgsky's Songs and Dance of Death sung by Salminen. On the same disc is Aho's Symphony No. 3.
This disc rested peacefully in my collection, listened to rarely, and today I stumble upon this thread, mainly because I wanted to see what one of my favourite GMG members, Jezetha had to say about Aho.
Thank you, Jezetha, thank you very much indeed, because now in my amazon basket are 6 Aho discs! - Before I click on 'order' please mail me your credit card number! ;D -
Quote from: Brünnhilde ewig on August 08, 2009, 10:17:49 AM
A number of years ago I ordered just one Kalevi Aho disc because as a big fan of Mattti Salminen I wanted to hear Aho's arrangement and orchestration of Mussorgsky's Songs and Dance of Death sung by Salminen. On the same disc is Aho's Symphony No. 3.
This disc rested peacefully in my collection, listened to rarely, and today I stumble upon this thread, mainly because I wanted to see what one of my favourite GMG members, Jezetha had to say about Aho.
Thank you, Jezetha, thank you very much indeed, because now in my amazon basket are 6 Aho discs! - Before I click on 'order' please mail me your credit card number! ;D -
Just missed you, dear Brünnhild, ewiges Weib! Thanks for the very flattering words. But sorry - I don't have a credit card* (praise Wotan!) ;)
* Credit cards aren't very common in the Netherlands...
So be it, I clicked on 'order' and shall search the net for new variations of Macaroni and Cheese, sustenance for the next months!
You mean you folks pay cash for all your purchases, cash, like in coins and pieces of paper? :o
Quote from: Brünnhilde ewig on August 08, 2009, 10:54:24 AM
So be it, I clicked on 'order' and shall search the net for new variations of Macaroni and Cheese, sustenance for the next months!
You mean you folks pay cash for all your purchases, cash, like in coins and pieces of paper? :o
No, most people simply have a bank card. It's mostly business people or those who stay or buy a lot in foreign parts, who own a credit card.
Remember Einstein's famous formula? (Brünnhilde)Ewig=macaronicheese
2.
Quote from: Brünnhilde ewig on August 08, 2009, 10:54:24 AM
So be it, I clicked on 'order' and shall search the net for new variations of Macaroni and Cheese, sustenance for the next months!
You mean you folks pay cash for all your purchases, cash, like in coins and pieces of paper? :o
The voice that used to haunt me in such cases had only three accusing words to say:
"EAT THE CDS..."
All jokes aside, I'm about to spring for some more Aho too. I have the Symphonic Dances and the 11th and 12th symphonies -- anyone have recommendations for the ESSENTIAL Aho piece? Right at present I'm leaning toward the concertos for tuba and contrabassoon.
Quote from: gomro on August 09, 2009, 04:07:25 AM-- anyone have recommendations for the ESSENTIAL Aho piece?
Well, Dundonnell, who started this thread, seems most enthusiastic about Symphonies 1, 4, and 10 (he'll correct me if I'm wrong). Those I've ordered along with 2/7 and the Symphonic Dances/11. Currently the only Aho I own is the Flute Concerto. Thanks to those responsible for reviving this thread. It's spurred me into action.
Sarge
Quote from: Jezetha on August 08, 2009, 12:47:47 AM
Very persuasive. I have listened to a few of the symphonies, but these Symphonic Dances were still on my wishlist. Now's the time, I think, to have a stab at them.
How did your stabbing go? ;)
Quote from: Benji on August 31, 2009, 07:51:19 AM
How did your stabbing go? ;)
Aho has survived it. Very attractive, colourful music.
Bumping this because of the new release of a disk containing the second piano concerto and Symphony No. 13. This is one of my favorite new disks. The two pieces on the disk could not be any more different from each other. The piano concerto is scored only for solo piano and a 20 piece string orchestra. It is a work with piano writing that stems from the Brahmsian piano tradition, but is still in a modern idiom. It is quite a "joyful" piece (according to the composer) and makes use of the piano quite well. The Symphony is a huge work, clocking in at 40 minutes, and has two 20 minute movements. It uses a huge orchestra, including some brass placed in the audience (I didn't notice any spatial effects in the recording), and is a piece of extremes that is very soft at times, but very bombastic and loud at times. It is a serious piece in contrast to the concerto, with lots of smaller sections within the two large movements that are all interconnected.
Also, regarding the still unrecorded symphony, I read somewhere that the reason why it has not been recorded yet was because, and I directly quote, "it is too large for the Lahti Symphony Orchestra". As far as I know, they still have no plans to record it. The next recordings in production are the three chamber symphonies, the double bass concerto, the clarinet quintet, and the trio for clarinet, viola, and piano. All of this info came from email correspondence with BIS.
Premiere recording of the Aho 4th Symphony:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af80/hiptone/LP%20covers_labels/Ahosym4FT.jpg)
String Quartet No. 3:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af80/hiptone/LP%20covers_labels/AhostringQno3FINLANDIAFT.jpg)
I listened to the Cello Concerto this evening, my first exposure to Aho. Silly me, I thought Aho was a lightweight, easy listening composer as he studied under Rautavaara (and wrote a major study of that composer) and has stayed aloof from the Finnish modernists. But I haven't heard as much angry crashing and clanging since Pärt's early Credo or Carter's Symphonia, it's great. While I'm not so wowed to immediately go out and buy everything, I do intend on exploring Aho's output in greater depth when I find the time.
Quote from: CRCulver on July 15, 2011, 09:08:31 AM
I listened to the Cello Concerto this evening, my first exposure to Aho. Silly me, I thought Aho was a lightweight, easy listening composer as he studied under Rautavaara (and wrote a major study of that composer) and has stayed aloof from the Finnish modernists. But I haven't heard as much angry crashing and clanging since Pärt's early Credo or Carter's Symphonia, it's great. While I'm not so wowed to immediately go out and buy everything, I do intend on exploring Aho's output in greater depth when I find the time.
Do study this guy before purchase!
btw- I'm assuming that I'm seeing a lot of you Great Reviews on Amazon? ;)
Quote from: CRCulver on July 15, 2011, 09:08:31 AM
I listened to the Cello Concerto this evening, my first exposure to Aho. Silly me, I thought Aho was a lightweight, easy listening composer as he studied under Rautavaara (and wrote a major study of that composer) and has stayed aloof from the Finnish modernists. But I haven't heard as much angry crashing and clanging since Pärt's early Credo or Carter's Symphonia, it's great. While I'm not so wowed to immediately go out and buy everything, I do intend on exploring Aho's output in greater depth when I find the time.
How did he get up to 14 Symphonies behind my back? >:D
I just checked Amazon last night, and wow! :o, look at all that BIS! I used to have the Ondine disc of 5/7, but I'm curious, I've been turned on to the likes of Norgard 5 and I'm wondering if Aho (what an Aho! :D) has anything with the same submersing feeling?
14 Symphonies!! :o
Quote from: snyprrr on December 05, 2011, 08:20:58 AM
14 Symphonies!! :o
Once a symphonist gets past #9 with no dire consequence, they sure take off, don't they?
Quote from: springrite on December 05, 2011, 08:25:57 AM
Once a symphonist gets past #9 with no dire consequence, they sure take off, don't they?
Haha! ;) Just ask Segerstam,...oy! :o
Do you Aho?
Quote from: snyprrr on December 05, 2011, 08:27:24 AM
Haha! ;) Just ask Segerstam,...oy! :o
Do you Aho?
Don't ask. Don't tell.
Alright, on occasions.
Quote from: snyprrr on December 05, 2011, 08:20:58 AM
14 Symphonies!! :o
Actually, Aho now has 15 symphonies (and I have recordings of all of them, teehee). He's probably the only other composer besides Shostakovich to write that many full length symphonies with such consistent quality. On the other hand, I recently heard Leif Segerstam's Symphony No. 212, which was nice, but... yeah, I can imagine there would be a serious proportional drop-off in quality in relation to quantity. I'm eagerly waiting Aho's 16th symphony (which I assume is coming) and any new BIS disks! His chamber symphonies are supposedly up next in BIS's release queue.
Quote from: lescamil on December 05, 2011, 11:31:23 AM
Actually, Aho now has 15 symphonies (and I have recordings of all of them, teehee). He's probably the only other composer besides Shostakovich to write that many full length symphonies with such consistent quality. On the other hand, I recently heard Leif Segerstam's Symphony No. 212, which was nice, but... yeah, I can imagine there would be a serious proportional drop-off in quality in relation to quantity. I'm eagerly waiting Aho's 16th symphony (which I assume is coming) and any new BIS disks! His chamber symphonies are supposedly up next in BIS's release queue.
Gimme yer... Top5. Where to start? ???
Quote from: snyprrr on December 05, 2011, 08:31:10 PM
Gimme yer... Top5. Where to start? ???
I'm not sure I could say where the best places to start are, but I can try my best. In no order: 1, 3, 7, 8, 13. I picked the two early symphonies 1 and 3 because I think that, even though they are heavily indebted to Shostakovich and other symphonists that Aho admires, they are very well crafted works and have some great music in them. The 3rd symphony is pretty much a violin concerto in all but name and is quite beautiful. The seventh is his "Insect Symphony", which takes music from his (as far as I know) unrecorded opera "Insect Life". It's a funny symphony that reminds me a lot of the satirical Schnittke. The eighth is a huge symphony with a large organ part. However, it is conveniently segmented into lots of short contrasting movements and has some very grand organ writing and some fierce sections that show off a lot of virtuosic interplay between organ and orchestra. The 13th symphony to me is a large sort of concerto for orchestra in two huge movements. It calls for a large orchestra that contains of all things a heckelphone (he seems to like this instrument) and some brass that is distributed in the orchestra. These are not necessarily my favorites, but I think these show off his style best and are the best places to start. Some others are quite quirky in their stylistic variety, such as the symphonies 9 and 14. The 9th symphony is sort of like getting in an erratic time machine, and the 14th symphony is like a trip to Africa, Indonesia, and the Middle East, all held together with European glue. I've heard all of them at least once, and there are some I definitely need to listen to a few more times, but as far as I've heard, I haven't found many relative weak spots in them that could happen with so much quantity. They've all held my attention, even though I definitely do prefer some over others.
Quote from: lescamil on December 05, 2011, 10:08:53 PM
I'm not sure I could say where the best places to start are, but I can try my best. In no order: 1, 3, 7, 8, 13. I picked the two early symphonies 1 and 3 because I think that, even though they are heavily indebted to Shostakovich and other symphonists that Aho admires, they are very well crafted works and have some great music in them. The 3rd symphony is pretty much a violin concerto in all but name and is quite beautiful. The seventh is his "Insect Symphony", which takes music from his (as far as I know) unrecorded opera "Insect Life". It's a funny symphony that reminds me a lot of the satirical Schnittke. The eighth is a huge symphony with a large organ part. However, it is conveniently segmented into lots of short contrasting movements and has some very grand organ writing and some fierce sections that show off a lot of virtuosic interplay between organ and orchestra. The 13th symphony to me is a large sort of concerto for orchestra in two huge movements. It calls for a large orchestra that contains of all things a heckelphone (he seems to like this instrument) and some brass that is distributed in the orchestra. These are not necessarily my favorites, but I think these show off his style best and are the best places to start. Some others are quite quirky in their stylistic variety, such as the symphonies 9 and 14. The 9th symphony is sort of like getting in an erratic time machine, and the 14th symphony is like a trip to Africa, Indonesia, and the Middle East, all held together with European glue. I've heard all of them at least once, and there are some I definitely need to listen to a few more times, but as far as I've heard, I haven't found many relative weak spots in them that could happen with so much quantity. They've all held my attention, even though I definitely do prefer some over others.
Great,... I'm off!!
"Exploring the music of a new composer to whose idiom one feels attuned is a wonderful voyage of discovery(I know that sounds a bit pretentious-but it's true!). When it is a living composer one has the additional knowledge that the composer will develop his art further in the future(hopefully, at least). And when a record company has kindly put most of that composer's music onto disc the task is so much easier! :)
I started with Aho's Symphony No.1 because it was the first one recorded and because it had been highly praised by the perceptive British music critic Robert Layton-whose views I respect, particularly with regard to Scandinavian music on which he is an authority.
The 1st is clearly indebted to Shostakovich(the Shostakovich of the Eighth and Eleventh symphonies, for example) but shows considerable imagination for a 20-year old composer still in his first year as a student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki(studying under Rautavaara)with its eerie distortions of a baroque idiom. The fourth movement is a very Russian-sounding, grimly impressive fugue of considerable power. It seemed obvious to me that this was a young man with something to say, that there was a clear underlying purpose to the music, that it was 'going somewhere'-which is not something, I fear, that I can say of some very modern music!
(I admit that I do like a lot of Scandinavian music for that very reason and because the serious, Nordic sound does appeal very much to my ear.)
Of course, Aho's idiom does develop and become somewhat more challenging in the later symphonies but I can appreciate and admire them all. He has not 'lost me' despite my 'conservative' tastes in music. "
"To add a little to my earlier posts-
Aho's symphonies really divide into three groups:
Firstly, those he wrote whilst still in his twenties(Nos. 1-6, 1969-80). Of these, No. 1 is clearly indebted to Shostakovich with a very Russian sense of the grotesque, No.2 is a very fine work in one movement which, as in several of the early Aho symphonies makes extensive use of the fugue. No. 5, again in one huge movement requires a very large orchestra and, although it has received an adequate recording on Ondine by the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra under Max Pommer, BIS has not yet got round to recording either it or No. 6 because Robert von Bahr is looking for a larger orchestra than the Lahti Symphony to perform these works(which does seem a little odd since the Lahti orchestra has managed very well with the others!).
My own favourite out of these first six(I haven't heard No.6 of course) is No.4. This is on BIS-CD-1066 coupled with the Chinese Songs.
The symphony was composed in 1972-73(when Aho was 23 years old). It is a big symphony-44'20 minutes long and is immensely impressive, in my opinion. Yes, it does still-to an extent-remind one of Shostakovich or, to a lesser extent, Prokofiev-particularly in the violent percussive second movement-but there is a power and grandeur which is almost Brucknerian in its intensity without sounding like Bruckner-if I can make that distinction-in other words it doesn't sound like Rautavaara's 3rd.
Secondly, there is No. 7-the 'Insect Symphony'(1988)-which does stand apart from the others. Yes, it is great fun but it really is more of a suite, drawing as it does on material from Aho's Opera 'Insect Life'.
Thirdly, there are the symphonies Aho has composed for the Lahti Symphony Orchestra as composer-in-residence-Nos. 8-14. I haven't heard Nos. 12-14 but Nos. 8-11 are an extremely interesting and diverse group. No. 8 is for organ and orchestra, No. 9 is a virtuoso tour de force for trombone and orchestra, and No. 11 an amazing work for six percussionists and orchestra.
My own personal favourite out of the later symphonies is No.10(1996), a monumental masterpiece in my judgment and one of the greatest contemporary symphonies. The symphony quotes from both Mozart and Bruckner. It contains passages of tremendous lyrical outpourings from the strings, particularly in the 20 minute long Adagio slow movement.
I urge all those who have not heard any or much Aho to try Symphonies No.4 and No.10! They are fantastic achievements. I can think of few-if any-living composers still capable of writing such extended compositions combining strength, power and beauty as to be found in these two symphonies! As I write I am listening again to the Lento finale of No.4. It contains the most breathtaking desolation, a la Shostakovich, but a beauty too which recalls the magical world of the early Stravinsky ballets, just occasionally(believe it or not) Vaughan Williams-but all in a modern contemporary idiom. Sometimes I think of Schnittke but without the manic depressive overtones. I defy anyone not to be swept away, however, by the closing pages of a great symphony!
And...if you don't believe me, try this-
http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=12114&highlight=1&highlightterms=&lstKeywords="
I wrote all this three years ago ;D ;D
That seems like a very good run through of his symphonic cycle. You really should check out 12-15, which could not be different from one another. 12 is of course the Luosto symphony, which is for orchestra and chamber orchestra, with tenor and soprano voices and an alto saxophone soloist. It is perhaps the most ambitious of his symphonies, which is meant to be performed outdoors at the foot of the Luosto mountain. There are some spatial effects in the recording, but I would imagine that it is one of those pieces where you really had to be at the premiere (as with most of these spatial or outdoors works). I talked about the 13th symphony a few posts ago, but now that I think of it, it seems to be almost a throwback in scope to the earlier, huge symphonies. The 14th symphony is for percussion soloist and chamber orchestra, and it is part of a concert-length cycle of 3 works, and the first two parts are Kysymysten Kirja (Book of Questions), which is a song cycle, and a Viola Concerto, and all three works are to be played attacca, almost as if they are one work. They are all performable separately, but they do share DNA, and they have similar sound. The solo percussionist plays darabuka, djembe, and gongs, but the piece doesn't have huge ethnic influences. The 15th symphony had its premiere this year. It reminds me of another recent work for orchestra, Minea (written in 2008), which has a real feeling of a procession, complete with ethnic drums and wind instruments playing incantation-like melodies. It has a much brighter, shimmering sound to it, though, than Minea. It has some similarities with the 14th symphony also, but it calls for a much bigger orchestra, and he exploits all of it.
Wow, how can you not be impressed by Aho after those two Posts? :o :-* It's amazing how words can set of a firestorm of sounds in the mind.
I think there are many Composers (on BIS) who sound like Schnittke without the drama. That's good!
Thank you both.
I have only very recently managed to come by copies of Symphonies Nos. 6 and 15-which makes the complete set for me too ;D-but have not yet had time to listen to them.
The trouble with such a recent quite amazing quantity of downloading of music I never expected in my wildest dreams to ever get the chance to hear is that there has been virtually no time-yet-to actually listen to much of it ;D ;D
Quote from: Dundonnell on December 07, 2011, 10:47:05 AM
The trouble with such a recent quite amazing quantity of downloading of music I never expected in my wildest dreams to ever get the chance to hear is that there has been virtually no time-yet-to actually listen to much of it ;D ;D
That explains so many silences in a forum like this the best. ;)
I bought nine Aho recordings on BIS. I look forward listening to them and absorbing the music. He's certainly a fascinating composer.
I just heard the first movement to Symphony No. 9 and it's amazing! Wow, I should have listened to a friend of mine from my days on TalkClassical that I would seriously enjoy Aho.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 30, 2012, 08:54:29 PM
I just heard the first movement to Symphony No. 9 and it's amazing! Wow, I should have listened to a friend of mine from my days on TalkClassical that I would seriously enjoy Aho.
Symphony #9 is indeed a great piece. Fun and energetic.
Some of my favourites from Aho besides sym#9 include the Flute concerto, Clarinet concerto, Chamber symphonies 2-3 (recently released), Chinese Songs, Symphonies 3, 4, 11 (listen to the last movement, it's like you're in a sweet dream with some nightmares off and on), 12, 14.. But I do enjoy other stuff too, depends on my mood.
Can't wait for the release of Symphony #15. What a fantastic piece, I only have a radio recording of it. I heard BIS made a recording of it last summer with Slobodeniouk/Lahti SO, but so far it hasn't been released.
Aho seems to be a very productive composer, I think he had (or will have) four premieres this year. I hear he follows some kind of strict schedule that allows him to compose so much. How he keeps the level so high and keeps coming up with new ideas is beyond me. :) The latest I've heard of him are concertos for Percussion and Trombone. Both great pieces, unsurprisingly.
-r
Quote from: radi on June 03, 2012, 04:23:54 AM
Symphony #9 is indeed a great piece. Fun and energetic.
Some of my favourites from Aho besides sym#9 include the Flute concerto, Clarinet concerto, Chamber symphonies 2-3 (recently released), Chinese Songs, Symphonies 3, 4, 11 (listen to the last movement, it's like you're in a sweet dream with some nightmares off and on), 12, 14.. But I do enjoy other stuff too, depends on my mood.
Can't wait for the release of Symphony #15. What a fantastic piece, I only have a radio recording of it. I heard BIS made a recording of it last summer with Slobodeniouk/Lahti SO, but so far it hasn't been released.
Aho seems to be a very productive composer, I think he had (or will have) four premieres this year. I hear he follows some kind of strict schedule that allows him to compose so much. How he keeps the level so high and keeps coming up with new ideas is beyond me. :) The latest I've heard of him are concertos for Percussion and Trombone. Both great pieces, unsurprisingly.
-r
Thanks for your feedback, radi. Last night I listened to
Symphonic Dances and thought it was absolutely thrilling. A first-rate work. I didn't think much of
Symphony No. 3, but I know I'll need to listen to it again. Loved the
Chinese Songs. Anyway, I'm still very new to this composer, but so far he's been quite consistent in what I've heard.
Quote from: radi on June 03, 2012, 04:23:54 AM
Aho seems to be a very productive composer, I think he had (or will have) four premieres this year. I hear he follows some kind of strict schedule that allows him to compose so much. How he keeps the level so high and keeps coming up with new ideas is beyond me. :)
I remember seeing an interview with him, where he said something like (I paraphrase from memory) "I don't do drafts – I start writing from the first page, and then continue to the end." I guess skipping a step saves some time? ;D
Quote from: nochmal on July 04, 2012, 05:21:09 PM
I remember seeing an interview with him, where he said something like (I paraphrase from memory) "I don't do drafts – I start writing from the first page, and then continue to the end." I guess skipping a step saves some time? ;D
True. He only uses sketches rarely, just writes straight to the empty score pages with a pencil, and doesn't use computers. In an interview a few years ago he said (I'll try to translate): "You should be able to hear the music without tools (a computer). If a composer can't do that, then he's not a professional."
I'll try to translate parts of a radio interview from last March about his composing methods: "It's disciplined but not really inconceivable. My habit is to make complete scores without sketches. It speeds up the work immensely. You have to have a lot of experience to be able to write without sketches. You have to be really controlled and have a bright mind, you can't drink beer or anything. You have to be stone-cold sober ... As I've had a lot of commissions, I've learned to estimate how long it takes to write a single work. For example, I set aside four months for a concerto, six months for a symphony, an opera 1,5-2 years, chamber works a month or two, like big quintets and quartets ... Considering that I write a page a day, it means 120 pages in four months. Or if I write two pages a day then in four months it's quite a lot. Usually in works for orchestra I write two pages a day, and have some free days too, but still in four months it makes quite a lot of music." About using computers he says "It's a conscious decision. I've learned to use two composing software, Finale and Sibelius, and I tried to use them but I hated that the computer is there in between, and when you write a score you never see the whole page but only half of the page and you have to constantly move it up and down and take copies. For me it's much faster to write by hand, besides you get to see your own writing, your own work there. And also you can see two pages at a time. Even if they're only half-completed you'll get a better idea of the whole body."
About his near-future schedule he revealed that he's just begun writing an opera which is planned to be premiered in September 2014 in Helsinki. After that he's supposed to write two concerti, his second violin concerto and a concerto for soprano saxophone. And on to the 16th symphony after that...
About (SA)CD releases on BIS, I quote bissie on sa-cd.net: "It is going to be a bumper Aho year, starting with part 1 of his organ music in August (BIS-SACD-1946) and followed up with the Oboe Concerto (a really great piece) in November (BIS-SACD-1876), followed by...."
I hope you guys found something interesting in this post. :)
-radi
edit: About the release schedule of the 15th symphony bissie wrote: "Kalevi Aho's 15th Symphony will, according to plan, be released in March of 2014, together with the Double-bass Concerto and Minea."
Sadly it's a long wait.. Well, at least I don't need to be holding my breath for a while anymore. :)
Nice to see that there are more recordings in the works. I have to say that Minea is perhaps the best concise illustration of what Aho's music currently has to offer, and it will be good to get a commercial recordings of it.
Is Slobodeniouk the new guy for Aho? Vänskä did a great job with everything thus far, and I'd hate for him to fall out of the picture completely. I haven't heard much of Slobodeniouk, so I really don't know what to make of this. At least the Lahti players are going to continue in this series.
Quote from: lescamil on July 12, 2012, 11:02:44 PM
Nice to see that there are more recordings in the works. I have to say that Minea is perhaps the best concise illustration of what Aho's music currently has to offer, and it will be good to get a commercial recordings of it.
Is Slobodeniouk the new guy for Aho? Vänskä did a great job with everything thus far, and I'd hate for him to fall out of the picture completely. I haven't heard much of Slobodeniouk, so I really don't know what to make of this. At least the Lahti players are going to continue in this series.
Yeah, Minea is a great piece indeed. I like how it builds up from something small to an enormous virtuosic piece with complex rhythms and the full orchestra involved. Dare I say it's like Aho's Bolero. Nooooo, I didn't say that! ;D
Somehow I've always felt that Symphony #15 is sort of related to Minea, except with more drama. Maybe it's the percussion sections that make me feel so.
I don't know if Slobodeniouk will be "the new guy". Lahti SO these days is led by Okko Kamu, but I've yet to hear him interpret Aho. Wouldn't worry about either of them though, both are very good conductors. Of course I wouldn't mind Vänskä recording Aho in the future. Perhaps something with the Minnesota Orchestra, I think that would be interesting. Or they might use various conductors and orchestras. The Contrabassoon Concerto was recorded with Bergen PO/Litton, Tuba Concerto with Norrköping SO/Rondin, Chamber Symphonies 1-2 with Tapiola Sinfonietta/Asbury and #3 with Kantorow, Sym#14 with CO of Lapland/Storgårds. All of those recordings are the more recent ones so it seems they don't use the same forces on every recording anymore.
-radi
That's right, I forgot that many recent recordings were made with other conductors/orchestras. I haven't heard one substandard recording yet, so I trust Slobodeniouk's recordings will be great, also.
Also, Minea is better than Bolero, heh.
I rather like Aho's music now. I bought most of his recording on BIS and have went through them, but it seems now I appreciate his music much more. I listened to Symphonic Dances after a long hiatus and what a powerful work. Absolutely smoldering rhythms and the harmonic language was quite appealing. I'll be revisiting more of his music in the future.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 03, 2012, 07:04:22 PM
Thanks for your feedback, radi. Last night I listened to Symphonic Dances and thought it was absolutely thrilling. A first-rate work. I didn't think much of Symphony No. 3, but I know I'll need to listen to it again. Loved the Chinese Songs. Anyway, I'm still very new to this composer, but so far he's been quite consistent in what I've heard.
Here's your Post from June. ::) You still like the word 'absolutely' I see! ;)
You
know I want to know which
Symphonies you liked... tap, tap, tap! Especially from 8 onwards.
Quote from: snyprrr on January 15, 2013, 08:18:04 PM
Here's your Post from June. ::) You still like the word 'absolutely' I see! ;)
You know I want to know which Symphonies you liked... tap, tap, tap! Especially from 8 onwards.
Oh...absolutely. ;) :D
Anyway, I don't remember one note from his symphonies. I listened to
Symphony No. 1 earlier and while it was a nice 'in the moment' kind of listening experience, I came away with nothing from it. That said, I'm going to try another symphony tomorrow. Maybe it will fare better.
Aho didn't really find his own until from Symphony No. 7 onwards. The first symphony is a great little mishmash of influences from Shostakovich, Mahler, and his other idols that he composed when he was about 22, so it's hardly an indicator of his quality. I would suggest starting at the 7th symphony and moving onwards. When you actually develop a taste for Aho, then look at the earlier symphonies, which are great in their own right, but not for people starting out with his music.
Quote from: lescamil on January 16, 2013, 12:45:31 AM
Aho didn't really find his own until from Symphony No. 7 onwards. The first symphony is a great little mishmash of influences from Shostakovich, Mahler, and his other idols that he composed when he was about 22, so it's hardly an indicator of his quality. I would suggest starting at the 7th symphony and moving onwards. When you actually develop a taste for Aho, then look at the earlier symphonies, which are great in their own right, but not for people starting out with his music.
It seems everything after the 7th is a monster:
No.8 (Organ Symphony) w/
PergamonNo.9 (Trombone Symphony) w/Cello Concerto
No.10 w/"...rejoicing..."
No.11 w/Symphonic Dances
No.12 ("Luosto", the 'mountain' one)
No.13??...
( )
( )
9, 11, or 12,... maybe 8,... that's what I'm curious about.
In my mind's eye, I hear a kaleidoscopic symphonic organic-ism,... in other words, I've formed EXPECTATIONS!,... so, I NEED the Aho that will fulfill those expectations, and I'm just sure that one of them will.
Which Aho will you live your life with?
Quote from: lescamil on January 16, 2013, 12:45:31 AM
Aho didn't really find his own until from Symphony No. 7 onwards. The first symphony is a great little mishmash of influences from Shostakovich, Mahler, and his other idols that he composed when he was about 22, so it's hardly an indicator of his quality. I would suggest starting at the 7th symphony and moving onwards. When you actually develop a taste for Aho, then look at the earlier symphonies, which are great in their own right, but not for people starting out with his music.
What are some of the characteristics of his mature compositional voice that I should take note of?
Quote from: snyprrr on January 16, 2013, 06:53:15 AM
It seems everything after the 7th is a monster:
And some stuff before it is a monster, also. The 2nd, 5thn and 6th symphonies are very large works in one movement, and the 5th actually requires 2 conductors.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 16, 2013, 08:25:48 AM
What are some of the characteristics of his mature compositional voice that I should take note of?
Just a few things to look out for are a great amount of satire and wit (not unlike Schnittke), usage of Eastern techniques (rhythms and scales), and very expansive landscapes of sound. There's a lot more to him than just these things, though, and some works ignore one or more of these elements completely. He has so much music that you will never get bored of it or find it predictable.
Quote from: lescamil on January 16, 2013, 09:05:45 AM
Just a few things to look out for are a great amount of satire and wit (not unlike Schnittke),
Indeed, I think it's the Ninth Symphony that has a lot of prankish jokes aimed at the classical era and a fake dance movement?
The Symphonic Dances are pure adrenaline, a piece that would raise the roof in concert.
Quote from: lescamil on January 16, 2013, 09:05:45 AM
Just a few things to look out for are a great amount of satire and wit (not unlike Schnittke), usage of Eastern techniques (rhythms and scales), and very expansive landscapes of sound. There's a lot more to him than just these things, though, and some works ignore one or more of these elements completely. He has so much music that you will never get bored of it or find it predictable.
Interesting, thanks for the feedback.
Just thought I would pass on my love for Aho. Goodness this guy is great. Thank God for BIS!!!
Another great article by MusicWeb:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/Aho/Aho.htm
A new work by Kalevi Aho:
http://www.classiclive.com/Concerts/2013/April/Aho-Gejia-Finnish-premiere
Quote from: nochmal on July 04, 2012, 05:21:09 PM
I remember seeing an interview with him, where he said something like (I paraphrase from memory) "I don't do drafts – I start writing from the first page, and then continue to the end." I guess skipping a step saves some time? ;D
I love this composer for so many reasons. Most importantly is because his craftsmanship is inspiring. I don't think I've heard a single lazy note from him and that's unusual for some one so young and prolific. It is as if he composed all his works as if it might be his last. Additionally, like all great symphonists, he does not repeat himself but constantly progresses and expands what he says musically. He is also someone who respects the symphonic tradition but still makes it his own. I haven't heard all his music but have loved all I've heard from him.
The prolific composer, Kalevi Aho, is nearing completion on his Symphony No. 16 for the Finnish Radio Orchestra with voice - sounds interesting! Has anyone picked up the new BIS recording with Minea and Symphony No. 15?
Quote from: relm1 on December 04, 2013, 07:07:29 AM
The prolific composer, Kalevi Aho, is nearing completion on his Symphony No. 16 for the Finnish Radio Orchestra with voice - sounds interesting! Has anyone picked up the new BIS recording with Minea and Symphony No. 15?
Thanks for the info. Can't wait to hear it.
Actually I've been meaning to write here about the Minea/Double Bass Concerto/Symphony 15 recording - to tell everyone that after a couple weeks of listening I've come to the conclusion that this is the single best Aho album so far in my opinion (and there's many great ones). Once again I'm amazed at what the man can still come up with, even with so many great and original works already. Symphony 15 for me is a close contender (with the Flute Concerto) for his very best single work.
[asin]B00FJIOKHM[/asin]
Amazon.co.uk says that the CD won't be released until next month. Couldn't find it at all on Amazon.com. But you can get it from eClassical.com.
Yup, have had that album for a couple of weeks. The Double Bass Concerto for me is a revelation, for it was the only piece I hadn't heard before (I had heard the world premieres of Minea and the Symphony No. 15). The duet between harp and bass in the first cadenza has to be one of my favorite parts of the whole work.
BIS CEO Robert von Bahr has some interesting things to say about Kalevi Aho's solo and concertante works for flute. The solo piece described below is "Solo III (http://www.eclassical.com/performers/bezaly-sharon/solo-flute-from-a-to-z-vol1.html)".
"I of course contacted Kalevi Aho, asking him, if he had anything for solo flute. He hesitated, but finally said, yes, but he was withdrawing it, since it was too difficult for anyone to play. I persuaded him to send the score, saying that I knew someone. Sharon [Bezaly] looked at it and said a flat "NO!" I told her that she would be pissing on me, because I had guaranteed that she could do it. So she relented, the recording was made, and I went to Finland with the first edit. Kalevi listened, listened again, and again, without a comment, then asked: Is this true, or had anything technically been done to make that speed? I said no and that this is why I guaranteed that Sharon could do it, and we agreed then and there that I commission a Concerto for her from him - a Concerto that I believe is the ultimate ever written for that instrument."
Watch Kalevi Aho's Symphony No. 16 here: http://yle.fi/aihe/tapahtuma/2015/09/03/thursday-series-1
Excellent piece, and it clocks in at 55 minutes. Another major work by this living legend.
I think I should include Aho in my exploration of contemporary classical music. Too bad Naxos haven't released anything by him. I fear BIS because those discs are very often impossible to get cheap. However, the newer Aho discs on BIS seems to be SACD => stunning sonics. :)
I'll see if I can listen to some Aho on Spotify and if the music is as great as people here say, maybe those BIS prices aren't that bad... ...or then I pass Aho and continue exploring on Naxos path... ...choices choices...
Quote from: lescamil on September 06, 2015, 01:30:03 PM
Watch Kalevi Aho's Symphony No. 16 here: http://yle.fi/aihe/tapahtuma/2015/09/03/thursday-series-1
Excellent piece, and it clocks in at 55 minutes. Another major work by this living legend.
This was excellent, thanks for posting. And posted by a fellow Los Angelino no less! Aho is a rare composer who is very skilled and the craft of composition and also directly communicative. I am glad he is so productive while maintaining high quality and individuality.
Just ordered Symphony 11.
Quote from: vandermolen on September 08, 2015, 08:05:10 AM
Just ordered Symphony 11.
You won't be disappointed. For a work with 6 percussion soloists, it's often times very ethereal in much the same way that Takemitsu's From Me Flows What You Call Time is (although stylistically very different).
Quote from: lescamil on September 08, 2015, 09:07:41 AM
You won't be disappointed. For a work with 6 percussion soloists, it's often times very ethereal in much the same way that Takemitsu's From Me Flows What You Call Time is (although stylistically very different).
I also think that like his fellow countryman and excellent symphonist, Rautavaara, Aho's output falls into distinct phases and has a linear progression one to the next. It's not a bad idea to start at the very beginning and go in sequence though I don't believe No. 6 is available. It seems like the categories are:
No. 1-4: Youthful and dramatic/epic
No. 5-6:Complex and full of turmoil (though I've not heard 6 since it isn't yet available). These might be more transitional symphonies from the Mahler/Shostakovich/Prokofiev of the earlier ones to the more individual later ones but all are well structured and easy to get in to.
No. 7-15: Large scale symphonies that might lose some of the grimness of the earlier symphonies but have a greater emotional range and architecture.
No. 16: somewhat different...maintains the large scale architecture but a lot of emphasis on texture and generally less manic. Something of Shostakovich's No. 14 but less dark more poetic.
And thrown into the mix are concertante symphonies such as No. 3, 8, 9, 11, 13.
It's a great cycle and I'm hoping for much more to come!
Quote from: lescamil on September 08, 2015, 09:07:41 AM
You won't be disappointed. For a work with 6 percussion soloists, it's often times very ethereal in much the same way that Takemitsu's From Me Flows What You Call Time is (although stylistically very different).
Thank you. :)
I have a recording of number 6. I'll have to relisten to the work and possibly plop it up on YouTube so others can hear it. From what I remember, it was very similar to 5, in that it was a large transitional work that doesn't quite fit into the mold that the other symphonies around it established.
I don't find Aho that memorable of a composer nor do I think he has too distinctive of a compositional voice, but the concerti for clarinet and flute are among his most astonishing works IMHO. I also remember enjoying Symphony No. 10 a lot, especially with that long Adagio. Quite a powerful symphony.
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2015, 03:26:22 AM
I don't find Aho that memorable of a composer nor do I think he has too distinctive of a compositional voice, but the concerti for clarinet and flute are among his most astonishing works IMHO. I also remember enjoying Symphony No. 10 a lot, especially with that long Adagio. Quite a powerful symphony.
What do you think of No. 4? That has some very fine long melodies and large scale structure. For example:
https://youtu.be/5hAu4mQI8v8?t=2261
In the last movement, the William Walton trumpet fanfares (there are many trumpet fanfares and proclamations throughout this work) culminate in a huge multi octave sweeping string discourse that I find very satisfying. He was maybe 25 years old when writing this so imagine a mid 1970's symphony by a young composer with such skill that incorporates the tradition and makes it his own.
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2015, 03:26:22 AM
I don't find Aho that memorable of a composer nor do I think he has too distinctive of a compositional voice...
He doesn't really get a distinctive voice until partway through his compositional career (arguably just before his symphonies hit double digits), but even so, it's always been incredibly well-crafted music that rewards each time upon listening. I've not gotten bored with him yet, even his juvenalia.
Quote from: relm1 on September 09, 2015, 07:37:27 AM
What do you think of No. 4? That has some very fine long melodies and large scale structure. For example:
https://youtu.be/5hAu4mQI8v8?t=2261
In the last movement, the William Walton trumpet fanfares (there are many trumpet fanfares and proclamations throughout this work) culminate in a huge multi octave sweeping string discourse that I find very satisfying. He was maybe 25 years old when writing this so imagine a mid 1970's symphony by a young composer with such skill that incorporates the tradition and makes it his own.
I don't have an opinion of
Symphony No. 4. I'll have to give it another listen at some point, but not anytime soon as I've got my own interests I'm pursuing now.
Fellow Aho lovers should find this interesting. A good selection of his orchestral music is available for viewing on his publisher's website. It's a joy to see how his music works on paper.
http://www.fennicagehrman.fi/composers/aho-kalevi
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2015, 03:26:22 AM
I don't find Aho that memorable of a composer nor do I think he has too distinctive of a compositional voice, but the concerti for clarinet and flute are among his most astonishing works IMHO. I also remember enjoying Symphony No. 10 a lot, especially with that long Adagio. Quite a powerful symphony.
All this Aho talk has piqued my interest... AGAIN,... I still haven't cracked this can 'o worms open yet,... used to have the Ondine disc... oh, where to start?? I've asked this before...
Quote from: snyprrr on September 13, 2015, 12:28:19 PM
All this Aho talk has piqued my interest... AGAIN,... I still haven't cracked this can 'o worms open yet,... used to have the Ondine disc... oh, where to start?? I've asked this before...
You could always start with the works I recommended. :-\
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 13, 2015, 12:52:06 PM
You could always start with the works I recommended. :-\
Why would he take your advice? You've made it clear Aho doesn't interest you. You've made it clear you won't be listening to him any time soon:
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2015, 03:26:22 AM
I don't find Aho that memorable of a composer nor do I think he has too distinctive of a compositional voice
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2015, 03:35:02 PM
I've got my own interests I'm pursuing now.
Why are you even posting in this thread? ;D
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on September 13, 2015, 01:43:47 PM
Why would he take your advice? You've made it clear Aho doesn't interest you. You've made it clear you won't be listening to him any time soon:
Why are you even posting in this thread? ;D
Sarge
Just because someone says they don't have a particular interest in a composer right now doesn't mean that they won't in the future. Remember who you're talking to. ;) I've had more phases than this earth has had seasons since its creation. :D Anyway, those works I recommend, I do believe a unique musical persona is at large. Anyway, I enjoy the works I mentioned and for this reason I have a right to be on this thread as much as anyone does whether I like one work or 20 of them.
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 13, 2015, 01:58:13 PMI have a right to be on this thread as much as anyone does whether I like one work or 20 of them.
Sure...but why do you think anyone would take the advice of someone who clearly states they have little to no interest in Aho? Why would you think snyprrr would be interested in the opinion of someone who has little knowledge of and almost no interest in the composer?
Sarge
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 13, 2015, 03:29:50 PM
How in the world did you assume I have little knowledge of Aho? I own almost every Aho BIS recording to date and have heard many of his works on numerous occasions. I have examined his style and have paid attention to what it is this composer is about stylistically. Again, someone can make a recommendation despite how someone feels about the composer's music if there's actual music by said composer that I enjoy, thus, why I made the recommendation I did. This isn't some card trick. Also, I never said I didn't have an interest in the composer, I merely said, in passing, that I'm pursuing other interests at present. This doesn't imply anything nor should it be taken as some cold, hard fact. I like some of Aho's music, but, given how much time I've spent with the music, I have only found a couple of works worthy of my attention. I don't think he's a terrible composer by any stretch of the word nor did I make any such implication. You like more works then I do, then that's great, I'm happy for you and everyone else who does.
So, proceed good fellow. :)
Quote from: relm1 on September 13, 2015, 04:11:22 PM
Mirror, you are sort of an arrogant prick. I deduce this from your comments to me in Schnittke and now here as well. Sarge did not say you have little knowledge of Aho. He said you have no interest in him. You might know everything about him but sure do act mightier than other opinions. You are pretty consistently condescending and I take offense.
My apologies to Sarge and you, relm. I misread Sarge's post and overreacted. As a result, I deleted my post and with good reason. I'm not 'sort of' an arrogant prick. You don't know me from an atom, relm. I take offense to someone who has to use personal insults as a way of making a point. No need in that. Sorry for anything that I've said that offended you here or otherwise.
You know what, I am sorry too. It just rubbed me the wrong way and I will edit my post. I overreacted to your post.
Quote from: relm1 on September 13, 2015, 05:08:27 PM
You know what, I am sorry too. It just rubbed me the wrong way and I will edit my post. I overreacted to your post.
Now I remember all those other times MI has said that "blah blah blah is not memorable." It really shouldn't bother me, but it does. I intend to retire the phrase from my own musical lexicon.
I think the last Aho that really grabbed me was the Trombone Symphony.
Quote from: Daverz on September 13, 2015, 07:29:01 PM
Now I remember all those other times MI has said that "blah blah blah is not memorable." It really shouldn't bother me, but it does. I intend to retire the phrase from my own musical lexicon.
I think the last Aho that really grabbed me was the Trombone Symphony.
But people shouldn't take the criticism to heart. There are a lot of people who can't stand anything by Schnittke or Takemitsu, but I'm not worried about it as people are going to enjoy what they enjoy. As long as I'm not bashing a composer, I don't see any harm in stating my problem with a composer or just giving my reactions to the music. I mean, after all, this is what a forum is about. I mean we're not a bunch of 'yes' men/women.
Some discussion back on the topic of the composer would be nice...
I found this dissertation on Aho's flute concerto, which contains a piano reduction by the author, quite interesting, and it might prove interesting to others as well:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAAahUKEwiP9JulmPbHAhVNrIAKHVpDC0w&url=https%3A%2F%2Frepositories.tdl.org%2Fttu-ir%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F2346%2F58451%2FMCLACHLEN-DISSERTATION-2013.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&usg=AFQjCNEplmfvEI8Aj5eKLb9w_O7NhlLsQQ&sig2=AWMIKG9F7nzhaLYOMeQUtg&cad=rja
Quote from: Mirror Image on September 09, 2015, 03:26:22 AM
I don't find Aho that memorable of a composer nor do I think he has too distinctive of a compositional voice, but the concerti for clarinet and flute are among his most astonishing works IMHO. I also remember enjoying Symphony No. 10 a lot, especially with that long Adagio. Quite a powerful symphony.
No.10 IS one that has been recommended before,... and now I'm really curious about the Flute Concerto.
My position on Aho, from the outside, would be that, clearly, with so much smoke over soooo many works, there MUST be some fire in there somewhere, and, with all these newer Syms. being lauded as having so many different directions, I can but only fantasize what I would be in store for.
OF COURSE- would I be over-expecting? I mean, at this point, I'm expecting Norgard-meets-Sallinen-meetsNature-meets-Sibelius-meets-SuperCoolSounds-meets-YourHighestExpectationsFulfilled,... so, I mean, I certainly don't want to pick the "wrong" work to blow my mind,... and, there's tooooo many CDs now, for the makings of a CDCDCD rash, a rabbit hole,... so,...
I'd be willing to try the No.10 disc (with Cello Concerto?), and then one or two of these huge later works, 11-16,... Sallinen-Norgard-Aho Axis????
I'm still unclear about 11-16,... the task seems overwhelming... and expensive!!!!$$$$
I have just applied my Patented Scientific Method to Aho's Discography, and Channeled all the Reviews, and blah blah, and I believe I can tell you what would be the Best Aho-
1) First, I've concluded that Symphony No.5 is the Monster here, and I do believe I had that Ondine disc, and remember a 30 minute single slab of non-stop density and loudness. And , then, everyone is waiting for the Symphony No.6 to come out, maybe this?
2) Then, it appears like a toss-up between Nos. 8 & 10, two more huge behemoths, but, broken up by movements.
3) The general Reviews for 11-15 have left me somewhat colder
4) The Cello Concerto emerges as something I'd like to hear. MI mentioned some great Flute Concerto, and also Clarinet, and,... what else here?
Frankly, for me, I think that's it. I might have let go of the Ondine disc because, though I may have appreciated the 5th, I can understand why I wouldn't want to be hearing it all the time. And then, the 7th isn't what we're looking for, so, my future with Aho probably lies with the CC, or Nos. 8 or 10.
Class Dismissed $:)
Why not just take the plunge and listen to it all on eclassical.com or YouTube for nothing? Your preliminary reactions to the pieces without hearing them aren't really spot on...
I gave another listen to the 6th symphony today. It's definitely a monster, taking ideas from the 5th symphony a bit further. It leaves me puzzled, which I am not sure is a good or a bad thing. Maybe I'll post a detailed review soon...
Quote from: lescamil on September 16, 2015, 11:18:41 PM
I gave another listen to the 6th symphony today. It's definitely a monster, taking ideas from the 5th symphony a bit further. It leaves me puzzled, which I am not sure is a good or a bad thing. Maybe I'll post a detailed review soon...
Is that a radio recording you have? I've heard a rumour that the reason that the Sixth hasn't appeared on BIS is because Robert von Bahr considers it unrecordable, there's just too damn much going on.
Yeah, I have a radio recording, probably of the premiere, of Jorma Panula conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Too damn much going on? Unrecordable? I don't know about that. There are moments where it seems downright overwhelming, but it's nothing like I haven't heard before, though, and these moments where there are lots of layers are mostly in the first movement. The other movements (I think I counted two more but it is hard to determine) feature small groups of soloists more and the texture is much thinner. A translation of the program notes for this piece reveals that it is subtitled his Sinfonia Concertante No. 2 (oddly enough, his 9th symphony was at one point called his Sinfonia Concertante No. 2).
Quote from: lescamil on September 17, 2015, 08:45:16 AM
Yeah, I have a radio recording, probably of the premiere, of Jorma Panula conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Too damn much going on? Unrecordable? I don't know about that. There are moments where it seems downright overwhelming, but it's nothing like I haven't heard before, though, and these moments where there are lots of layers are mostly in the first movement. The other movements (I think I counted two more but it is hard to determine) feature small groups of soloists more and the texture is much thinner. A translation of the program notes for this piece reveals that it is subtitled his Sinfonia Concertante No. 2 (oddly enough, his 9th symphony was at one point called his Sinfonia Concertante No. 2).
I have it from a reliable source that there are plans to record the Symphony No. 6 but BIS hasn't found an orchestra for the task since it needs substantially larger forces that Sinfonia Lahti.
Quote from: relm1 on September 19, 2015, 06:56:32 AM
I have it from a reliable source that there are plans to record the Symphony No. 6 but BIS hasn't found an orchestra for the task since it needs substantially larger forces that Sinfonia Lahti.
I've heard that same rumor. The forces required are: 4344, 1 heckelphone/4332, 1 baritone horn/12, strings
Now, that is large, but it is still not "substantially larger" than what has already been recorded in the part, particularly the 12th symphony. I think there is something else we are missing here.
Quote from: lescamil on September 16, 2015, 11:18:41 PM
Why not just take the plunge and listen to it all on eclassical.com or YouTube for nothing? Your preliminary reactions to the pieces without hearing them aren't really spot on...
I gave another listen to the 6th symphony today. It's definitely a monster, taking ideas from the 5th symphony a bit further. It leaves me puzzled, which I am not sure is a good or a bad thing. Maybe I'll post a detailed review soon...
What would be your Top3 Aho Picks?
Am I wrong just to declare that
Sallinen > Aho?,... as far as what I want,.. which is... mm,... let me get back to you,...
Maybe I'm feeling Aho is "too much"? I'm not sure I'd make it through the whooole Cycle, especially 11-16...
Basically, it's either buyBuyBUY!! some Aho, or just get the Sallinen Box. I get the feeling most everyone would go with the Sallinen Box?
I easily like Aho more than Sallinen. I haven't heard many pieces by Sallinen that have really grabbed me.
Top 3 Aho picks? That is too hard, not with his body of work. However, I would say that these disks are a good place to start:
http://bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1316
http://bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1066
http://bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-1866
I think that the selection is very broad here, since you get a few of his different periods represented here. I especially think that the piano concerto no. 2 is one of the best piano concertos of the last little while and had to include that CD. The 4th symphony is from his earlier style, and I think it is the best of those early symphonies.
The now 16 symphony cycle is pretty rewarding. I don't think it is tiring to get through, even if some of them are quite long. The 16th is the longest, I believe, clocking in at just under 55 minutes. The 10th and 12th are around 45 or so. None of them feel overly long to me.
EDIT: I forgot that his 8th was 50 minutes. It's broken up into many smaller movements and hardly feels its length (in the best way). The 4th is around 42 minutes, the 13th is almost 40, etc. He might have 16 symphonies, but most are quite substantial.
Quote from: lescamil on September 19, 2015, 11:28:28 PM
I easily like Aho more than Sallinen. I haven't heard many pieces by Sallinen that have really grabbed me.
Top 3 Aho picks? That is too hard, not with his body of work. However, I would say that these disks are a good place to start:
http://bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1316
http://bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-CD-1066
http://bis.se/index.php?op=album&aID=BIS-1866
I think that the selection is very broad here, since you get a few of his different periods represented here. I especially think that the piano concerto no. 2 is one of the best piano concertos of the last little while and had to include that CD. The 4th symphony is from his earlier style, and I think it is the best of those early symphonies.
The now 16 symphony cycle is pretty rewarding. I don't think it is tiring to get through, even if some of them are quite long. The 16th is the longest, I believe, clocking in at just under 55 minutes. The 10th and 12th are around 45 or so. None of them feel overly long to me.
EDIT: I forgot that his 8th was 50 minutes. It's broken up into many smaller movements and hardly feels its length (in the best way). The 4th is around 42 minutes, the 13th is almost 40, etc. He might have 16 symphonies, but most are quite substantial.
Yesterday, I YT'd most of each of these, in order:
Sallinen 3:= eh, not as I remembered... not what I'm looking for...
Aho 8: = oh noes, this is the organ symphony,... sorry,... next....
Sallinen 5:= ok, a little better than 3, but, mm, mmmaybe, but not really what I'm looking for...
Holmboe 8:= eh, no, too old fashioned... again, like Sallinen 3, just stormy post-Sibelius that I'm not looking for...
Sallinen 7:= more interesting...
Aho Cello Concerto:= noisy as fffffffffuuuuuu.....
Englund 'Blackbird':= ok, if it's going to be old fashioned, this is more what I like...
Blomdahl 'Facets':= ok, liked a little better than 'Blackbird'...
Aho 13:= eh,... not feeling the opening...
Aho 15:= HEEELLO!!!!! how surprising that I responded most to such a late work...
Nordgren 3:= YESSS!!! now this is what I was looking for!!!
So, the last two were most where I am in my post-Norgard world. IJUST CAN'T GO BACK and be impressed with Sallinen... yea, I was wrong there,... and now I certainly don't care about that Box...Norgard's Nature Music renders a lot of this just old fashioned to me... oy, and I forgot that earlier Aho could be soooo loud and noisy!!!! aye aye...
oh, btw-
Norgard 1:= ok, interesting,... not quite there, but somewhat interesting...
so, right now, Nordgren is the interesting one for me.... what of Norholm and Nordheim??? LOL!!!!! Norwahl??? LOL
Quote from: lescamil on September 08, 2015, 05:00:00 PM
I have a recording of number 6. I'll have to relisten to the work and possibly plop it up on YouTube so others can hear it. From what I remember, it was very similar to 5, in that it was a large transitional work that doesn't quite fit into the mold that the other symphonies around it established.
I would greatly appreciate if you do that. I have contacted BIS a year ago and they say they will record it but not any time soon. After listening to Sym 5 I wonder what could be even more difficult and challenging. I have all other symphonies so this would also complete my collection
Quote from: Wieland on September 25, 2015, 06:29:16 AM
I would greatly appreciate if you do that. I have contacted BIS a year ago and they say they will record it but not any time soon. After listening to Sym 5 I wonder what could be even more difficult and challenging. I have all other symphonies so this would also complete my collection
what do you recommend to the skeptic?
Quote from: snyprrr on September 28, 2015, 06:50:42 AM
what do you recommend to the skeptic?
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.
[asin]B00FJIOKHM[/asin]
Quote from: Wieland on September 28, 2015, 07:15:18 AM
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.
[asin]B00FJIOKHM[/asin]
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???
Just received a second hand copy of No.11. Will report back.
Quote from: snyprrr on September 28, 2015, 02:09:38 PM
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!!
Quote from: Wieland on September 29, 2015, 04:38:09 AM
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!!
For me three of his best
[asin]B00004TTIG[/asin] [asin]B000SNUMFC[/asin]
[asin]B00C1LIMVK[/asin]
Have just listened through Symphonic Dances, which I greatly enjoyed and I loved the hymn-like ending. Now on to Symphony 11.
Quote from: vandermolen on October 01, 2015, 05:29:23 AM
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:)
Quote from: karlhenning on October 01, 2015, 05:31:54 AM
Do you mean Kokkonen, Lindberg, or Aho? TIA 0:)
[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. 8)
I should revisit the work, I recall enjoying it.
Quote from: North Star on October 01, 2015, 05:42:57 AM
[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. 8)
I should revisit the work, I recall enjoying it.
Groovy, thanks!
Hi Karl. North Star is right. I should have made it clearer. ::)
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.
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!
Quote from: relm1 on July 18, 2017, 06:32:48 AM
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.
Quote from: lescamil on July 18, 2017, 05:30:08 PM
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.
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 (https://www.sinfonialahti.fi/konsertit-ja-liput-arkisto/symphony-concert-20/?lang=en)
Quote from: Maestro267 on January 11, 2019, 07:15:47 AM
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 (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
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!
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!
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 :(
We have to agree to disagree here about his symphonies. 8)
Some may sound shostakovian-like, granted, but I do feel they are better than imagined. They're bleak, heavy and with a touch of personal irony. From the 5th Symphony on is even more noticed. It begins to be free from the Shostakovich influence to become more personal. And regarding especially the 10th, for me has been tremendous, shocking and with a weirdly enthralling atmosphere. The orchestration is shattering in a good way, a consummate work and one that leaves a strong impression. The Adagio is the largest and impressive. It's close to a candidate to a masterpiece IMO.
Quote from: calyptorhynchus on August 30, 2019, 02:26:57 PM
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 :(
Check out 12, you might like that. If not, then yeah, you'll prefer mozart or something.
Quote from: relm1 on August 30, 2019, 04:07:28 PM
Check out 12, you might like that. If not, then yeah, you'll prefer mozart or something.
Well I do like Mozart, but I comparing Aho to his contemporaries and near-contemporaires.
Quote from: calyptorhynchus on August 31, 2019, 01:11:43 PM
Well I do like Mozart, but I comparing Aho to his contemporaries and near-contemporaires.
So then Aho isn't your thing. What do you want, mate? If you've gone through everything people have recommended and don't like it, move on.
Think I what's what I just told everyone I was about to do. ;)
(https://bis.se/shop/thumbnails/shop/17115/art15/h9011/5029011-origpic-7807e1.jpg_0_0_100_100_250_250_0.jpg)
The Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra was commissioned for Jörgen van Rijen, who also performs it here. The concerto is actually Aho's second concertante piece for the trombone – his Symphony No. 9 (1994) included a substantial and very virtuosic solo part for the instrument. In that work, and even more so in the concerto, the composer's aim has been to extend the expressive and virtuosic possibilities of the trombone. Composed around the same time, the Trumpet Concerto is scored for the wind section of a medium-sized symphony orchestra, plus two saxophones, baritone horn and percussion. It was given its premiere by the same musicians that perform it here, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra under Martyn Brabbins supporting its principal trumpet Alain De Rudder in what is often a surprisingly jazzy work. (Source = BIS)
Alain De Rudder isn't only principal in Antwerp, he works regularly with the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, the NDR-Sinfonieorchester Hamburg,he played with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and I Solisti del Vento, Oxalys and Champ d'Action.
He is equally at home with the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale Gent, Il Gardellino, B'Rock, Le Concert Lorrain and. Gli Angéli Genève.
I only heard the trumpet concerto and liked its spiky dynamism.
I'm taken by his concertos. This man has a great imagination to compose. And the variety of concertos he has written thus far is impressive, not to count the chamber works, symphonies, etc. Aho is clearly one of my favorite living composers.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 03, 2020, 01:23:30 PM
I'm taken by his concertos. This man has a great imagination to compose. And the variety of concertos he has written thus far is impressive, not to count the chamber works, symphonies, etc. Aho is clearly one of my favorite living composers.
I like Aho's concertos of the 1970s and 1980s, but I find the concertos of the new millennium to be less inspired. In recent decades he set himself the challenge of writing a concerto for every instrument, even obscure ones, but a composer is not a factory and cannot churn out work of invariably outstanding quality simply because he wants to.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 03, 2020, 01:23:30 PM
I'm taken by his concertos. This man has a great imagination to compose. And the variety of concertos he has written thus far is impressive, not to count the chamber works, symphonies, etc. Aho is clearly one of my favorite living composers.
We are certainly in agreement, Cesar. I find much to enjoy in his symphonies as well. He's also composed some song cycles that are worth exploring. I just did a recount and whenever I receive those three newer Aho recordings I ordered, I will own 21 recordings in total. All BIS, too, so it makes me wonder whether he has some kind of exclusive contract with them? I know there were some recordings on Ondine and maybe another label, but that's about it.
My Aho collection:
(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h8767/4438767-origpic-d853e5.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h8452/4438452-origpic-c65c43.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h2505/4442505-origpic-6104bc.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h7589/4447589-origpic-e8142b.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5480/4435480-origpic-a94f46.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h4151/4434151-origpic-790c9b.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h4659/4444659-origpic-45ec95.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5151/4445151-origpic-c55351.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6616/4446616-origpic-52c36a.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h7108/4437108-origpic-f72b90.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0337/4440337-origpic-a2a49e.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0461/4460461-origpic-c4ce12.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0385/4440385-origpic-98b541.png)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9244/4819244-origpic-24f724.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9011/5029011-origpic-7807e1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h1427/5021427-origpic-cd4431.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h2972/5012972-origpic-b95fc1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5509/4835509-origpic-a79547.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6936/4716936-origpic-654796.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0163/4930163-origpic-ae57a1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9525/4439525-origpic-bbd062.jpg)
Quote from: CRCulver on June 03, 2020, 02:38:42 PM
I like Aho's concertos of the 1970s and 1980s, but I find the concertos of the new millennium to be less inspired. In recent decades he set himself the challenge of writing a concerto for every instrument, even obscure ones, but a composer is not a factory and cannot churn out work of invariably outstanding quality simply because he wants to.
Those concertos you mention are the most "dissonant" and "aggresive" as far as I can hear. I've heard the Flute Concerto, Tuba Concerto, Timpani Concerto, and Clarinet Concerto, which are from 2000's. I've enjoyed them very much so far.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 03, 2020, 03:58:51 PM
My Aho collection:
(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h8767/4438767-origpic-d853e5.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h8452/4438452-origpic-c65c43.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h2505/4442505-origpic-6104bc.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h7589/4447589-origpic-e8142b.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5480/4435480-origpic-a94f46.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h4151/4434151-origpic-790c9b.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h4659/4444659-origpic-45ec95.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5151/4445151-origpic-c55351.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6616/4446616-origpic-52c36a.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h7108/4437108-origpic-f72b90.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0337/4440337-origpic-a2a49e.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0461/4460461-origpic-c4ce12.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0385/4440385-origpic-98b541.png)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9244/4819244-origpic-24f724.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9011/5029011-origpic-7807e1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h1427/5021427-origpic-cd4431.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h2972/5012972-origpic-b95fc1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5509/4835509-origpic-a79547.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6936/4716936-origpic-654796.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0163/4930163-origpic-ae57a1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9525/4439525-origpic-bbd062.jpg)
Superb collection, John! From those discs I've heard all the symphonies. Most of them are really good. Now we need a recording of his Symphony No. 6 and the last ones (I think he has composed 17).
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 03, 2020, 03:58:51 PM
My Aho collection:
(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h8767/4438767-origpic-d853e5.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h8452/4438452-origpic-c65c43.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h2505/4442505-origpic-6104bc.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h7589/4447589-origpic-e8142b.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5480/4435480-origpic-a94f46.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h4151/4434151-origpic-790c9b.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h4659/4444659-origpic-45ec95.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5151/4445151-origpic-c55351.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6616/4446616-origpic-52c36a.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h7108/4437108-origpic-f72b90.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0337/4440337-origpic-a2a49e.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0461/4460461-origpic-c4ce12.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0385/4440385-origpic-98b541.png)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9244/4819244-origpic-24f724.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9011/5029011-origpic-7807e1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h1427/5021427-origpic-cd4431.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h2972/5012972-origpic-b95fc1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5509/4835509-origpic-a79547.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6936/4716936-origpic-654796.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h0163/4930163-origpic-ae57a1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9525/4439525-origpic-bbd062.jpg)
Not impressed. You are missing Symphony No. 5.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 03, 2020, 04:19:01 PM
Superb collection, John! From those discs I've heard all the symphonies. Most of them are really good. Now we need a recording of his Symphony No. 6 and the last ones (I think he has composed 17).
Thanks, Cesar. Yep, the 6th, 16th and 17th haven't been recorded yet.
Quote from: relm1 on June 03, 2020, 04:25:18 PM
Not impressed. You are missing Symphony No. 5.
I'm also missing a lot of chamber music that has been released, which I hope to remedy soon. The reason I didn't get the 5th is because I'm sticking with BIS for the Aho releases. Hopefully, they'll record the 5th, 6th and the remaining ones like the 16th and 17th.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 03, 2020, 04:15:16 PM
Those concertos you mention are the most "dissonant" and "aggresive" as far as I can hear. I've heard the Flute Concerto, Tuba Concerto, Timpani Concerto, and Clarinet Concerto, which are from 2000's. They're not as I've enjoyed them very much so far.
I agree. The later concerti are quite inspired and the writing is some of the best he's done in his entire career, IMHO.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 03, 2020, 04:31:03 PM
I'm also missing a lot of chamber music that has been released, which I hope to remedy soon. The reason I didn't get the 5th is because I'm sticking with BIS for the Aho releases. Hopefully, they'll record the 5th, 6th and the remaining ones like the 16th and 17th.
I was teasing since your collection puts mine to shame. I once asked either Aho or BIS about No. 5 and No. 6 and one of them (sorry forgot who I asked) said No. 5 is extremely difficult to conduct and record. Does anyone else know why these aren't available on BIS? They are very fine based on youtube and the ondine recording but probably Aho at his most complex.
Quote from: relm1 on June 04, 2020, 05:45:39 AM
I was teasing since your collection puts mine to shame. I once asked either Aho or BIS about No. 5 and No. 6 and one of them (sorry forgot who I asked) said No. 5 is extremely difficult to conduct and record. Does anyone else know why these aren't available on BIS? They are very fine based on youtube and the ondine recording but probably Aho at his most complex.
Its a good question, indeed. I haven't heard the 5th or 6th, but I couldn't imagine them being any more difficult than the 12th, which calls for massive forces --- two orchestras I think.
I wonder what Jeffrey (Vandermolen) thinks about Aho's music?
You guys are reminding me, I need to listen to more Aho! I've been quite enthralled by his timpani and flute concerti recently. Aho is especially good at creating mysterious, spellbinding atmospheres in his works.
Quote from: kyjo on June 04, 2020, 04:43:54 PM
You guys are reminding me, I need to listen to more Aho! I've been quite enthralled by his timpani and flute concerti recently. Aho is especially good at creating mysterious, spellbinding atmospheres in his works.
Have you heard the
Clarinet Concerto, Kyle? Yes, I agree about the mysterious nature of Aho's music. Nobody sounds like him.
There many living composers that are tonal and still evoke a unique sound world. They prove that a C major is not obsolete.
Quote from: arpeggio on June 04, 2020, 06:23:44 PM
There many living composers that are tonal and still evoke a unique sound world. They prove that a C major is not obsolete.
Very true. I take it you're a fan of Aho? Any favorite works?
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 04, 2020, 06:27:10 PM
Very true. I take it you're a fan of Aho? Any favorite works?
My favorite is his
First Symphony. Very impressive first. I also like his
Contrabassoon and Oboe Concertos. I heard Frost perform his
Clarinet Concerto.
Quote from: arpeggio on June 04, 2020, 06:44:58 PM
My favorite is his First Symphony. Very impressive first. I also like his Contrabassoon and Oboe Concertos. I heard Frost perform his Clarinet Concerto.
Very nice, indeed. I'll have to revisit his
Symphony No. 1 soon. I don't think I've heard the
Contrabassoon Concerto yet.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 04, 2020, 06:01:06 AM
Its a good question, indeed. I haven't heard the 5th or 6th, but I couldn't imagine them being any more difficult than the 12th, which calls for massive forces --- two orchestras I think.
I believed the 5th had two simultaneous tempos so needs two conductors if I remember correctly but overall, not that much worse than Aho at his more complex mode. It could be orchestras are more accustomed to off tempi music after the past decade or two. I recall Marin Alsop once mentioning after a rehearsal of Thomas Ade's Asyla that she realized she was the only person in the orchestra on a beat. Everyone else was written to have a different rhythm than what she was conducting.
Quote from: relm1 on June 05, 2020, 06:27:00 AM
I believed the 5th had two simultaneous tempos so needs two conductors if I remember correctly but overall, not that much worse than Aho at his more complex mode. It could be orchestras are more accustomed to off tempi music after the past decade or two. I recall Marin Alsop once mentioning after a rehearsal of Thomas Ade's Asyla that she realized she was the only person in the orchestra on a beat. Everyone else was written to have a different rhythm than what she was conducting.
It appears that only one conductor is on the recording of the 5th:
(https://img.discogs.com/Hyv8c3WNlNHVKP4MHOSHjdAsZpQ=/fit-in/599x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3154953-1318273273.jpeg.jpg)
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 04, 2020, 05:03:21 PM
Have you heard the Clarinet Concerto, Kyle? Yes, I agree about the mysterious nature of Aho's music. Nobody sounds like him.
I believe I started listening to it at one point but never finished. I should give it a more committed spin! ;)
Also, came across this on YT - an a live performance of the ending of Aho's
Minea (Concertante Music for Orchestra): https://youtu.be/Won_6LJ3Emg
What thrilling music, full of inexorable forward momentum and great percussion writing. Time to go listen to the whole thing! It's contained on this BIS album:
[asin]B00FJIOKHM[/asin]
Quote from: kyjo on June 05, 2020, 10:45:55 AM
I believe I started listening to it at one point but never finished. I should give it a more committed spin! ;)
Also, came across this on YT - an a live performance of the ending of Aho's Minea (Concertante Music for Orchestra): https://youtu.be/Won_6LJ3Emg
What thrilling music, full of inexorable forward momentum and great percussion writing. Time to go listen to the whole thing! It's contained on this BIS album:
[asin]B00FJIOKHM[/asin]
Yep, I own that recording. I'm not sure if you saw my Aho collection on the previous page or not, but I'd be interested in knowing what works you preferred or have enjoyed from my personal collection.
Quote from: kyjo on June 05, 2020, 10:45:55 AM
I believe I started listening to it at one point but never finished. I should give it a more committed spin! ;)
Also, came across this on YT - an a live performance of the ending of Aho's Minea (Concertante Music for Orchestra): https://youtu.be/Won_6LJ3Emg
What thrilling music, full of inexorable forward momentum and great percussion writing. Time to go listen to the whole thing! It's contained on this BIS album:
[asin]B00FJIOKHM[/asin]
I haven't listened to Minea yet. Sounds like a real treat for me. Thank you, Kyle.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 05, 2020, 07:27:50 AM
It appears that only one conductor is on the recording of the 5th:
(https://img.discogs.com/Hyv8c3WNlNHVKP4MHOSHjdAsZpQ=/fit-in/599x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3154953-1318273273.jpeg.jpg)
It appears you didn't see this from the ondine site:
Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
Max Pommer, conductor
Kalevi Aho, assistant conductor
Quote from: relm1 on June 06, 2020, 05:37:23 PM
It appears you didn't see this from the ondine site:
Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
Max Pommer, conductor
Kalevi Aho, assistant conductor
No, I only looked at the back cover image. Thanks for the info.
Aho's Piano Concerto No. 1 is a knock-out of a work!! The way he explodes the resounding wealth of the orchestra is just jaw-dropping. There are lots of effects, pyrotechnics and passages like evoking grim landscapes. From the very opening you are hooked. Heartily recommended to any fans of this composer.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on July 08, 2021, 06:49:02 PM
Aho's Piano Concerto No. 1 is a knock-out of a work!! The way he explodes the resounding wealth of the orchestra is just jaw-dropping. There are lots of effects, pyrotechnics and passages like evoking grim landscapes. From the very opening you are hooked. Heartily recommended to any fans of this composer.
I'll have to revisit this work, Cesar. You've certainly made it sound enticing! :)
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 08, 2021, 07:01:51 PM
I'll have to revisit this work, Cesar. You've certainly made it sound enticing! :)
The Timpani Concerto on the same CD is worth listening too. There are no many timpani concertos out there, but this one has proven to be imaginatively written.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on July 09, 2021, 08:37:31 PM
The Timpani Concerto on the same CD is worth listening too. There are no many timpani concertos out there, but this one has proven to be imaginatively written.
I'm not a fan of concerti for percussion (with the obvious exception of the piano which is actually considered both a string and percussion instrument), but I'll give it a listen for sure. He's written some oddball concerti like the one for theremin called
Acht Jahreszeiten (Eight Seasons), but I recall really enjoying this work. It's on the same disc as the
Horn Concerto.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on July 08, 2021, 06:49:02 PM
Aho's Piano Concerto No. 1 is a knock-out of a work!! The way he explodes the resounding wealth of the orchestra is just jaw-dropping. There are lots of effects, pyrotechnics and passages like evoking grim landscapes. From the very opening you are hooked. Heartily recommended to any fans of this composer.
Which recording of it do you like? I do like (the few) works that I've heard of his (own a few CDs). :)
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 10, 2021, 04:46:18 AM
Which recording of it do you like? I do like (the few) works that I've heard of his (own a few CDs). :)
PD
You didn't ask me, but I think there's only one recording of it. Aho's music hasn't been recorded much outside of the BIS label.
The recording in question:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/7160Qq0NvtL._SL1417_.jpg)
Thanks John. I'll look into it. :)
The CDs of his that I have are of Symphony No. 10/Rejoicing of the Deep Waters; Symphonic Dances/Symphony No. 11; and lastly, Symphony No. 12 'Luosto'.
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 10, 2021, 06:30:29 AM
Thanks John. I'll look into it. :)
The CDs of his that I have are of Symphony No. 10/Rejoicing of the Deep Waters; Symphonic Dances/Symphony No. 11; and lastly, Symphony No. 12 'Luosto'.
PD
You're welcome. You've definitely got to look into getting more of the concerti recordings. The
Flute Concerto and
Clarinet Concerto, for example, belong in the mainstream repertoire. They're brilliant!
I very much liked his violin concerto but I can't remember if it was a symphony for violin. It was very dark and demanding but a compelling listen.
Quote from: relm1 on July 10, 2021, 06:51:32 AM
I very much liked his violin concerto but I can't remember if it was a symphony for violin. It was very dark and demanding but a compelling listen.
It might've been his
Symphony No. 5, which is subtitled
Sinfonia concertante. It's found on this excellent recording:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1uDf7lRhSL._SS500_.jpg)
Thank you two for the suggestions! :)
PD
I enjoy some of his 'unusual' concertos - Contrabassoon (very moody) - Double Bass - but my especial favourite is the Trombone Concerto.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81l-xcIHHWL._SS500_.jpg)
Aho, Trombone Concerto, Trumpet Concerto
On top of that 3rd Symphony for violin and orchestra, there is also a named Violin Concerto which is on the same BIS disc as Symphony No. 1.
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 09, 2021, 08:48:58 PM
I'm not a fan of concerti for percussion (with the obvious exception of the piano which is actually considered both a string and percussion instrument), but I'll give it a listen for sure. He's written some oddball concerti like the one for theremin called Acht Jahreszeiten (Eight Seasons), but I recall really enjoying this work. It's on the same disc as the Horn Concerto.
You don't enjoy percussion concertos that much like Hurwitz. Well, you have something in common with him after all. :D
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on July 10, 2021, 03:32:18 PM
You don't enjoy percussion concertos that much like Hurwitz. Well, you have something in common with him after all. :D
Hah. :) If the concerto was perhaps centered around the vibraphone, xylophone or marimba, then I think it could work, but too often you have the concerto centered around a snare drum, timpani, etc. just banging away with no real purpose.
Quote from: aukhawk on July 10, 2021, 09:49:32 AM
I enjoy some of his 'unusual' concertos - Contrabassoon (very moody) - Double Bass - but my especial favourite is the Trombone Concerto.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81l-xcIHHWL._SS500_.jpg)
Aho, Trombone Concerto, Trumpet Concerto
That
Trombone Concerto impressed me as well. The last movement especially at the very end where those chimes come in and the high sustained strings swell in and create this otherworldly atmosphere being the trombone. I've never heard writing like this before.
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 10, 2021, 07:47:07 PM
Hah. :) If the concerto was perhaps centered around the vibraphone, xylophone or marimba, then I think it could work, but too often you have the concerto centered around a snare drum, timpani, etc. just banging away with no real purpose.
I remember listening to (and watching the performance) of a concerto by Evelyn Glennie for mallet instruments which I really enjoyed. I want to say that I watched it within the past 6 months? Trying to recall who wrote it. I suspect that it was a rec and link to the video from someone on the forum.
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 11, 2021, 03:32:52 AM
I remember listening to (and watching the performance) of a concerto by Evelyn Glennie for mallet instruments which I really enjoyed. I want to say that I watched it within the past 6 months? Trying to recall who wrote it. I suspect that it was a rec and link to the video from someone on the forum.
PD
Hmm, my first comp teacher just had her concerto released by Evelyn Glennie a few months ago, maybe it was her concerto you are thinking of. I think I posted about it.
Quote from: relm1 on July 11, 2021, 05:33:09 AM
Hmm, my first comp teacher just had her concerto released by Evelyn Glennie a few months ago, maybe it was her concerto you are thinking of. I think I posted about it.
Perhaps? What is her name?
PD
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 10, 2021, 06:56:29 AM
It might've been his Symphony No. 5, which is subtitled Sinfonia concertante. It's found on this excellent recording:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1uDf7lRhSL._SS500_.jpg)
Since I don't know Aho's music at all, I started listening to this CD on Spotify, but the music appears extremely dynamic. At first I did not heard anything. After 1:30 I started hearing something, but I don't know how much to raise volume, because loud sounds can get really loud. I don't really like very dynamic music and this one seems very dynamic recording/music. :P It doesn't help I have free version with adds and those adds are REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY
LOUD compared to the music! I fear for my hearing and heart (adds start with a BANG!) Buying these Aho CDs is not an option: they are pricy so to buy them to explore is out of the question.
The little I can hear sounds good. $:)
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 11, 2021, 03:32:52 AM
I remember listening to (and watching the performance) of a concerto by Evelyn Glennie for mallet instruments which I really enjoyed. I want to say that I watched it within the past 6 months? Trying to recall who wrote it. I suspect that it was a rec and link to the video from someone on the forum.
PD
Quote from: relm1 on July 11, 2021, 05:33:09 AM
Hmm, my first comp teacher just had her concerto released by Evelyn Glennie a few months ago, maybe it was her concerto you are thinking of. I think I posted about it.
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 11, 2021, 05:56:26 AM
Perhaps? What is her name?
PD
The recording in question?
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71PoLAXWHFL._SL1200_.jpg)
Quote from: 71 dB on July 11, 2021, 09:51:36 AM
Since I don't know Aho's music at all, I started listening to this CD on Spotify, but the music appears extremely dynamic. At first I did not heard anything. After 1:30 I started hearing something, but I don't know how much to raise volume, because loud sounds can get really loud. I don't really like very dynamic music and this one seems very dynamic recording/music. :P It doesn't help I have free version with adds and those adds are REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY LOUD compared to the music! I fear for my hearing and heart (adds start with a BANG!) Buying these Aho CDs is not an option: they are pricy so to buy them to explore is out of the question.
The little I can hear sounds good. $:)
Well, I'm glad you listened (or tried to listen ;)), Poju. Yes, his music does have a rather large dynamic range. Sometimes I find myself focused on the soft passages only to find there to be a climatic moment about to happen. But it's nothing like listening to Kancheli where I might as well have my hand glued to the volume knob when I listen to his music. :P
Quote from: Mirror Image on July 13, 2021, 06:52:17 AM
The recording in question?
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71PoLAXWHFL._SL1200_.jpg)
Yes, that's the album. I couldn't remember the composer's name. :-[ I see that it's, by default (as the rest are all men), Alexis Alrich. :)
Thanks!
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 13, 2021, 07:05:02 AM
Yes, that's the album. I couldn't remember the composer's name. :-[ I see that it's, by default (as the rest are all men), Alexis Alrich. :)
Thanks!
PD
My pleasure, PD. 8)
Quote from: 71 dB on July 11, 2021, 09:51:36 AM
Since I don't know Aho's music at all, I started listening to this CD on Spotify, but the music appears extremely dynamic. At first I did not heard anything. After 1:30 I started hearing something, but I don't know how much to raise volume, because loud sounds can get really loud. I don't really like very dynamic music and this one seems very dynamic recording/music. :P It doesn't help I have free version with adds and those adds are REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY LOUD compared to the music! I fear for my hearing and heart (adds start with a BANG!) Buying these Aho CDs is not an option: they are pricy so to buy them to explore is out of the question.
The little I can hear sounds good. $:)
Yes, music that (a) starts very quiet and stays quiet for a long time before eventually reaching some kind of
ff, and (b) is recorded with high dynamic range as audiophiles seem to prefer (and BIS is famous for provinding) - can be a real problem I agree. The example I usually cite is Shostakovich's 11th Symphony which doesn't have any kind of 'loud' until
20 minutes in and doesn't reach a full orchestral
tutti before 34 minutes. On most modern recordings it's impossible to listen to without riding the voilume control, thank goodness for remotes. You can see how it would work really well in a concert hall, but at home, much as I love the music - difficult.
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 13, 2021, 07:05:02 AM
Yes, that's the album. I couldn't remember the composer's name. :-[ I see that it's, by default (as the rest are all men), Alexis Alrich. :)
Thanks!
PD
And yep, she was my first teacher. :) So we were all talking about the same thing after all. :laugh:
I heard the Triple Concerto recently released on BIS a few days ago:
(https://storage.highresaudio.com/2021/12/02/8578tz-kaleviahod-preview-m3.jpg)
It's different than his normal Shostakovich-ian fare and I need to hear it more. Others who've heard it: Any thoughts?
Quote from: lordlance on December 23, 2021, 10:01:46 AM
I heard the Triple Concerto recently released on BIS a few days ago:
(https://storage.highresaudio.com/2021/12/02/8578tz-kaleviahod-preview-m3.jpg)
It's different than his normal Shostakovich-ian fare and I need to hear it more. Others who've heard it: Any thoughts?
I quite liked this disc. The works are lovely, not a word I typically use to describe Aho but these are very finely crafted and beautiful works. Highly recommended.
I recently listened to his fourth symphony and immediately liked it... which is not something that normally happens. I usually have to warm up to music. I suspect that by the end of the week I'll be ordering a cd copy. I also like his clarinet concerto and 10th symphony. Anyone want to share any favorites?
Quote from: DavidW on April 19, 2022, 08:44:10 AM
I recently listened to his fourth symphony and immediately liked it... which is not something that normally happens. I usually have to warm up to music. I suspect that by the end of the week I'll be ordering a cd copy. I also like his clarinet concerto and 10th symphony. Anyone want to share any favorites?
I really liked these recordings (more recent-ish):
(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h9011/5029011-origpic-7807e1.jpg)(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h5509/4835509-origpic-a79547.jpg)
The
Trombone Concerto in particular is stunning.
Lord Lance - I also really enjoyed the triple concerto, it's very different from his norm. I posted a very short comment here but you can really hear the backstory and the way that the lullaby evolves:
https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,29166.msg1428270/topicseen.html#msg1428270
It reminds me of David Matthews' Ninth Symphony, another piece that works complex variation and development from a surprisingly simple beginning.
I have not heard the trombone concerto in 3 years but it would not surprise me if it was great, since he also has that symphony with the really big trombone solos.
Quote from: Brian on April 19, 2022, 11:18:41 AM
Lord Lance - I also really enjoyed the triple concerto, it's very different from his norm. I posted a very short comment here but you can really hear the backstory and the way that the lullaby evolves:
https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,29166.msg1428270/topicseen.html#msg1428270
It reminds me of David Matthews' Ninth Symphony, another piece that works complex variation and development from a surprisingly simple beginning.
I have not heard the trombone concerto in 3 years but it would not surprise me if it was great, since he also has that symphony with the really big trombone solos.
I'd say that whole
Double & Triple Concertos disc is fantastic and well worth picking up if someone is curious about Aho's music. I think it would actually make for a fine introduction to his music.
Thanks, I've added those three albums to my list.
Quote from: DavidW on April 19, 2022, 08:44:10 AM
I recently listened to his fourth symphony and immediately liked it... which is not something that normally happens. I usually have to warm up to music. I suspect that by the end of the week I'll be ordering a cd copy. I also like his clarinet concerto and 10th symphony. Anyone want to share any favorites?
Aho is a favorite of mine. I enjoy every one of his works. They are of consistently high quality, but he also has developed quite a bit as a composer. Like all the best composers, you can tell his music immediately but also there is a progression. For example, Mahler's early works and late works are quite different, but they are still fantastic and are clearly the same composer. I very much enjoy Aho's Symphony No. 4. It's my favorite of his early period which includes No. 1 through 4. These are darker works. Aho mentioned in interviews that when he was young, he thought he would die soon so felt each of his works needed to be his epic "last symphony". His mid period is more complex with multi-meter (different time signatures at the same time where rhythms often step on each other) yet they are also structurally coherent...somewhere within them, they reveal their inner workings. His later works are somewhat theatrical, sometimes with a program. Many of his symphonies frequently make use of concertante elements. For example, Symphony No. 3 is for violin and orchestra, No. 8 is for organ and orchestra, no. 9 is for trombone and orchestra, etc. These are not concertos but are symphonies with a soloist, sort of like Berlioz's "Harold en Italie" is really a symphony for viola and orchestra rather than a viola concerto. His most recent symphony, Symphony No. 17 (2017) is really a series of symphonic poems, and he even indicates the movements can be performed independently. He is a fantastic orchestrator. His orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky's "Songs and Dances of Death" is my favorite, even considering this same work was orchestrated by Shostakovich! He's not as colorful as his teacher, Rautavaara. But you can imagine that Aho was influenced by Rautavaara's serialist 1960's phase before he became a new-romantic/post-serialist.
Overall, I deeply enjoy his music. It's intricate and polished but clearly traditional. It can be challenging but never comes across as "phoned in". He's a tremendously talented composer and one of the great contemporary symphonists. I look forward to each of his works I have the opportunity to hear. He's not as mystical as his teacher and countrymate, Rautavaara, who owes more of a debt to Ravel and Wager, but Aho is more Mahler, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and Sibelius lineage. He's an exceptional composer.
Quote from: relm1 on April 19, 2022, 04:33:05 PM
Aho is a favorite of mine. I enjoy every one of his works. They are of consistently high quality, but he also has developed quite a bit as a composer. Like all the best composers, you can tell his music immediately but also there is a progression. For example, Mahler's early works and late works are quite different, but they are still fantastic and are clearly the same composer. I very much enjoy Aho's Symphony No. 4. It's my favorite of his early period which includes No. 1 through 4. These are darker works. Aho mentioned in interviews that when he was young, he thought he would die soon so felt each of his works needed to be his epic "last symphony". His mid period is more complex with multi-meter (different time signatures at the same time where rhythms often step on each other) yet they are also structurally coherent...somewhere within them, they expose their inner workings. His later works are somewhat theatrical, sometimes with a program. Many of his symphonies frequently make use of concertante elements. For example, Symphony No. 3 is for violin and orchestra, No. 8 is for organ and orchestra, no. 9 is for trombone and orchestra, etc. These are not concertos but are symphonies with a soloist, sort of like Berlioz's "Harold en Italie" is really a symphony for viola and orchestra rather than a viola concerto. His most recent symphony, Symphony No. 17 (2017) is really a series of symphonic poems and he even expansive indicates the movements can be performed independently. He is a fantastic orchestrator. His orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky's "Songs and Dances of Death" is my favorite, even considering this same work was orchestrated by Shostakovich! He's not as colorful as
Overall, I deeply enjoy his music. It's intricate and polished but clearly traditional. It can be challenging but never comes across as "phoned in". He's a tremendously talented composer and one of the great contemporary symphonists. I look forward to each of his works I have the opportunity to hear. He's not as mystical as his teacher and countrymate, Rautavaara, who owes more of a debt to Ravel and Wager, but Aho is more Mahler, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and Sibelius lineage. He's an exceptional composer.
Thanks so much for this post. You're giving me the push that I need to do a really deep dive on Aho and maybe write up notes about the pieces.
One concern that I've had in the past was that Aho has seemingly endless range as a technician and colorist - he learns how to play every single instrument he writes for! how is that even possible??!?! - but a more limited range of emotional expression. The Triple Concerto really helped with that. But your post kinda gives me a guide through his moods/phases, and tells me where/how to find the variety.
Also, his solo stuff is really good. That is, the truly solo instrumental works with the names Solo I, Solo II, etc. They show amazing imaginations for the sonorities of the instrument.
EDIT: Oh and I looove the flute concerto.
I enjoyed reading your take on Aho, relm1. 8) I'm agreement with you. An exceptional composer with a voice of his own. A rare feat for a composer working in the 21st Century.
Thanks Relm1 for the indepth post. I'll probably keep exploring Aho!
I wonder what Jeffrey (Vandermolen) and Karl think of Aho? I know Cesar likes him a lot.
most interesting composer!
Quote from: Brian on April 19, 2022, 05:47:18 PM
Thanks so much for this post. You're giving me the push that I need to do a really deep dive on Aho and maybe write up notes about the pieces.
One concern that I've had in the past was that Aho has seemingly endless range as a technician and colorist - he learns how to play every single instrument he writes for! how is that even possible??!?! - but a more limited range of emotional expression. The Triple Concerto really helped with that. But your post kinda gives me a guide through his moods/phases, and tells me where/how to find the variety.
Also, his solo stuff is really good. That is, the truly solo instrumental works with the names Solo I, Solo II, etc. They show amazing imaginations for the sonorities of the instrument.
EDIT: Oh and I looove the flute concerto.
I thought the triple concerto was the first work of his I would describe as "beautiful". The others are accomplished, exciting, dramatic, maybe lyrical, but rarely "beautiful". I'd suggest a composer like this, you explore him in order because there is a pretty good link from one to the next (except No. 5 which is quite different). I don't think No. 6 has been recorded. No. 7 is from his opera, "Insect Life" so more thematic, like character studies.
It would be well paired with No. 13 which is also character studies. I love No. 9 and 10, they are quite dark and dramatic with 9 being with solo trombone and No. 10 being more romantic...a bit of Mahler in the long central Adagio. Some of his works, like No. 12 are picturesque and atmospheric...it's sort of a modern Alpine Symphony complete with storm and designed to take place outdoors with multiple ensembles.
Just listened to the 4th Symphony after the recommendation in here. Truly excellent! I find it remarkable how the music collapses in the second movement and never recovers, even in the finale. There is no victory here, only desolation.
I'm not sure if this link will work but this is the recording of Songs of Dances of Death that I adore!
<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1aXWqE1i0z5LJxAL7V1ovo?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
Quote from: relm1 on April 20, 2022, 05:46:58 AM
I'm not sure if this link will work but this is the recording of Songs of Dances of Death that I adore!
<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1aXWqE1i0z5LJxAL7V1ovo?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
What's wrong with this recording?
(https://is4-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music124/v4/c7/f2/cb/c7f2cbf1-9d41-26a3-9079-e29f27f47e4a/source/600x600bb.jpg)
I haven't heard the one you linked, but I'm content with this performance I own at the moment.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 20, 2022, 06:33:40 AM
What's wrong with this recording?
(https://is4-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music124/v4/c7/f2/cb/c7f2cbf1-9d41-26a3-9079-e29f27f47e4a/source/600x600bb.jpg)
I haven't heard the one you linked, but I'm content with this performance I own at the moment.
It's not as refined as the one I prefer. I LOVE the early Jarvi version, find the soloist perfect and never bettered. The tempo and colors were exceptional. I wish I could link the version I adore but it doesn't seem to be on youtube. It's dark in a nordic way. Russian has a different flavor. It' the difference of gin versus vodka. They both have the same impact but different shades...different timbres.
Quote from: relm1 on April 20, 2022, 05:30:31 PM
It's not as refined as the one I prefer. I LOVE the early Jarvi version, find the soloist perfect and never bettered. The tempo and colors were exceptional. I wish I could link the version I adore but it doesn't seem to be on youtube. It's dark in a nordic way. Russian has a different flavor. It' the difference of gin versus vodka. They both have the same impact but different shades...different timbres.
I know the performance you're referring to and, while I'm sure its nice, we must remember that this is Mussorgsky through the lens of Aho.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 20, 2022, 06:09:29 PM
I know the performance you're referring to and, while I'm sure its nice, we must remember that this is Mussorgsky through the lens of Aho.
Yes, that's not forgotten, which is why his is my favorite version and not the others (but also just love the soloist in that recording too).
Is there a recording of Symphony No. 6?
Quote from: Brian on May 10, 2022, 06:40:26 AM
Is there a recording of Symphony No. 6?
Not yet. I'm hoping BIS will come to the rescue.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 10, 2022, 06:41:48 AM
Not yet. I'm hoping BIS will come to the rescue.
Thanks!
I just went through Qobuz and made a playlist of the complete cycle (minus 6) plus a bunch of concertos, song cycles, chamber works, etc. My intention is to slowly listen or relisten to the complete Aho corpus and take detailed notes on my impressions.
Quote from: Brian on May 10, 2022, 08:31:23 AM
Thanks!
I just went through Qobuz and made a playlist of the complete cycle (minus 6) plus a bunch of concertos, song cycles, chamber works, etc. My intention is to slowly listen or relisten to the complete Aho corpus and take detailed notes on my impressions.
I admire your tenacity in tackling that Aho project! He's an amazing composer. Looking forward to your notes and when you're done, please post them all here!
(all notes based on BIS recordings unless noted)
Symphony No. 1: Kalevi Aho's symphony cycle begins with a quiet, almost still fugato for strings. It's a surprising debut and it means his first symphony begins not with boldness or vigorous youth or proud declarations or showing off, but with mystery.
The symphony as a whole portends a lot of elements of the composer's style: an air of mystery, an emotional arc that is hard to describe in words, eccentric orchestration choices (piccolo duet, percussion but no timpani I think?), parts which sound like they do not fit together but somehow do. In short, there's a scherzo dance led by solo violin which evokes Sibelius, then a fast movement which directly quotes Bach, then another fugal section to end, all in a kind of understated tonality.
The second movement dance eventually gets "stuck" in repetition, like a stuck record player. Ultimately it's an interesting but not essential piece, 28:30 in length, a show of the invention and potential to come. This was a student work, intended as a string quartet before his teacher - Rautavaara - suggested that it was orchestral in scope.
Couplings:
Silence: This title is more accurate than usual, as it took until 0:38 before I heard anything. ;D a much more "pure sound" piece than the symphony, it explores effects, textures, and realistic evocations of various ambient noises from life. There are trumpets on opposite ends of the stage for a stereo effect. Kind of a typical "friendly modernist" 5 minute concert opener. The last 45 seconds are just a single high-screechy clarinet note.
Silence was composed as a lead-in to the...
Violin Concerto: The beginning melody immediately reminds me of the modernist lyricism of a piece like the Berg concerto, where the shape of the melodies and the harmonies are cold, but the violinist's tone is somehow warm and reassuring. There are prominent euphonium solos (!) as the music progresses. After a long violent orchestral episode, the soloist gets a cadenza with occasional percussion interjections.
The second and third movements show more of a sense of fun and play. Instrumental interactions are on a smaller scale, rather than Big Angry Orchestra, and the violin virtuoso work is on a less overtly flashy, more playful scale. The final "tempo di valse" is about as far from Viennese as you can get, and it ultimately disintegrates into a nocturnal atmosphere where the soloist, violin muted, duets with harps and other late-night instruments. The ending is basically inaudible.
This is a well crafted work in a style I personally don't love. That's just me!
Symphony No. 2: This is a well crafted work in a style I DO love. Like "the Mystery of Time" or the first movement of DSCH 10, it's a big long single arc from a quiet beginning which establishes the motives to a loud, fast climax, and then back down again to a quiet ending which recalls the pressures and tensions of the earlier music. It's sculpted with supreme beauty - I thought of Martinu slow movements in addition to Sibelius 4 and 7 - and is immediately attractive and gripping.
In this sense, it is an ideal intro to Aho, although I don't know if that is the case given how rapidly and how multifariously his style would evolve in the decades to come.
Great write-ups, Brian. Looking forward to more of them. You should do a blog of your musical musings and I know that's what a review could be for, but the structure could be looser and, ultimately, more fun perhaps.
Symphony No. 3: The first of the concerto symphonies, this one has extensive violin solos in all but one movement. The effect at first is to remind you of the Shostakovich violin concertos, but eventually it reminds me more of the Shostakovich symphonies, especially 7, 8, 11. The ones that evoke oppression and violence and the hushed, fearful response to it.
This is most true of the middle movements; the second builds to a humongous, absolutely awesome climax of great intensity, and then as a backlash the third is all slow, quiet, and mournful. (With no solo.) In the finale, the solo violin duets with martial snare drumming. The resulting piece is compelling and although it does not have a "Resistance" or political theme, a storyline could easily be imagined. (The violin is the individual, the orchestra the state.)
Considering all that, and the slightly Russian bent of the music, the orchestrated Mussorgsky songs are a perfect accompaniment. Aho's work is unobtrusive, and superb - not what Mussorgsky might have done, but not something that would annoy him either. A real meeting of minds.
My final listen for the week is the Chinese Songs off the Symphony 4 album. I already knew and loved this work, where the songs play continuously without break and the language is sweepingly vocal, lyrical, and lush. This time I detected more of the Chinoiserie musical cues than I'd heard before. It's thankfully not caricatured, just accented. Very different from usual Aho.
@ MI - thanks! These composer threads suit me well because these notes are mainly for my own memory. I'll often go through the works of someone like Aho, Tubin, or Rubbra and then, a month later, forget which ones I like ;D . So these notes primarily are for my own records and to encourage future listening. Any discussion and conversation and dialogue that they inspire is a delightful bonus, like getting dessert afterwards.
Quote from: Brian on May 12, 2022, 01:15:00 PM
Symphony No. 3: The first of the concerto symphonies, this one has extensive violin solos in all but one movement. The effect at first is to remind you of the Shostakovich violin concertos, but eventually it reminds me more of the Shostakovich symphonies, especially 7, 8, 11. The ones that evoke oppression and violence and the hushed, fearful response to it.
This is most true of the middle movements; the second builds to a humongous, absolutely awesome climax of great intensity, and then as a backlash the third is all slow, quiet, and mournful. (With no solo.) In the finale, the solo violin duets with martial snare drumming. The resulting piece is compelling and although it does not have a "Resistance" or political theme, a storyline could easily be imagined. (The violin is the individual, the orchestra the state.)
Considering all that, and the slightly Russian bent of the music, the orchestrated Mussorgsky songs are a perfect accompaniment. Aho's work is unobtrusive, and superb - not what Mussorgsky might have done, but not something that would annoy him either. A real meeting of minds.
My final listen for the week is the Chinese Songs off the Symphony 4 album. I already knew and loved this work, where the songs play continuously without break and the language is sweepingly vocal, lyrical, and lush. This time I detected more of the Chinoiserie musical cues than I'd heard before. It's thankfully not caricatured, just accented. Very different from usual Aho.
@ MI - thanks! These composer threads suit me well because these notes are mainly for my own memory. I'll often go through the works of someone like Aho, Tubin, or Rubbra and then, a month later, forget which ones I like ;D . So these notes primarily are for my own records and to encourage future listening. Any discussion and conversation and dialogue that they inspire is a delightful bonus, like getting dessert afterwards.
Though I haven't commented, just wanted to say I enjoy your travelogue and find them spot on (so far at least). Interested to keep reading as you encounter these works.
Another fine write-up, Brian. Keep 'em coming! 8)
You've actually inspired me to start writing some notes for myself about particular works that impressed me and ones that I need to go back and listen to again. I might even start my own blog just to record some of these notes.
Quote from: Brian on May 11, 2022, 12:32:09 PM
Silence: This title is more accurate than usual, as it took until 0:38 before I heard anything.
Dammit BIS... ;D
Back from vacation and resuming my adventures in Ahology...
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/68/03/7318599920368_600.jpg)
While hiking in the woods in Acadia National Park over Memorial Day weekend, I spent a few hours mentally sketching out a French horn concerto. I nailed down the structure and emotional arc, a couple themes, and some specific moments. One thing was clear to me: if you're gonna write a concerto for a solo French horn, the orchestra's horns need to get involved too. There's just nothing like a big blast of horns. (See: Tchaikovsky 4, Mahler 3, Schumann Konzertstück, etc.) Creating dialogues or echo effects also has the effect of amplifying a soloist who needs a bit of help carrying over the orchestra.
Well, Kalevi Aho's horn concerto is of course not at all what I had in mind, but he does agree on that one point: give big solos to all the horn players! They're surfacing all the time behind and alongside the soloist, like a school of dolphins following a cruise ship. It's a chamber orchestra, so I think there are only two, but Aho is at his absolute best weaving together various strands of musical sound and creating novel combinations in conversation.
Two more important notes. First, the horn soloist walks onstage after the piece begins, having begun their solo work offstage. They also walk off again at the end. For one section, they play behind the woodwinds, back with the other horn players.
Second, this may be the happiest or least enigmatic/troubled Aho piece I have yet heard. (Alongside the Chinese Songs and even less mysterious than the Triple Concerto with its dreamy lullaby.) It dances, it lilts, it has a lovely slow movement, it has folksy percussion - this is one of the few pieces that hasn't made me worried about Aho's mental state. ;D I love it completely. It's one of my very favorites of his and it might be the piece, so far, that I'll return to most frequently. I'd love to see this in concert.
I am scared of the theremin concerto. Maybe later. Give me courage, guys. ;D
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/pc/rk/xtch46ob6rkpc_600.jpg)
Sieidi:
First, I like the backstory of the name (it refers to the Sami people of northern Finland; since the piece was being premiered by the London Philharmonic, Aho wanted to remind Londoners of the remote and endangered peoples of the world).
Second, I like the concept - a sort of shamanistic or primitivistic piece where the percussion soloist provides the color. To avoid ear fatigue, the soloist goes through their instruments in order onstage, creating different episodes with each one. Sometimes it changes the orchestral language; drum #2 (starting about 4') seems to inspire a little more Shostakovich-like orchestral language behind it. When the vibraphone comes up, Aho adds a lovely saxophone solo to echo its jazzy connotations.
In some slower sections, the orchestra seems to kind of chug along behind the percussion biding its time. It is a challenge, writing a concerto for an instrumental group that can't really express a theme (that has a hard time being expressive in general). I'd say Aho succeeds 80% of the time which is more than almost every other percussion concerto in existence. Another successful piece, although I prefer the first half to the second. And another quiet ending. I wasn't keeping track of how many pieces have quiet endings until now, but this is what the notes are for. Curious if it is a strong preference of his.
Quote from: Brian on June 06, 2022, 07:01:40 AM
Back from vacation and resuming my adventures in Ahology...
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/68/03/7318599920368_600.jpg)
While hiking in the woods in Acadia National Park over Memorial Day weekend, I spent a few hours mentally sketching out a French horn concerto. I nailed down the structure and emotional arc, a couple themes, and some specific moments. One thing was clear to me: if you're gonna write a concerto for a solo French horn, the orchestra's horns need to get involved too. There's just nothing like a big blast of horns. (See: Tchaikovsky 4, Mahler 3, Schumann Konzertstück, etc.) Creating dialogues or echo effects also has the effect of amplifying a soloist who needs a bit of help carrying over the orchestra.
Well, Kalevi Aho's horn concerto is of course not at all what I had in mind, but he does agree on that one point: give big solos to all the horn players! They're surfacing all the time behind and alongside the soloist, like a school of dolphins following a cruise ship. It's a chamber orchestra, so I think there are only two, but Aho is at his absolute best weaving together various strands of musical sound and creating novel combinations in conversation.
Two more important notes. First, the horn soloist walks onstage after the piece begins, having begun their solo work offstage. They also walk off again at the end. For one section, they play behind the woodwinds, back with the other horn players.
Second, this may be the happiest or least enigmatic/troubled Aho piece I have yet heard. (Alongside the Chinese Songs and even less mysterious than the Triple Concerto with its dreamy lullaby.) It dances, it lilts, it has a lovely slow movement, it has folksy percussion - this is one of the few pieces that hasn't made me worried about Aho's mental state. ;D I love it completely. It's one of my very favorites of his and it might be the piece, so far, that I'll return to most frequently. I'd love to see this in concert.
I am scared of the theremin concerto. Maybe later. Give me courage, guys. ;D
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/pc/rk/xtch46ob6rkpc_600.jpg)
Sieidi:
First, I like the backstory of the name (it refers to the Sami people of northern Finland; since the piece was being premiered by the London Philharmonic, Aho wanted to remind Londoners of the remote and endangered peoples of the world).
Second, I like the concept - a sort of shamanistic or primitivistic piece where the percussion soloist provides the color. To avoid ear fatigue, the soloist goes through their instruments in order onstage, creating different episodes with each one. Sometimes it changes the orchestral language; drum #2 (starting about 4') seems to inspire a little more Shostakovich-like orchestral language behind it. When the vibraphone comes up, Aho adds a lovely saxophone solo to echo its jazzy connotations.
In some slower sections, the orchestra seems to kind of chug along behind the percussion biding its time. It is a challenge, writing a concerto for an instrumental group that can't really express a theme (that has a hard time being expressive in general). I'd say Aho succeeds 80% of the time which is more than almost every other percussion concerto in existence. Another successful piece, although I prefer the first half to the second. And another quiet ending. I wasn't keeping track of how many pieces have quiet endings until now, but this is what the notes are for. Curious if it is a strong preference of his.
8)
You should've be afraid or weary of the
Theremin Concerto, "Acht Jahreszeiten". It's a beautiful piece --- full of that Ahoian mystique and shadowy nature painting.
Quote from: Brian on June 06, 2022, 07:01:40 AM
Back from vacation and resuming my adventures in Ahology...
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/68/03/7318599920368_600.jpg)
While hiking in the woods in Acadia National Park over Memorial Day weekend, I spent a few hours mentally sketching out a French horn concerto. I nailed down the structure and emotional arc, a couple themes, and some specific moments. One thing was clear to me: if you're gonna write a concerto for a solo French horn, the orchestra's horns need to get involved too. There's just nothing like a big blast of horns. (See: Tchaikovsky 4, Mahler 3, Schumann Konzertstück, etc.) Creating dialogues or echo effects also has the effect of amplifying a soloist who needs a bit of help carrying over the orchestra.
Well, Kalevi Aho's horn concerto is of course not at all what I had in mind, but he does agree on that one point: give big solos to all the horn players! They're surfacing all the time behind and alongside the soloist, like a school of dolphins following a cruise ship. It's a chamber orchestra, so I think there are only two, but Aho is at his absolute best weaving together various strands of musical sound and creating novel combinations in conversation.
Two more important notes. First, the horn soloist walks onstage after the piece begins, having begun their solo work offstage. They also walk off again at the end. For one section, they play behind the woodwinds, back with the other horn players.
Second, this may be the happiest or least enigmatic/troubled Aho piece I have yet heard. (Alongside the Chinese Songs and even less mysterious than the Triple Concerto with its dreamy lullaby.) It dances, it lilts, it has a lovely slow movement, it has folksy percussion - this is one of the few pieces that hasn't made me worried about Aho's mental state. ;D I love it completely. It's one of my very favorites of his and it might be the piece, so far, that I'll return to most frequently. I'd love to see this in concert.
I am scared of the theremin concerto. Maybe later. Give me courage, guys. ;D
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/pc/rk/xtch46ob6rkpc_600.jpg)
Sieidi:
First, I like the backstory of the name (it refers to the Sami people of northern Finland; since the piece was being premiered by the London Philharmonic, Aho wanted to remind Londoners of the remote and endangered peoples of the world).
Second, I like the concept - a sort of shamanistic or primitivistic piece where the percussion soloist provides the color. To avoid ear fatigue, the soloist goes through their instruments in order onstage, creating different episodes with each one. Sometimes it changes the orchestral language; drum #2 (starting about 4') seems to inspire a little more Shostakovich-like orchestral language behind it. When the vibraphone comes up, Aho adds a lovely saxophone solo to echo its jazzy connotations.
In some slower sections, the orchestra seems to kind of chug along behind the percussion biding its time. It is a challenge, writing a concerto for an instrumental group that can't really express a theme (that has a hard time being expressive in general). I'd say Aho succeeds 80% of the time which is more than almost every other percussion concerto in existence. Another successful piece, although I prefer the first half to the second. And another quiet ending. I wasn't keeping track of how many pieces have quiet endings until now, but this is what the notes are for. Curious if it is a strong preference of his.
Thanks as ever for these detailed and entertaining write-ups, Brian! Aho is one of those composers who I keep meaning to more fully investigate, but never get around to for whatever reason.
Quote from: kyjo on June 06, 2022, 10:00:30 AM
Thanks as ever for these detailed and entertaining write-ups, Brian! Aho is one of those composers who I keep meaning to more fully investigate, but never get around to for whatever reason.
:o You really need to make him a priority, Kyle. He's right up your alley.
Symphony No. 5
The description is quite intimidating: a symphony depicting the way that life is full of conflict and clash, when people's values and rights conflict with each other, when emotions are mixed together, when happiness is tinged with sadness, etc. To paint the picture, Aho uses two orchestras and two conductors which often play in different tempos, racing to pass or catch each other.
I was worried my ears would need a stiff drink before or after listening. But, in truth, it's not extremely challenging as a listen, though it requires full concentration. It has some things in common with Adams' Harmonielehre, late Shostakovich, Kabelac, and most surprising, good ol' traditional fugues and fugatos. The counterpoint is clear. The dissonance has direction and structure. Although some atmospheric effects like burbling woodwinds may bring, say, Ligeti to mind, the music maintains a very strong feeling that it is Going Somewhere and developing organically in pursuit of that destination.
The climaxes build to steadily greater intensities each time, with the third movement's being a real doozy - the orchestras divide, reach a fever pitch of chaos, and then separately break out into silly circus music waltzes, with a demonic swirl of dissonance in between. The music crashes to a collapse, and the final movement forms a sort of mournful, healing postlude, with the French horn and harp consoling each other in the aftermath of disaster. Then things wake up again, but only a little.
That third movement in particular is overwhelmingly intense and frightening and must have been absurdly hard to compose. The piece is only 24 minutes long but an absolute monster which requires fully committed listening. And, of course, it's really really good. I can only imagine listening every year or so but wow, what a work.
Theremin Concerto
A promise is a promise!
Parts of this are really really good. The orchestral accompaniment is perfectly judged. I kind of wonder if any composer in history has ever had a technical mastery of instruments, instrumentation, and orchestral balance on the level of Aho. He might be the best orchestrator ever? The theremin is surprisingly interesting and appealing in parts (I almost thought it was a cello on its entrance; the first two movements are great), although I don't know that it's very good at expressing emotion. Some of the, like, whale call type sounds were not my thing personally. ;D The fifth movement, Winter Frost, especially, sounds kinda like rubbing your face on a staticky carpet or something. Little bit vacuum cleanery. No thanks.
The rest gets better again. Overall, it is I think a piece that I can respect a whole lot, while not necessarily always seeking it out as a personal choice. Like the percussion concerto Sieidi, it employs an instrument that can't really "carry" the emotional weight of the piece and must be used mainly to create loads of colors and textures. I guess I just like percussion better. But I am genuinely surprised, even astonished, at how well he makes the theremin work here.
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/69/93/7318590009369_600.jpg)
Bug out! It's the Insect Symphony, inspired by the movie "A Bug's Life." Okay, no, it's from an Aho opera. Anyway, it is an oddly structured piece in six movements of wildly divergent styles, and it probably should have been called a "suite." The various movements depict various insects in musical languages so different there's a bit of whiplash.
First up: parasites and larvae. This is probably the most stereotypically contemporary Aho that I have heard yet. By that, I mean, wild random sounds spouting out in various directions, shock chords, noodly solos, surprise allusions to past composers, and an attitude of seemingly taking everything moment by moment. This creates a jarring transition when we get to the second movement, which is a jazzy foxtrot that could be straight out of Shostakovich's Jazz Suites. Gershwin probably could have written exactly this in his late years, after he'd started incorporating tone rows. And then...we get "grief of the dung beetles over stolen ball of dung." ;D
The grasshopper scherzo is a bit like the scherzo in Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra, but with more violins and too long for the material. Then we get a march of working ants, probably my favorite movement. It sustains its length well by building up from a humble march to a mechanical music of factory life, a la Chaplin's score to Modern Times. (I'm sure Aho would not be flattered by this comparison, but it is a compliment; Chaplin's score is a masterpiece. ;D ) The final movement is the longest, a lullaby for dayflies, and it begins with clear nods to Janáček's operatic scores (particularly the first big tune from the Cunning Little Vixen suite--sorry, I don't remember where in the opera it originates). It ends with a long, slow dirge for double basses alone--yet another of Aho's ultra-quiet endings.
I'll be honest: this is the first non-success, at least to my ears, in the Ahoverse. Almost every movement is too long for its material, and they come across as a suite of ideas, not a coherent symphonic structure. As a ballet suite, reduced from, say, 46 minutes to 30, this could be a winning piece. But overall, this one just ain't for me. I do see, with interest, that in 2005 Vanska presented this live in Minnesota (coupled to a Mozart overture and concerto). Our own Bruce caught a broadcast and says the audience gave a standing ovation! (Especially impressive because of the downer quiet ending.)
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I'm going to spend the rest of the day in other repertoire, starting with the Uchida Diabelli Variations Todd just praised to the skies, but first I decided to try the 26-minute sonata for two accordions. Some people would consider this 26 minutes of punishment, certainly. But it's an interesting piece. Sinister yet meditative, with slowly uncoiling, dark-toned ideas that often start in lower registers, it's a whole mood. The two movements, of equal length, are a prelude and passacaglia, and then a prelude and fugue. The accordions are almost used like mini organs, in that their colors are meant to imitate other instruments at times. I'm particularly intrigued when the right-channel accordion tries to sound like a bass clarinet a la Eric Dolphy. Not for everyone, this, but really cool if ya ask me.
Quote from: Brian on June 07, 2022, 07:16:20 AM
I decided to try the 26-minute sonata for two accordions. Some people would consider this 26 minutes of punishment, certainly. But it's an interesting piece.
Nice try, but you're not fooling me! What is next, a glowing recommendation for Penderecki's Threnody transcribed for bagpipes? :-\ :)
Quote from: DavidW on June 08, 2022, 05:19:59 AM
Nice try, but you're not fooling me! What is next, a glowing recommendation for Penderecki's Threnody transcribed for bagpipes? :-\ :)
;D ;D
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The Clarinet Quintet begins with a 90-second clarinet solo which does not hint very much at what will follow. It's enigmatic but not gloomy, keeping its cards close to the chest. Then when the string quartet enters, the music becomes surprisingly extroverted, almost but not quite folksy. All that energy seems to eventually wear out the first movement, which ends with a very slow downward slide by all the instruments. (Aho does seem to associate getting slower with moving downwards.)
The second movement fulfills a scherzo-like role. You can't help noticing the judiciousness with which he allows everyone solos and moments to shine; the clarinet, for example, gets big parts and then just enough time to rest and prepare for the next one. The clarinetist, by the way, is an obscure instrumentalist named Osmo Vänskä, playing with leaders from the Minnesota Orchestra. Aho does separate the clarinet from the pack again at the midway point of the work's structure, where there's a solo cadenza which is faster than the surrounding slow music.
Only in the fourth movement (of five) do we get the really gnarly, creepy, weird Aho that we're used to from the orchestral works. The first three movements are some of his most formally and harmonically conventional music, and the fifth/finale is a lullaby (quiet ending. Drink!), but the fourth movement brings the piece to an emotional climax. In the final sum, it's a fairly conventional piece, and a pleasant well-crafted but ultimately not super memorable one.
The trio for clarinet, viola, and piano is comparatively much "tougher," lots of drama and some DSCH influence. The viola gets a lot of uncomfortably high writing which wails a bit. This definitely feels like a pendant to the Shostakovich chamber music legacy. To me the accordion piece is an easier listen, but that is not gonna be a majority opinion ;D
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Aho's Symphony No. 8 is a big boy, at 50 minutes and across 8 movements. (Introduction, scherzo, interlude, scherzo, interlude, scherzo, interlude, epilogue.)
It's also ambitious. The booklet notes are called "The tragedy of society and the individual, and its musical setting." The booklet essay explains, "the symphony focuses on the fundamental questions of an individual's experiences and life." The introduction gives us a basic rhythmic motif, and then each scherzo builds in complexity and volume (literally). The organ soloist gets cadenzas in the interludes and frequently participates in the rest of the music, often acting as an extension of the woodwind section by playing high-pitched notes which interact with and imitate the flutes and piccolo.
Indeed, if there's a failure here, it's the Introduction, which is so quiet that I did not hear the bass drum rhythm advertised by the booklet. All I heard for the first minute or so were flutes and organ. Oh well.
In general, the interludes contain the more thorny, doubting music, while the scherzos start off with more innocent or folksy harmonies. This being Aho, the scherzos all become intensely complicated over time - they certainly are not set up in the classical trio format - but his habitual gloom is mixed up with glimmers of optimism, hope, and sheer color. In the third scherzo, the music finally builds up to one of his trademark chaotic climaxes, as multiple time signatures battle for supremacy and the organ boldly interrupts the orchestra's plans. Things head for the cliff. Eventually we get a super gnarly passage with a grinding, ugly organ chord, snarling trombones, and a loud, murderous snare drum tapping out a scene from an execution. After this, we get muted strings singing softly, in a Sibelius 6-like moment, and then slide into the last organ interlude, which preserves this new mood, the hush after the cataclysm. The symphony has a quiet ending (drink!).
Big, imposing, grand, ambitious, but not one of my favorites. Aho has a clear pattern, and each new work that fits into the scheme of "enthusiastic innocence shattered by the chaos and contrapuntal anxiety of life, followed by a post-crisis contemplative reverie" feels more and more stereotypical.
Pergamon is a weird 10-minute piece for four narrators who stand around the hall reciting things. It doesn't really work on headphones.
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When I was going through the cycle earlier, I listened to the Chinese Songs but forgot about Symphony No. 4. Revisiting now. It begins with a curling, lonely string melody which has the harmonic shape of a Shostakovich theme. This is developed into a fugue - an ambitious way to begin a symphony. A trumpet fanfare attempts to wake the orchestra up, and succeeds; the movement has a clear symmetrical up-and-down arc, building to a climax and then sliding back to the quiet fugal theme again. It feels much shorter than its 19 minutes.
The scherzo is pure Shostakovich - almost to the point of sincere parody. There is a rumbling chortling tuba solo around 5' that's fun, but man...hard to get beyond the pastiche factor of this movement. It's also the only fast movement, meaning 35 of the symphony's 45 minutes are marked adagio or lento.
The finale is lento, very quiet mostly, with ethereal or angelic or ghostly (but not creepy) textures - celestas, trembling violins, gentle birdcalls. Then, halfway through, we get a weird, surreal military fanfare interruption, with bright trumpets, snare drum, and insincere major key chords. This sets a big melody awing, but things gradually simmer back down to a quiet celesta-only ending. Yes...another quiet ending (drink!).
Three works today, and none of them destined to join my favorites, although the Fourth especially has a lot of memorable moments.
Quote from: Brian on June 22, 2022, 08:42:31 AM
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Indeed, if there's a failure here, it's the Introduction, which is so quiet that I did not hear the bass drum rhythm advertised by the booklet. All I heard for the first minute or so were flutes and organ. Oh well.
The bass drum is there, and I have always heard it clearly. However, BIS recordings have wide dynamic range and assume that you are listening to the recording in an environment where you can set the volume loud enough to hear the pianissimo moments, yet you don't have neighbors who would be bothered when the fortissimo moments come. I can think of quite a few passages of Aho's music as recorded on BIS that will escape listeners who don't have an appropriate listening environment.
Quote from: CRCulver on June 22, 2022, 09:11:09 AM
The bass drum is there, and I have always heard it clearly. However, BIS recordings have wide dynamic range and assume that you are listening to the recording in an environment where you can set the volume loud enough to hear the pianissimo moments, yet you don't have neighbors who would be bothered when the fortissimo moments come. I can think of quite a few passages of Aho's music as recorded on BIS that will escape listeners who don't have an appropriate listening environment.
I'm at work, on headphones, and the white noise of the heating/cooling air system is probably obscuring it. Definitely a flawed listening environment.
Reviving my Ahothon!
Bassoon Concerto. This is one I already know and like, so it's relatively familiar. It is also familiar in that it is in a conventional four movement form: moderately slow epic opener, scherzo, passacaglia with cadenza, fast finale. Aho scores the piece with loads of percussion and woodwinds but not much brass, to keep the bassoon foregrounded, but for this recording, the engineers have had to tip the scales artificially; Bram van Sambeek is very prominently placed in the foreground.
Like much Aho and much contemporary orchestral music generally, the general mood is foreboding/anguished, and the Aho concerto project of portraying an individual "against" the system continues here. But also - it's just a lot of fun. The opening has a sort of ritualistic / primitive / incantatory quality, and the scherzo bounces along really nicely, including a duet with the orchestral bassoonist. The passacaglia starts with bassoons and contrabassoon (I think - going by ear here) and is impressively eerie and atmospheric while also offering the soloist an opportunity to sing genuinely expressive melodic lines.
Like the Shostakovich First Violin Concerto - whose structure (but not expression) this seems to exactly copy, the slow cadenza builds in energy and leads directly into a fast finale where the bassoonist initially gets to take a break, sitting out for the first minute. From there it's a race to the finish, including episodes of what you might call "alternative bassoon tones" - squawking, muted singing.
Fun piece, and even more satisfying as an album because it comes with Sebastian Fagerlund's rather similar but more concise concerto, plus 10-minute solo works by each composer.
Symphony No. 9. A concertante symphony with extensive trombone solos, I'm not sure how it isn't a concerto, but it has long been one of my favorite and most familiar Aho pieces. The main structural quirk through its three movements is a series of periodic digressions to neobaroque "flashbacks" with Gabrieli-like brass and an orchestral harpsichord. The Gabrieli/Handel impressions are really, really skillful, but they also fit into the bigger fabric. This still not a "light" symphony by any means, but it has light, fleet, soft textures, a sense of fun, and a balance that many of the previous all-cataclysm-all-the-time Aho symphonies did not share. There are all kinds of trombones all over the place, backing up the soloist, for what appears to be the first loud ending on an Aho symphony since No. 3? Definitely still one of my favorites.
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I was recently revisiting an old thread and saw a post where I told (poco) Sforzando that I prefer lower instruments to higher ones. He joked that I should listen to some Bach on contrabassoon. Well, here's a disc of contrabassoon and tuba concertos to really put my statement to the test!
Aho says he asked the soloist who premiered his tuba concerto to choose the first and last notes that the instrument plays in the piece. A kind, but weird, gesture. He also says that he went on a hike in the woods and each time he reached a hilltop, he sat down and wrote out a theme. Must be nice to compose on command so readily that melodies come to you at hilltops and not, say, in valleys.
Anyway, the tuba concerto does not much rely on the tuba to carry its expressive weight. In the (slow) first movement, the orchestra's strings and winds create a tense, ill-at-ease atmosphere while the tuba seems to comment from the sidelines, working up and down its full range. The winds deliver the melodic material in the second movement, too, material that sounds a little like the scherzo of Sibelius' Fourth. After a long cadenza, the music returns in a hushed way, with little tinkly Christmas bells, leading into a very spare, almost empty larghetto finale. Here the tuba finally gets to sing in an impressive cantabile, only to get upstaged by the orchestra's two clarinets and gradually the rest of the wind section. The concerto ends quietly (drink!).
Overall, not the most satisfying Aho work for me, because the tuba doesn't seem to be trusted with carrying the weight. Mostly he noodles around while the orchestra does the work. Perhaps Aho finally found an instrument that couldn't carry a 28-minute concerto.
If so, he really sets himself a challenge with the contrabassoon concerto, which he says is his longest concertante work at 35 minutes. I know it's tempting to compare any work that starts with a mysterious low contrabassoon solo to Ravel's piano concerto for the left hand, but...well, it does remind me of that. Except that here the melody is of a mysterious, slippery, not-graspable shape, and the solo goes on for quite a long time: about 4 minutes. This is one of Aho's trademark "arc" slow movements which builds to a huge, martial, percussive central climax (where the contrabassoonist gets to take a break for a bit) before winding back down. To be honest, when the contrabassoon tries to inject mid-climax, it's pretty clearly not up to the task and halts the momentum.
It does, however, thrive in the scherzo, where the whole woodwind section gets to twist and spiral around the contrabassoonist with material that's tempestuous, but not too gloomy. The soloist gets to do staccato Sorcerer's Apprentice stuff, legato slithery snake stuff, snorting pig in the dirt stuff, and a little bit of wailing. It's loads of fun.
The other solo winds circle the contrabassoonist in the finale, too, including a haunting alto saxophone. As the solo player moves higher up his range - the custom instrument used here is actually capable of playing the high notes at the start of the Rite of Spring! - we head to another trademark orchestral Aho Climax. Once the storm breaks, the contrabassoonist has loads of juicy writing to close the piece in on its quiet ending (drink!). I'm quite surprised to enjoy this more than the tuba concerto; Aho loves a challenge. If this concerto is limited to novelty status by the impossibility of creating a dramatic climax with a contrabassoon, it surely is a very cool novelty with interesting features and loads of room for the incredible Lewis Lipnick to show off his skill.
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Timpani Concerto: Although the timpani is not a melodic instrument that would usually deserve a starring role in a concerto, I am secretly fond of this genre. I've even seen the world premiere of a new timpani concerto (by Steven Mackey, and employing various other implements besides drum and mallet, like dropping a tennis ball on a drum to get that unique bounce-bounce-bou-bou-bbbb rhythm).
This is a fun one. At the very start, we get hushed strings and a soft timpani rhythm, like the beginning of Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony. A similar mood returns near the end, but in the meantime, Aho gets up to what you might call Usual Timpani Concerto Hijinks: the orchestra gets agitated and the drums just start pounding away. He doesn't have any particularly subtle or ingenious tricks to take this form to a new level of creativity. But the result is plenty entertaining. Although this has a typical quiet ending, there is one last gigantic burst of timpani (and bass drum) frenzy before that quietness sets in.
Piano Concerto No. 1: This much earlier (80s) work features Aho in a much more animated mode more closely aligned with the traditional modernists of other countries. Bartok has been cited as a comparison for this piece, and I definitely understand that, although there's also a lot of added bric-a-brac, including an old-timey police siren. The first movement is really alive with incident and bustle and virtuoso work. The second is marked by a tempo indication only, although it feels like it slows down continuously from start to end, with contemplative nature-like effects near the finish. Maybe we're walking through a cold Finnish forest.
The third movement begins as the first did, but then the piano breaks in with an old-fashioned repeated-note toccata. Things get violent. When the music reaches a breaking point, as so often with 80s Aho, that's the cue for everything to collapse and the slow finale to begin. Here that slow finale includes some Messiaen-like piano bird calls and nature sounds. You can't help wondering if the whole movement is a tribute to Olly. Quiet ending. Drink!
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Rejoicing of the Deep Waters: Not often that you encounter an Aho piece shorter than 30 minutes. This 11-minute concert opener is more of a collection of sounds than usual for Aho, with very little structural through-line, but the ending is very striking.
Symphony No. 10: For the first time, I felt like I couldn't handle an Aho piece anymore and turned it off after 7 minutes. I think I'd simply overdosed. Now, the next day, the symphony sounds fine, which is good, because it is one of his most personal: dedicated to his parents, written specifically for the Lahti Symphony with numerous solo cadenzas for performers he knows, even containing a percussion instrument that he invented.
The first movement begins with a soft, lyrical violin melody and then slowly ratchets upwards in tension, including a passage with dinging repeated celesta note, like in Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra (first movement). There's a lilting Mendelssohn-like fairy scherzo section around 5'. In general, the format of the movement seems to be something like gnarly rupture, cadenza, soft lovely bit, repeat. A short, typically violent scherzo ends with a long, slow cor anglais solo, and that introduces the 20-minute adagio.
The adagio is the heart of the piece, a movement that alternates calm, lyricism, reassurance (even in the form of consoling brass fanfares near the end, an emotion I've never felt from a fanfare), punctuated by outbursts of violence, anger, and despair.
For the first time, the melodic shapes, bold brass, and open-airiness of some of the music remind me of English orchestral works. There's a bit of Walton to the climax of the adagio, a bit of Lloyd or Brian or Vaughan Williams elsewhere.
Then we get to the fast finale (unusual for Aho), and things are back squarely in our composer's home language: slapping strings, pinched winds, grayish bleak melodies, orchestral saxophone, and a frenetic buildup to an oppressive, military-inflected (snare drum) loud ending. The loud ending is unusual. But the typically Aho-ian theme of the individual versus an oppressive greater societal force is in full evidence here. The guy really writes much more like a Soviet composer than a Finn. You wouldn't know that Finland is a basically harmless place. Maybe it isn't. Maybe it has some deep dark secrets.
None of these were favorites, but the timpani concerto might be closest. I do know that the next stop on the journey - Symphony 11 and the Symphonic Dances - includes some of my absolute favorite Aho.
Quote from: Brian on January 06, 2023, 06:45:12 AM(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/kc/xv/z1xaxzm3dxvkc_600.jpg)
Timpani Concerto: Although the timpani is not a melodic instrument that would usually deserve a starring role in a concerto, I am secretly fond of this genre. I've even seen the world premiere of a new timpani concerto (by Steven Mackey, and employing various other implements besides drum and mallet, like dropping a tennis ball on a drum to get that unique bounce-bounce-bou-bou-bbbb rhythm).
This is a fun one. At the very start, we get hushed strings and a soft timpani rhythm, like the beginning of Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony. A similar mood returns near the end, but in the meantime, Aho gets up to what you might call Usual Timpani Concerto Hijinks: the orchestra gets agitated and the drums just start pounding away. He doesn't have any particularly subtle or ingenious tricks to take this form to a new level of creativity. But the result is plenty entertaining. Although this has a typical quiet ending, there is one last gigantic burst of timpani (and bass drum) frenzy before that quietness sets in.
Piano Concerto No. 1: This much earlier (80s) work features Aho in a much more animated mode more closely aligned with the traditional modernists of other countries. Bartok has been cited as a comparison for this piece, and I definitely understand that, although there's also a lot of added bric-a-brac, including an old-timey police siren. The first movement is really alive with incident and bustle and virtuoso work. The second is marked by a tempo indication only, although it feels like it slows down continuously from start to end, with contemplative nature-like effects near the finish. Maybe we're walking through a cold Finnish forest.
The third movement begins as the first did, but then the piano breaks in with an old-fashioned repeated-note toccata. Things get violent. When the music reaches a breaking point, as so often with 80s Aho, that's the cue for everything to collapse and the slow finale to begin. Here that slow finale includes some Messiaen-like piano bird calls and nature sounds. You can't help wondering if the whole movement is a tribute to Olly. Quiet ending. Drink!
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/60/85/7318590008560_600.jpg)
Rejoicing of the Deep Waters: Not often that you encounter an Aho piece shorter than 30 minutes. This 11-minute concert opener is more of a collection of sounds than usual for Aho, with very little structural through-line, but the ending is very striking.
Symphony No. 10: For the first time, I felt like I couldn't handle an Aho piece anymore and turned it off after 7 minutes. I think I'd simply overdosed. Now, the next day, the symphony sounds fine, which is good, because it is one of his most personal: dedicated to his parents, written specifically for the Lahti Symphony with numerous solo cadenzas for performers he knows, even containing a percussion instrument that he invented.
The first movement begins with a soft, lyrical violin melody and then slowly ratchets upwards in tension, including a passage with dinging repeated celesta note, like in Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra (first movement). There's a lilting Mendelssohn-like fairy scherzo section around 5'. In general, the format of the movement seems to be something like gnarly rupture, cadenza, soft lovely bit, repeat. A short, typically violent scherzo ends with a long, slow cor anglais solo, and that introduces the 20-minute adagio.
The adagio is the heart of the piece, a movement that alternates calm, lyricism, reassurance (even in the form of consoling brass fanfares near the end, an emotion I've never felt from a fanfare), punctuated by outbursts of violence, anger, and despair.
For the first time, the melodic shapes, bold brass, and open-airiness of some of the music remind me of English orchestral works. There's a bit of Walton to the climax of the adagio, a bit of Lloyd or Brian or Vaughan Williams elsewhere.
Then we get to the fast finale (unusual for Aho), and things are back squarely in our composer's home language: slapping strings, pinched winds, grayish bleak melodies, orchestral saxophone, and a frenetic buildup to an oppressive, military-inflected (snare drum) loud ending. The loud ending is unusual. But the typically Aho-ian theme of the individual versus an oppressive greater societal force is in full evidence here. The guy really writes much more like a Soviet composer than a Finn. You wouldn't know that Finland is a basically harmless place. Maybe it isn't. Maybe it has some deep dark secrets.
None of these were favorites, but the timpani concerto might be closest. I do know that the next stop on the journey - Symphony 11 and the Symphonic Dances - includes some of my absolute favorite Aho.
Great write up. I believe "Rejoicing of the Deep Waters" isn't so much an opener as a suite or prelude to his opera, "Before We Are All Drowned". So imagine there is a good bit of material from which it is drawn. I love the 10th Symphony and find this disc overall excellent but can imagine it's tough to endure too much of it in one sitting. I very much love Symphonic Dances/11 too.
Decided to take a bit of a detour before getting to 11.
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I do love the clarinet concerto. It starts with a declamatory solo show-off feature for the clarinetist, who introduces the main material in looping, soaring lines over a series of punching orchestral chords. Aho's orchestration skill is at its best in this piece, as the full orchestra is deployed, but brass instruments (for example) usually appear as soloists, not in full force, so that the clarinet can always be heard. (There's a saxophone. Drink!) I think I've mentioned before Aho's habit of having the soloist in a concerto "pair up" with its orchestral partner, and there are some small clarinet duets here, including with the bass clarinet in the scherzo.
This concerto breaks from Aho's frequent oppressive/bleak mood into more showy virtuosity, not just for the soloist but for all the orchestral members. It's like a concerto for orchestra, but with one member privileged above the rest. Martin Fröst is, of course, spectacular at all the glissandi, leaps, nimble-fingered lines, and conversations with various orchestra members.
All the five movements lead into each other very smoothly, although there is a sort of anti-virtuosic ideology to the fact that the first three are fast and then the last two, representing the work's heart, are slower. The piece gets steadily quieter and less thrilling as it goes, aiming for something else. The fourth movement is very nearly another solo cadenza, the orchestra adding only soft murmurs of support to a long-breathed, soulful clarinet line. Time seems to stand still. That feeling of timelessness only increases as we move into the final epilogue, which is full of gorgeous soft, slow sounds. The description is "misterioso," but the religious feeling of a slow movement from "Pines of Rome" or the nocturnal birdcalls of French modernism are also fair comparisons. Quiet ending. Drink!
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Aho has not written a lot for solo piano. The big piece here is the set of 19 Preludes, written when he was a teenager, before attending university. They're the most old-fashioned music of Aho's I've ever heard: they call to mind more lyrical late romantic miniatures, from the more melodic/romantic pieces in Shostakovich Op. 87 to the ballet transcriptions of Prokofiev to the works of people like Alexander Tcherepnin, Schulhoff, Sumera, and more traditional composers like Chopin or Grieg. No. 10 briefly has the energy of a Bach toccata.
I know these miniatures are minor works of a teenager, but I love miniatures as a genre, and Aho's are wonderful. They are simply enjoyable, by which I mean not "merely enjoyable" but "enjoyable for their simplicity."
Fraki groups the mature Aho's piano output into two bundles. First we get the easy stuff: two sets of pieces written for young players and a set of three "small pieces." Then come the longer, wilder Solo II (11 minutes) and the full-on Sonata (14').
The small pieces are mood works in more complicated hues, very much like the youthful ones, just with greater ambiguity. Fraki plays them a little slowly, on the whole, to bring out this moodiness. Otherwise there wouldn't be much to them. The sonatina has a particularly lovely slow movement, and the second of two pieces for young pianists is a particularly fun, deranged march.
Solo II is a sustained arc of intensity and suspense, only relieved in the final minute, when the pianist drifts up to the top of the keyboard with a series of soft, "resolving" chords (they resolve the mood only). The sonata picks up where this ended, with a mysterious mood clouded with more modernist language. Messiaen is the obvious big influence here. The first two movements are fast and frantic, while the long finale, which is called "tranquillo molto" (a lie) is built on a series of suspenseful trills.
Two very good listens today.
EDIT: Downloading a lossless copy of the piano music disc is only US $8.50 (https://www.eclassical.com/labels/bis/aho-piano-works.html) on eClassical, as the daily deal, for somewhere like 8-10 more hours. (Monday, January 9's daily deal)
Quote from: Brian on January 09, 2023, 12:35:10 PMDecided to take a bit of a detour before getting to 11.
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I do love the clarinet concerto. It starts with a declamatory solo show-off feature for the clarinetist, who introduces the main material in looping, soaring lines over a series of punching orchestral chords. Aho's orchestration skill is at its best in this piece, as the full orchestra is deployed, but brass instruments (for example) usually appear as soloists, not in full force, so that the clarinet can always be heard. (There's a saxophone. Drink!) I think I've mentioned before Aho's habit of having the soloist in a concerto "pair up" with its orchestral partner, and there are some small clarinet duets here, including with the bass clarinet in the scherzo.
This concerto breaks from Aho's frequent oppressive/bleak mood into more showy virtuosity, not just for the soloist but for all the orchestral members. It's like a concerto for orchestra, but with one member privileged above the rest. Martin Fröst is, of course, spectacular at all the glissandi, leaps, nimble-fingered lines, and conversations with various orchestra members.
All the five movements lead into each other very smoothly, although there is a sort of anti-virtuosic ideology to the fact that the first three are fast and then the last two, representing the work's heart, are slower. The piece gets steadily quieter and less thrilling as it goes, aiming for something else. The fourth movement is very nearly another solo cadenza, the orchestra adding only soft murmurs of support to a long-breathed, soulful clarinet line. Time seems to stand still. That feeling of timelessness only increases as we move into the final epilogue, which is full of gorgeous soft, slow sounds. The description is "misterioso," but the religious feeling of a slow movement from "Pines of Rome" or the nocturnal birdcalls of French modernism are also fair comparisons. Quiet ending. Drink!
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Aho has not written a lot for solo piano. The big piece here is the set of 19 Preludes, written when he was a teenager, before attending university. They're the most old-fashioned music of Aho's I've ever heard: they call to mind more lyrical late romantic miniatures, from the more melodic/romantic pieces in Shostakovich Op. 87 to the ballet transcriptions of Prokofiev to the works of people like Alexander Tcherepnin, Schulhoff, Sumera, and more traditional composers like Chopin or Grieg. No. 10 briefly has the energy of a Bach toccata.
I know these miniatures are minor works of a teenager, but I love miniatures as a genre, and Aho's are wonderful. They are simply enjoyable, by which I mean not "merely enjoyable" but "enjoyable for their simplicity."
Fraki groups the mature Aho's piano output into two bundles. First we get the easy stuff: two sets of pieces written for young players and a set of three "small pieces." Then come the longer, wilder Solo II (11 minutes) and the full-on Sonata (14').
The small pieces are mood works in more complicated hues, very much like the youthful ones, just with greater ambiguity. Fraki plays them a little slowly, on the whole, to bring out this moodiness. Otherwise there wouldn't be much to them. The sonatina has a particularly lovely slow movement, and the second of two pieces for young pianists is a particularly fun, deranged march.
Solo II is a sustained arc of intensity and suspense, only relieved in the final minute, when the pianist drifts up to the top of the keyboard with a series of soft, "resolving" chords (they resolve the mood only). The sonata picks up where this ended, with a mysterious mood clouded with more modernist language. Messiaen is the obvious big influence here. The first two movements are fast and frantic, while the long finale, which is called "tranquillo molto" (a lie) is built on a series of suspenseful trills.
Two very good listens today.
EDIT: Downloading a lossless copy of the piano music disc is only US $8.50 (https://www.eclassical.com/labels/bis/aho-piano-works.html) on eClassical, as the daily deal, for somewhere like 8-10 more hours. (Monday, January 9's daily deal)
Another very fine write up. I actually loved the preludes partially because I liked the variety both stylistically and dramatically. How so much of this music was so interesting and evocative. Maybe not all of it life changing, but still memorable.
GOSSIP TIME
The notes for the upcoming Violin Concerto No. 2 album on BIS say the following:
"The idea of composing my Second Violin Concerto was first mooted in June 2010, when a young German violinist, the winner of international prizes, contacted me and asked if I would like to compose a concerto for him. In the summer of 2012, however, when I was already preparing to compose the work, he unexpectedly gave up the idea of premièring this new violin concerto that would have been dedicated to him. After that, the project remained in abeyance until Elina Vähälä called me in the late autumn of 2012. A German friend had told her about the failure of my violin concerto plans, and she suggested that, rather than burying the project, I should instead compose my Second Violin Concerto for her."
Now. Who do we think is the young German violinist, a winner of international prizes, who rejected Aho?
Augustin Hadelich has German parents and won a major competition (Indianapolis) in 2006 and a major grant (Avery Fisher) in 2009. So that's one theory. He is now an American citizen, but Aho might not know that.
Quote from: Brian on January 16, 2023, 06:54:17 PMGOSSIP TIME
The notes for the upcoming Violin Concerto No. 2 album on BIS say the following:
"The idea of composing my Second Violin Concerto was first mooted in June 2010, when a young German violinist, the winner of international prizes, contacted me and asked if I would like to compose a concerto for him. In the summer of 2012, however, when I was already preparing to compose the work, he unexpectedly gave up the idea of premièring this new violin concerto that would have been dedicated to him. After that, the project remained in abeyance until Elina Vähälä called me in the late autumn of 2012. A German friend had told her about the failure of my violin concerto plans, and she suggested that, rather than burying the project, I should instead compose my Second Violin Concerto for her."
Now. Who do we think is the young German violinist, a winner of international prizes, who rejected Aho?
Augustin Hadelich has German parents and won a major competition (Indianapolis) in 2006 and a major grant (Avery Fisher) in 2009. So that's one theory. He is now an American citizen, but Aho might not know that.
No idea about who requested the concerto, but wondering more as to why they would change their mind? I haven't heard of that one before now. Wondering what they were thinking....afraid that they couldn't do it justice? How does something like that work? Was the violinist asked to help provide any fees/commissions, etc.?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 17, 2023, 04:31:30 AMNo idea about who requested the concerto, but wondering more as to why they would change their mind? I haven't heard of that one before now. Wondering what they were thinking....afraid that they couldn't do it justice? How does something like that work? Was the violinist asked to help provide any fees/commissions, etc.?
PD
I could imagine lots of reasons. A friend and I have talked about commissioning a concerto from a big composer. The performer is on board and the composer is willing, but the work doesn't exist without the conductor/music director being on board and that usually is a great deal more difficult because orchestras tend to schedule years in advance because of various contract negotiations, budgeting, etc. So, it's possible the performer couldn't keep the conductor onboard or failed to get a conductor and orchestra without lots of issues such as the one who was more agreeable to Aho's style might not have had the budget for a commission but the one with the budget and schedule, might not have been as interested and preferred a different composer, etc. Music directors are planning out 2024-2025 season now with 2023-24 already planned but in negotiations, approvals from board of director, and budgeting cycles. Add to this, sometimes conductors don't have contracts that stretch out forever. They sometimes are in two year extensions so you can imagine once you get to 2025, the conductor isn't assured their position yet.
Quote from: relm1 on January 17, 2023, 05:24:32 AMI could imagine lots of reasons. A friend and I have talked about commissioning a concerto from a big composer. The performer is on board and the composer is willing, but the work doesn't exist without the conductor/music director being on board and that usually is a great deal more difficult because orchestras tend to schedule years in advance because of various contract negotiations, budgeting, etc. So, it's possible the performer couldn't keep the conductor onboard or failed to get a conductor and orchestra without lots of issues such as the one who was more agreeable to Aho's style might not have had the budget for a commission but the one with the budget and schedule, might not have been as interested and preferred a different composer, etc. Music directors are planning out 2024-2025 season now with 2023-24 already planned but in negotiations, approvals from board of director, and budgeting cycles. Add to this, sometimes conductors don't have contracts that stretch out forever. They sometimes are in two year extensions so you can imagine once you get to 2025, the conductor isn't assured their position yet.
Oh, interesting! I hadn't realized how things worked these days...thanks for the info.
PD
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My Ahodyssey moves forward to a brand-new release today, with the Violin Concerto No 2 (2013) and Cello Concerto No 2 (2013).
The Violin Concerto No 2 has a 90-second orchestral introduction, dominated by woodwinds, introducing an enigmatic but memorable tune that winds backwards and forwards, up and down, sort of like a ping pong ball bouncing between notes. Elina Vähälä then enters with a big, sweet immediately appealing tone (to go with her umlaut collection). This is gradually revealed to be a fully virtuoso concerto in the romantic construction, full of display, double-stopping, and gorgeous solos. There are colorful cadenzas and roiling climaxes (I dig the end of the first movement). The finale threatens midway to be winding down toward a quiet ending, but Aho is saving his most vigorous music for the end, with stamping timpani, swirling woodwinds, and plenty of opportunity for Vähälä to flex her muscles. It's a real showoff piece and she absolutely rises to the occasion.
What the concerto lacks is a memorable core idea or emotional point. I expected that woodwind tune to be the main theme, but it sort of disappeared (or perhaps, in Aho's typical fashion, was transformed beyond recognition using sophisticated principles). Without a clear theme-based structure, this gorgeous, exciting music was a little bit like watching a foreign-language film without subtitles on. I enjoyed all the imagery, appreciated the craft, but didn't always know what was going on.
The Cello Concerto No 2 is in five shorter movements rather than the violin concerto's more traditional three. The first is a berceuse with muted cello, English horn, and lower brass. With a short break for the cellist, it leads into a shortish presto, which then leads into a longer adagio where the cello really gets to sing and wax lyrical. Jonathan Roozeman, a name new to me, handles this part with particular skill and appealing sound (a sort of just-right weeping vibrato). He gets to bust out the mute again in the scherzo, and the finale combines elements of all the previous movements, plus a pizzicato and harmonics cadenza, before rushing to a quick, short, exciting conclusion.
Because the cello concerto is already more episodic, in smaller movements, I don't mind the similar approach to (i.e. lack of) an obvious thematic through-line. Aho does a skillful job linking segments, and the cello itself clearly suggested a consistent image/sound: this is a very nocturnal piece, full of shadows and moonlight, like a series of tableaux of night scenes. The final cadenza, especially evokes starlight, meteor showers, or perhaps aurora borealis. It's the most memorable moment on the disc for me.
I wish the tinkly bells had been edited out of both pieces. I don't know what this kind of tinkly bell is called, but it's the ones that always are used for really sappy moments in romantic movies. Like tiny sleigh bells or something. Almost always descending in pitch as they tinkle. Like sappy windchimes. (OK, I checked with the publisher's website and I think it's a "bell tree." Hate bell trees!)
Remarkably, Aho explains in his notes that he was able to play through both pieces (the cello piece very slowly). The violin part, then, is very flashy-sounding and full of double-stopping, but actually very violinistic.
Overall, a very good disc of pieces I will probably revisit 3-4 more times to see how they grow on me. The initial impression is of solid B-tier Aho, not the top-shelf stuff but certainly quite rewarding and beautiful.
Thanks for the review Brian. I've had this album on my list ever since I saw it on the new releases but never got around to it.
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Turns out I've heard the first Wind Quintet before. It's a sharp, biting, assertive 20-minute piece in four movements but effectively in seven, since the first three have A/B structures. The work is characterized by harsh, brash toccatas, screeching high parts (the oboist is usually asked to play higher than the flute), angry duck quacks*, and moments of pensive reflection. In the finale, all five players take turns performing offstage. This was in part because of Aho's desire to achieve a true pianissimo, which is hard to do with a wind ensemble.
*sorry, I mean tonal honking
It's an absolute cracker of a piece, full of totally memorable stuff. Truly top-tier Aho. The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet adopted this work so passionately that they commissioned a second quintet, and that one's a whopper, a 31-minute piece. Also, in a tiny tribute to its commissioners, Aho writes all the tempo instructions in German.
One thing that's interesting about the second quintet is that it ropes in "bonus" instruments: piccolo, cor anglais, alto flute. The piccolo is used to brighten the fast scherzo, while the two lower instruments mellow out the central slow movement. The cor anglais is also prominent at the very beginning, in an opener that, over an 11-minute arc, very subtly grows from a small seed to a large statement. It's a bit like the first movement of the Sibelius Fifth, as one big accelerando and crescendo stretching across a huge amount of music. (Worth noting that Aho, in his own notes, says this movement lasts 14 minutes and the whole piece 34, indicating the BPO players have either cut something or significantly deviated from his preferred tempo.)
The central scherzo and slow movement have the feel of an epic symphony, while the finale slips slowly down to a quiet ending (drink!). My attention wandered only in the finale; the first three movements are absorbing. The music is at times so hard you can hear the players straining to hit their notes, especially the horn at the first movement's climax.
54 minutes makes a short CD, especially when you learn that in 2018, this ensemble commissioned a five-minute encore piece from Aho, which the publisher describes as "hilarious". (I found it while searching the publisher's site to write the previous post.) It's not here. What does "hilarious" Aho sound like? The people want to know!
My dad told me a story of how he was ranting about symphony writing at a Bruckner concert to a stranger sitting next to him. Only afterwards did he realize that the guy listening politely was none other than Kalevi Aho! ;D
Quote from: Skogwald on March 08, 2023, 11:17:24 PMMy dad told me a story of how he was ranting about symphony writing at a Bruckner concert to a stranger sitting next to him. Only afterwards did he realize that the guy listening politely was none other than Kalevi Aho! ;D
Wow!
PD
Quote from: Brian on March 06, 2023, 09:48:31 AM(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/ob/ib/ni26oi5ceibob_600.jpg)
Finally gave it a listen. It was good music that I immediately forgot both concertos once I stopped listening!
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I've already discussed Symphony No. 9 upthread; today we're talking Cello Concerto, which begins with extremely high-pitched sounds - harmonics that sound like a combination of synthesizer, celesta, and tiny organ pipes. It is disquieting, and would probably upset all the neighborhood dogs. The cello emerges from this beeping, clicking thicket of high pitches, playing at the top of its range. The music seems to float downwards as if weightless, the cello spinning and stamping and snorting. Finally, three minutes in, we learn the first culprit for some of those strange, unnatural high noises: an orchestral accordion. There's also a mandolin, both celesta and glockenspiel, saxophone, and (yes) organ. It's a very strange orchestration for a very strange piece. Even in Aho's canon, this is a weird work.
Essentially, the "regular" orchestra and the strange instruments are all pitted in combat, with the cello as a sort of cross between antagonist, moderator, and referee.
"The music of the second movement is no longer coherent," the booklet notes warn. (I wonder if that's meant to be dry humor.) The orchestra seems to explode in rage here, lashing out and sometimes dissolving into messy organ slides. Between outbursts, at times, it seems like nobody knows what to do. The cello steps in like a candle in the darkness. There's a long virtuosic cadenza which ushers in softer, more delicate, more eccentric orchestration in the moments that follow (the cello duets with a muted violin, for example). This leads back to the same super-high-pitched atmosphere from the beginning, and confirmation that we really were hearing organ at the start. There are a few more outbursts to go, each less organized than the last, until the orchestra basically dissolves into near-silent disarray. This is one of Aho's hardest, least compromising, least pleasing pieces.
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The Symphonic Dances, by contrast, are one of Aho's biggest crowd-pleasers, one of the most immediately colorful, melodic, tonal pieces in his catalog. I've listened to them several times before, but this time I decided to listen in their proper context: as Act III of the unfinished Uuno Klami ballet "Whirls."
The "Whirls" discography is rather perplexing. Act I is a half hour long and was released on a BIS disc (pictured). It's orchestrated by Kalevi Aho from Klami's original plan. Act II was apparently repurposed by Klami into two suites, comprising dances of the day and night, because he realized he was going to die before finishing and needed to fulfill some commissions. The two suites, totaling 40 minutes, are on a different BIS disc. Finally, many years later, Aho took up the challenge of composing Act III from scratch. A premiere of the full ballet was scheduled, but the ballet company's leader unexpectedly opposed the piece and expressed a dislike for it. Aho then withdrew Act III and relabeled it "Symphonic Dances: Homage to Uuno Klami."
If you have access to the three BIS discs or a streaming service, you can patch together all three acts: the Aho original, the Klami original, and Klami orchestrated by Aho. The work as a whole lasts 100 minutes.
Unfortunately, "Whirls: Act I" didn't appear on the various streaming services I have access to. Relative to other obscurities in the BIS catalog, it seems harder to find in general, though the physical disc is still available at various sources (like Presto and Amazon Marketplace).
I decided to plunge into Klami's suites (Act II) instead. The music is more progressive and sparse than I expected from this typically romantic composer, like a sequel to Sibelius' Tempest. The orchestration is quite interesting (contrabassoon, celesta, etc.), the material is genial, and there are a lot of very good trumpet solos where the Lahti player does proud. There's a final scene, the "nocturnal dance of the north star," that really creates some incredible atmosphere.
Thus the Aho Act III is actually not as surprising or out of place as I had expected. It is almost all fast music, which is quite different from Klami's Act II, but apart from a "grotesque" dance, it falls more in line with the original than I had ever thought before. The dances are backloaded: three short ones followed by a 14-minute epic "Dance of the Winds and Fires" that seems to combine elements of waltz and tarantella, plus pre-recorded nature sounds that Klami would have never used. Those nature sounds are most prominent at the very end, where they calm down the fire of the orchestra and ease our way into a well-earned quiet ending (drink!).
I guess I have to buy the CD containing Act I in Aho's orchestration now...or perhaps download Act I from eClassical.
These reviews are immensely helpful, Brian. Thank you.
Glad to hear that! They're also meant to help my own creaky memory cells ;D
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Starting up again on one of yesterday's CDs, with Symphony No. 11, scored for six percussionists and orchestra. Here the group Kroumata augments the Lahti Symphony. For a percussion bonanza, this is a remarkably subtle score, with only a few big loud climaxes. For the first three minutes, the impression one gets is of a nature scene - maybe an icy winter sunrise (somewhere that the sun still rises in winter).
Excessive percussion in an orchestral score is one of my personal pet peeves. I know it's a personal thing, but a lot of contemporary music will have me thinking things like, "that didn't need a wood block." Aho, of course, as a master orchestrator, manages to avoid this pitfall. Everything feels seamless. The really big percussion feature is at the heart of the second movement (of three), meaning at the exact midpoint of the piece. Here, there's sort of a Rite-inspired primitive allegro passage with lots of percussion jamming across an array of instruments, tuba solos, and orchestral cries. It's not nearly as violent as the Rite. It's more like a somewhat martial tribal ceremony. Aho himself just says that his intention was to be "rhythmically hypnotic."
The finale—which is also the longest movement—is a total contrast, a solemn, tranquil slow movement where the percussion is very sensitively used to add the tiniest bits of color to the orchestra's stillness. The nature themes I sensed early in the piece return, especially in a wonderfully melodic late passage for flutes. A pretty darn magical piece and, in all, one of the best and easiest and most accessible starting points for anybody who wants to get into Aho.
Speaking of best and most accessible starting points for anybody who wants to get into Aho:
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Two approachable, easily digested, but substantial concertos make up this disc. Both begin slowly and mysteriously, have fast second and fourth movements, and end quietly.
The Trombone Concerto begins with the trombone emerging from a group of melodic woodwind lines; the first movement is in an arc form, rising to a climax from near-silence and fading back. The trombone gets to do a lot of different things here: mutes, flutter-tonguing (I think), and the kind of womp-womp sound that usually happens in comedic settings. Of course, Aho doesn't do comedic settings. As this movement fades back down, the trombone gets a pensive cadenza, which leads directly into a strongly percussive blitz of a presto second movement. (The percussion, with lots of hands on drumskins, sounds vaguely Middle Eastern, though the rest of the orchestra and trombone sound typically Ahoian/post-Soviet.) We get a similar structure in the second half: solemn slow movement, fast finale, and then a slowdown to a quiet ending (drink!) complete with my personal bugbear, the bell tree.
The Trombone Concerto has actually been one of my favorite Aho works for a while, but this listen around, I couldn't help thinking that it was a little bit "generic" to his output. It's a good expression of what his soundworld is like, his skill at hushed calm and his exploitation of the full range of orchestral resources. But it doesn't really have a standout or salient feature, and since Aho doesn't really do tunes, that makes it hard to put a finger on exactly why the concerto is so good—or why it is not especially great. I heard a DSCH motif quote in the finale. Maybe I like this piece just because I like trombones, and Jörgen van Rijen is one of the best players on earth.
The Trumpet Concerto really does start off very similarly, with a hushed, mysterious atmosphere teeming with woodwind supporting players. The trumpet itself takes on a really striking, unusual muted color, almost like sepia in a portrait. For a while, I thought it was an alto saxophone. (Don't worry: there is a saxophone later.)
There really are a lot of similarities to the Trombone Concerto, but one thing I appreciated here was the shifting spotlight that Aho uses to allow all sorts of orchestra members brief solos. The trumpet part, too, is light, dextrous, and athletic. Whether negotiating fast passages while muted or beaming pure bugle-like sounds in the intermezzo, Alain de Rudder really gets an incredible solo showcase here. I think there's quite a lot of percussion in this concerto because it is a section that can contrast well with the trumpet and not drown it out. (The finale has a lot of church bell banging.) Although the piece is mostly in minor keys, it is less sinister than many Aho pieces, and bears less of his insistent theme of a soloist or small group vs. orchestral oppressor. The trumpet's lightness and nimbleness must inform that character. The ending of this concerto is rather abrupt - the music slows down very suddenly and fades into quiet (drink!) without much warning at all.
This was a disc I anticipated greatly because I had very good memories of it, but was surprised to find that this spin was less convincing. Maybe because I've heard so much Aho, but these works now sounded very representative of his style without scaling any particular heights. I'd still recommend them to newcomers, but I'd promise them better stuff awaits elsewhere. The performances are outstanding.
Quote from: Brian on June 15, 2023, 08:36:24 AMSpeaking of best and most accessible starting points for anybody who wants to get into Aho:
I don't like those works that much! Even though my entry point was the 10th symphony, I think the 4th is the most accessible since it is so Shostakovich-esque.
Quote from: DavidW on June 16, 2023, 07:25:57 AMI don't like those works that much! Even though my entry point was the 10th symphony, I think the 4th is the most accessible since it is so Shostakovich-esque.
Symphony No 1 is the most accessible and most Shostakovich-esque I think.
Quote from: relm1 on June 16, 2023, 05:13:51 PMSymphony No 1 is the most accessible and most Shostakovich-esque I think.
I haven't listened to it, I'll have to do that soonish.
At the end of this listening journey I will have to do a Todd-style roundup of all the various works, but the Fourth Symphony is definitely also a very good starting point. Maybe the best. (Or maybe the best would be the Ninth for someone with a less doom-laden mindset.)
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A mix of different works and instrumentations here. The disc starts with a Prelude, Toccata, and Postlude for cello and piano, a '70s student piece where Aho is really testing the limits of conventional cello playing. It's one of those youthful pieces that is immediately engaging and likable both for what it is (a 10-minute virtuoso showpiece) and what it is not (any kind of original statement of a new artistic voice). Basically, if you like Soviet composers, early tonal Lutoslawski, late Penderecki, etc., you'll like this. I most enjoyed the slow-fast-slow structure, which really succeeds in making you feel like those 10 minutes were a complete experience. The recording on Qobuz does have an odd effect where the cello seems to bounce between headphone channels during the toccata's climaxes.
The Lamento for two violins is played here by Pekka and Jaakko Kuusisto, and it has an added poignancy now that Jaakko has died, age 48, of brain cancer. (The piece was written in memory of a violinist who died 20 years earlier, and was played at that violinist's funeral.) It's a miniature, which accomplishes its title goal. The recorded sound is very, very close - it sounds like you're sitting between two violinists each standing about six feet away from you.
Halla, for violin and piano, is sort of an extended wail, but in a pleasant way? It's quite virtuosic for only 8 minutes, loads of double stopping, and a very outdoorsy, extroverted violin personality. Apparently the title means "Frost," though I could be forgiven for thinking it means "holler," in the rustic sense. The ending section, where the violinist adds the mute and the music retraces its steps in a quieter manner, is really striking.
Next Jaakko Kuusisto gets an entire half-hour to himself, first in the Sonata for Solo Violin, then In Memoriam Pehr Henrik Nordgren. The sonata is unsurprisingly inspired by Bach and Bartok, especially Bach; the first movement starts in the "tempo of the chaconne" (Bach's, of course), but sounding quite different and building to a pained, pinched climax of high notes. The work as a whole is austere, academic-sounding, and based on the intervals in B-A-C-H (not always those notes, though). It has bits of Bach almost-quotes mixed into the generally bleak landscape. In Memoriam is unfortunately also based on the "musical letters in Nordgren's name," rather than any particular feeling about that late composer. I found the really high notes near the end rather grating and lowered the volume.
Piano Sonata No. 2, from 2016, is an oblique tribute to Beethoven's Hammerklavier: Aho uses Hammerklavier as a starting point, but deliberately misquotes it and then develops movements off of the misquotes. This starts at the very beginning, which is like a weird mix of the start of Hammerklavier and the start of Mozart's 40th Symphony. The music recognizably stays on Beethoven's plan for another few minutes, but spinning off into Aho's own directions. This generally describes the rest of the piece, though it's in five movements rather than four, Aho inserting a second moment of calm before the scherzo. He also frontloads the work's structure; this is not a direct, deliberate copying of Beethoven's, and doesn't have a long slow movement or fugal finale. (Instead, the finale has Messiaenic birdsong leading into a quiet ending [drink!].) The Beethoven influence lightens and lessens as the piece progresses, and it becomes more a collection of striking images, some of them searing or unpleasant, some of them calmer and more enigmatic.
A real mixed bag of a disc, and I don't mean that in a judgmental way - it just contains so many different styles and eras of Aho's career, more than 40 years of compositions, ranging from funeral music to competition music. Probably primarily for completists, but there is some really cool stuff here.
Aho is a rather hit-and-miss composer
for me. Some of his stuff I find too dark/depressing/confrontational for my tastes, but other works I find quite enthralling. One such work is the recent Triple Concerto for piano trio and orchestra:
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The slower sections show Aho at his most generously lyrical, and the faster sections don't lack the drive and dramatic intensity that he is known for. A most satisfying and accessible work which I recommend very highly!
Quote from: kyjo on July 04, 2023, 08:06:29 AMAho is a rather hit-and-miss composer
for me. Some of his stuff I find too dark/depressing/confrontational for my tastes, but other works I find quite enthralling. One such work is the recent Triple Concerto for piano trio and orchestra:
(https://bis.se/shop/17115/art15/h6904/5076904-origpic-08be21.jpg)
The slower sections show Aho at his most generously lyrical, and the faster sections don't lack the drive and dramatic intensity that he is known for. A most satisfying and accessible work which I recommend very highly!
This album surprised me too in how lyrical it was. I wonder if it's a good entry to Aho or misleading. Maybe it just shows another side of him that is always there but not always at the forefront.
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I didn't know what to expect from a 37-minute quintet for bassoon and strings. And once it started, I realized I even more didn't know what to expect. It starts with a neoclassical "overture" that then starts "going wrong," with the Stravinskian clean lines getting mucked up by "wrong" notes and undercurrents of sheer weirdness. The bassoon gets a prominent, soloistic role. Unusually for Aho, the piece is broken up into six shortish movements rather than a smaller number of medium-long ones: Overture, Parody, Scherzo, Cadenza, Finale, Epilog, all played without breaks. (It's not unusual at all, in his work, for the finale to be followed by a quiet epilogue. Dude loves an epilogue.)
The parody movement starts with the strings playing the accompaniment to Schubert's Ave Maria, as the bassoon places a straight-laced almost operetta-style melody over them. Then things start getting weird, a la Salvador Dalí and the melting clocks. Once the weirdness accelerates enough, we get to a harried but surprisingly muted scherzo. The scherzo leans heavily on the four string players, setting the stage for the bassoon's very long cadenza. (Though the cadenza movement does involve some string playing, the bassoonist has 4-and-a-half minutes all by him- or herself before the viola joins for a duet and then, gradually, other strings get solos too.) As so often with Aho, the "real" finale comes first, and then the music disintegrates into fragments and collapses. (Quiet ending. Drink!)
He really believes in music collapsing into nothingness. It almost amounts to a philosophy of artwork, that a piece of art should be known to "end," not with an artificial ending but with the natural death most living creatures eventually face. I wonder if he had taken up painting, if one side of his canvas would always have ripped-up exposed threads. Or if he'd become a novelist, and all his novels had kept going until all his characters had died.
The next Quintet is for the very strange combination of alto saxophone, bassoon, viola, cello, and double bass. This is an unusually resonant, spooky combination of instruments, and they don't really offer a huge amount of range. There aren't a lot of high notes. As a result, even though the combination sounds weird on paper, it is coherent in a very interesting way. The piece is structured in two big movements - both generally slow-fast-slow - built around a fast scherzo. It is a good example of Aho's "organic" style, in the sense that it follows material blooming and growing and intensifying. I didn't take a lot of notes but quite enjoyed it.
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This has become one of his most famous pieces, in part because of the commission itself, which was to write a piece to be played outdoors in the round on the side of a mountain, in a shallow natural basin resembling an amphitheatre. The SACD is famous because of the deliberate surround effect of the music. On headphones, it's relatively low-level, but that benefits the serene nature quality of the music, which has a real evocative magic. It's Aho at his most Rautavaaran, full of folksy, primitive beauty and distant effects. I checked at what I thought was the end of the first movement, but it was the end of the second, time had passed so quickly. The third movement involves Nielsen-Espansiva-style vocalists singing "yaha" in various places, adding to the spooky mysticism of the piece. At times, the orchestra flares up with threats to get really big and loud, but it doesn't, yet. The vocalists also blend together with some affecting alto sax solos.
Then comes the finale - a big storm, like that in the Symphonic Dances. This would be tremendously fun to see live, what with the punchy brass, bass drums, wind machines, and so on. Then, like Rimsky-Korsakov's version of Night on Bald Mountain, a church bell tolls and everything calms down again. The vocalists "yaha" again, and the saxophone leads the fade into quiet. (Drink!) Aho writes engagingly in the booklet note about how he composed as little fast music as possible, due to the threat of wind and unsynchronized playing, and how the farthest musicians are 300 feet from the conductor. I do wonder whether he really needed to spend 10 days in cold midwinter composing onsite in a tiny cabin by himself in order to capture the right feel. But hey, it is a special piece and destined to remain unique in the world repertoire (not to mention his own).
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I started this Aho diary more than a year ago, a ridiculously long time. To motivate me to finish up, here is a list of the remaining BIS Aho discs (please let me know if there are any essentials missing):
organ solo CDs (might skip these), Symphonies Nos. 13-15 and their CD pairings, the chamber symphonies, and the brand-new disc featuring a soprano saxophone concerto.
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The three chamber symphonies span from the mid-70s to the mid-90s, but generally fall into the category of more austere, gloomy Aho. The First is just 13 minutes, the Second just 16.
No. 1 alternates a slow, falling melody and sharp toccata-like outbursts. The subjects intermingle and develop until the string orchestra disintegrates, at about 9', into a series of soloists - like Metamorphosen, seemingly everybody has a separate line here - who play against each other through the climax. Then it's back to the moody, mysterious opening. At the end, only a few of the players remain, exchanging the most fleeting of little bitty ideas as the music dissolves into silence. (Drink!)
No. 2 is in three movements, two unmarked, the finale "furioso." The first picks up a similar emotional mood to the previous symphony, even if the techniques are different and rely more on keeping the string sections together. There are also echoes of Sibelius' Fourth Symphony. The "furioso" finale has some really cool writing in it, lots of freaky/scary imagery and suspense movie moments. Right when things seem to be "getting good," though (depending on your definition), the music begins Aho's typical process of fragmentation, deconstruction, and fadeout into silence. (Drink!)
No. 3 is the largest of the three by far, in four movements with titles and scored for alto saxophone and string orchestra, almost like a concerto. The strings get a whole movement to themselves before the saxophone comes in for a long, haunting, nature-like solo (echoes of birdsong for sure) subtitled "I have heard the wild geese calling." I think the saxophonist is also walking on stage while this happens, as his volume slowly but steadily increases from an offstage effect.
The first half of the third movement is gorgeous, one of the most romantic and old-fashioned things Aho has ever composed. It's a lush nocturne with the saxophone playing a soft, long-limbed melody over strings - very old-school stuff. The saxophone jumps in with a more animated solo for the second half, and this leads into the finale, where nature seemingly awakens. As you might expect knowing this composer's obsession with closing the circle, the birdcalling saxophonist walks back offstage as the music ends quietly. (Drink!)
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This disc, I think, is one I've played a few times previously. Hurwitz says the piano's entrance is instantly memorable, which is a little funny because it's one repeated note over and over. Then, admittedly, it does become memorable. There are a lot of trills and riffs, sort of but not quite birdsongy, before the (string only) orchestra begins to join in. While the music is certainly more tonal and surface-level "accessible" than the chamber symphonies, I don't find it to have much of a discernible arc or structure, just a bunch of very appealing stuff happening. I have voiced this complaint before with Aho. Perhaps the issue is that he is often developing cells so small and so concise, that their development is hard to notice unless you have the score open with notes.
One thing I have lots of respect for is the anti-virtuoso nature of the piano part, which is truly "musical" and part of the ensemble. (Aho does note that it's still hard to play, even though not full of "fireworks".) It also begins to return, at the end, to the repeated notes of the beginning. In that context, I find the ending pretty satisfying (contra Hurwitz), though it does create a sense that not a whole lot happened over the last 28 minutes. Studied and serious without being off-putting or austere, this piece falls into a kind of middle ground.
The Symphony No. 13 is a 40-minute epic, written for the Lahti Symphony's new concert hall, and based on material from one of Aho's 90s operas. The conceit is a little weird: its many sections (21 named with tempo markings, but all sorted into just 2 movements) are representations of different human "characters" and personalities. Unlike Elgar's Enigma, Aho is not depicting real people. He's writing a symphony as if it were a Dickens novel, with loads of different people popping up and interacting with each other. Accordingly, the piece is organized into chapters rather than developed forms, and when tunes recur, they recur as "characters": associated with the same instrument as before, just in a new scene interacting with other tunes.
The result, as you listen, is sort of a free-flowing fantasia. Structurally/programmatically, I know this is not supposed to be "serious." But it is a lot of fun. Like the Symphonic Dances, it's an example of what can happen when Aho lets go of his philosophical schemes and just writes some fun music. I wonder what would result if somebody commissioned of him a piece like Ravel's La Valse, that mixes parody of a genre with the real thing.
Anyway. This is a bunch of fun, has a bunch of solos (like a concerto for orchestra), and ends "in modo proclamante," with fanfares from all over the auditorium in different directions. I do think it goes on a little too long - there are probably 4-5 minutes to be trimmed - but almost all the episodes are fun, and you can tell even on this CD when spacial effects are used, like balcony trumpets. A very near favorite. Quiet ending (drink!).
Oops, I'm not getting off the hook that easily! I just discovered a cache of four more Aho albums on Qobuz that weren't there during my first search, including the missing Uuno Klami orchestration alluded to on a previous page of this (now very long) diary. (Note to self: next time choose a less prodigious composer.)
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My expectations for a Soprano Saxophone Concerto were very low. Basically the only soprano sax that I like is Sidney Bechet's (sorry, Coltrane). But Kalevi Aho really understands how to use the bizarre timbre of this instrument to evocative, spooky effect. The concerto is just 24 minutes, with a slow intro where the sax plays a mysterious, kind of nature-like melody over open strings. It evokes all kinds of images: still winter landscapes, lone birds floating on lakes. As the saxophone steps aside, other woodwind instruments bubble up to take its place, in a succession of solos. The music gradually accelerates into a brief presto, has a semi-cadenza with occasional flickers of orchestral accompaniment, and ends abruptly but sensibly. This first movement takes up half the work's length.
Then we get a "misterioso" slow movement, not quite five minutes, mostly featuring the saxophone by itself, bending notes and trying at times to almost split them. (Oh, Aho in the booklet says these are micro-intervals.) The orchestra just plays pedal points, almost inaudible most of the time. The finale, surprisingly, begins almost march-like. It has a strong rhythm and a forceful determination to use all the instruments onstage, unlike some of the previous sections. Interestingly, some of the fastest bits are kept very quiet. This helps the soprano sax stand out, of course, but it also continues the somewhat nocturnal, evocative mood of the whole piece. Quiet ending (drink!).
I like this concerto a lot. It's concise, it doesn't try to do too much, it just has a load of fun with the moodiness a soprano sax is capable of. At times, the sax gets low enough to sound like a cor anglais. At other times, it dabbles in harsh sonic effects that seem to pierce the microphones. Thankfully there's not too much of that, just enough to give the piece some eerie shadows every so often. This is definitely not a grand statement - just an intriguing, delightful surprise that would be quite interesting on any chamber orchestra program.
The Quintet was written to accompany Mozart's on a concert program, since there are few works for this combination. (Wind quintet minus flute plus piano.) This, too, starts with a slow, evocative intro with long, breathing melodies. Although the music is almost totally unlike Mozart, I will claim one resemblance, which is the "clean" transparency of the textures and seeming simplicity of expression. This is not DSCH successor Aho, spooky horror movie Aho, or new sonic effects Aho. It's good clean tonally curious fun. The second movement is a virtuoso toccata where everyone gets a workout, the third movement is a slow nocturne, and the finale is a "burlesco." It's one of Aho's most formally normal pieces. It even ends loudly! The burlesque is written so that the ending increases to as fast a tempo as possible.
After two pieces of about 25 minutes each written in 2013-14, we travel back in time 40 years for Solo I, the first in Aho's series of 10ish minute solo instrumental pieces. This one's for violin, with the late Jaakko Kuusisto doing the honors in the CD's encore piece. Knowing of Kuusisto's recent passing, it's tempting to see this as a memoriam piece, even though it's now 50 years old. It is mournful, initially very slow and somber, then breaking out into despair - almost like stages of grief. There are even weeping effects around 4:30. I think there is probably a way in which this is a theme-and-variations, though I only recognized the shape, not the theme.
This CD makes an unusual program - two rather light, atmospheric, charming works featuring woodwinds, followed by a short, dour violin solo - but it also does a decent job introducing you to all the sides of Aho as an artist.
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This is a favorite of mine. Aho was commissioned to compose an entire chamber orchestral program, from start to finish, and responded with these three works: a cycle of Neruda songs (translated into Finnish) for mezzo and orchestra, a viola concerto, and a symphony for chamber orchestra and augmented percussion. 24, 24, and 30 minutes respectively.
The Book of Questions showcases Aho's gift for vocal writing, which is also often apparent in his woodwind writing. This piece features clear textures, gorgeous sparse accompaniments, and orchestral instruments playing solos behind the singer, Monica Groop. (Groop speaks, not sings, the first poem.) Songs flow into each other without pause in a dream state, so the overall effect is less like Richard Strauss and more like Rautavaara. The last song is a mix of sung and spoken. It's all lovely, sensitive, music; if one could complain, one could say it is perhaps too thoughtful - 24 minutes of music stripped down to minimum, without "special effects." Better to listen in your living room on a rainy day than to see live, perhaps. Unless you know the poetry and can understand and engage with the words in concert.
The Viola Concerto begins without break on the same note on which Book of Questions ended. (I guess Aho didn't believe in applause between works.) It wastes no time establishing a different mood, setting the viola's opening melody against pounding, rolling timpani. After a pretty furious, eruptive first half, the music starts to settle down, gradually sagging until the viola's long, meditative cadenza. Then the finale brings another outburst, highlighted by percussion instruments in contest with the violist. This allegretto - which shares a rhythmic underpinning with the finale of Prokofiev's Fifth - drives the music to a decisive, loud conclusion. Then we can take an intermission!
Symphony No. 14 starts with drumming, a way of echoing and evoking the Viola Concerto without following on directly from it. Aho was thinking about these kinds of metamorphoses when he devised the program to be played together. Here the drums are new: the darabuka, an Arabic instrument which, along with gongs and the African djembe, will expand the sound picture. (Aho says he was getting bored of Western drums and finds these more expressive.) The basic structure is four larger movements where the drummer kicks up a mood with his/her drumming, interspersed with two interludes without percussion.
It's a mystical, ritualistic piece full of alternating moods, with regular drumbeats of different kinds powering the narrative forward or bringing it to a stop. It feels episodic, primitive, contemplative, maybe a little more tranquil than the opening would lead you to think. The last episode enters an almost trance-like meditative state as the drumming fades out to quiet (drink!).
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Act I, as completed by Aho. This is a load of fun. Aho's touch is evident in some orchestration details - the orchestral piano, xylophone, glockenspiel - but mostly he is amping up dances that Klami already wrote to be wild, Stravinskian, and exuberant. It's weird that a piece called "Whirls", which sounds like a Debussy piece or a Monet painting, is such a riot.
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yet to come: two discs of music for oboe and various accompanists, Symphony No. 15, and the newest release.
Brian when you're done you should make a tier list!
This is coming out next month.
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I wonder why his string quartets have been neglected by the record labels. There's only one recording of his String Quartet No. 3 on Finlandia.
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on August 26, 2023, 07:43:48 PMI wonder why his string quartets have been neglected by the record labels. There's only one recording of his String Quartet No. 3 on Finlandia.
He was in his mid 20's by the time he completed the first three string quartets, not yet representative of his mature style. I believe string quartet No. 1 became the first symphony. He has recently composed a String Quartet No. 4 and No. 5 (both from 2021) though they haven't yet premiered so it's probably just a matter of chamber music isn't front and center of his output, but I bet a cycle could be coming soon.
He's also completed a Symphony No. 18 (2023) too!
More details here: https://issuu.com/gehrmansmusikforlag/docs/nordic-highlights-02-2023/s/26413304
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The Recorder Concerto is a 20-minute piece in a single varied movement, calling for five varieties of recorder (!). It was composed in fall 2020 in lockdown.
The misterioso opening outdoes some of Aho's other mysterious openings - with deep low clarinet, it calls to mind Tchaikovsky's Fifth or Sibelius' First. The recorder enters to introduce faster material; the music has a spooky nature quality to it, like a glacier at night or a haunted forest. During other fast sections, the recorder is used as a rhythm instrument, almost beatboxing. There's not much melodic material or emotional arc here, but it would certainly be fun to see live, with the player frequently trading out instruments and using the recorder to make exotic effects. Lots of interesting imagery. The ending, as ever with Aho, is quiet and rather abrupt.
The Tenor Saxophone Concerto's quiet ending is more exquisitely prepared for, leading out from a solo cadenza where the solo is frequently interrupted by drumming. Maybe it's my own mental associations with the tenor sax, but I can't help thinking there is a jazzy quality to a lot of its rhythm work in this piece. The soloist sounds wonderful, and gets a lot of said rhythmic adventure to play with. Lots of fun here.
The Sonata Concertante for Accordion and Strings is an arrangement/reworking of the sonata for two accordions I wrote about here (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7786.msg1450101.html#msg1450101). One of the parts is taken over by string orchestra, helping to reduce the possible "organ fatigue" weaker-eared listeners might experience >:D ;D . Actually, the truth is the opposite - in this guise, to my surprise, it sounds rather more sinister, evil, frantic. There is a similarity in the string writing to the Shostakovich/Barshai "chamber symphonies." The final fugue is really clear and skillfully written.
Another release that reveals multiple sides of the composer, while also instilling a slight feeling that maybe those sides are not so variegated as they could be.
Quote from: Brian on September 11, 2023, 08:50:48 AM(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/8a/jd/sc29sl6rhjd8a_600.jpg)
The Recorder Concerto is a 20-minute piece in a single varied movement, calling for five varieties of recorder (!). It was composed in fall 2020 in lockdown.
The misterioso opening outdoes some of Aho's other mysterious openings - with deep low clarinet, it calls to mind Tchaikovsky's Fifth or Sibelius' First. The recorder enters to introduce faster material; the music has a spooky nature quality to it, like a glacier at night or a haunted forest. During other fast sections, the recorder is used as a rhythm instrument, almost beatboxing. There's not much melodic material or emotional arc here, but it would certainly be fun to see live, with the player frequently trading out instruments and using the recorder to make exotic effects. Lots of interesting imagery. The ending, as ever with Aho, is quiet and rather abrupt.
The Tenor Saxophone Concerto's quiet ending is more exquisitely prepared for, leading out from a solo cadenza where the solo is frequently interrupted by drumming. Maybe it's my own mental associations with the tenor sax, but I can't help thinking there is a jazzy quality to a lot of its rhythm work in this piece. The soloist sounds wonderful, and gets a lot of said rhythmic adventure to play with. Lots of fun here.
The Sonata Concertante for Accordion and Strings is an arrangement/reworking of the sonata for two accordions I wrote about here (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,7786.msg1450101.html#msg1450101). One of the parts is taken over by string orchestra, helping to reduce the possible "organ fatigue" weaker-eared listeners might experience >:D ;D . Actually, the truth is the opposite - in this guise, to my surprise, it sounds rather more sinister, evil, frantic. There is a similarity in the string writing to the Shostakovich/Barshai "chamber symphonies." The final fugue is really clear and skillfully written.
Another release that reveals multiple sides of the composer, while also instilling a slight feeling that maybe those sides are not so variegated as they could be.
I enjoyed this release. Notable that it wasn't as manic as some of his earlier works, here there is a sense of mystery and almost reverence. It's not a loud disc but is more introspective which I enjoyed.
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The Oboe Quintet is a rather pleasant surprise - I don't know much music for this instrumentation at all, but it kind of does follow on in the tradition of, say, the Brahms clarinet quintet, but for oboe. Actually, a better stylistic point of comparison might be that moment about 6 minutes into the first movement of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, where you know trouble is about to erupt, but the tempo is slowing down slightly and the climax hasn't quite begun yet. The music is cast in two movements of about 15 minutes each, and they broadly start out slowly with long-lined melodies and then accelerate into wild, wooly, scratchy climaxes full of vigor. The quintet overall ends with quite a long oboe cadenza that lowers the temperature and returns to the more lyrical beginning mood, and there is no string cadence to round things off: the oboe trails off into silence alone. The musical language is not exactly romantic, but it's also not as austere as many of Aho's other works.
Next up comes a 16-minute suite of miniatures, Seven Inventions and Postlude, for oboe and cello. This is a duo I've never heard playing together before, and the "inventions" (mostly at moderate-to-slow tempos) are unpretentious, experimental-feeling little pieces. Each instrument gets one solo by itself.
Compared to the two previous works, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello is much tougher stuff. It announces its intentions right away, as all the instruments play high-pitched tones that are very close together but not in unison or a traditional chord. It has a little bit of a nails-on-chalkboard effect. Eventually the music takes on an almost avian quality, fluttering and sending feathers flying all over the place, with wild runs up and down the scales as the tempo increases bit by bit. This being Aho, the climax is reached midway through the piece and then things start to fade down again to a series of soft, melancholy solos for oboe, violin, and then viola. Unexpectedly, the next instrument to take a turn is the piccolo - a reminder of the uncompromising, ear-slashing nature of the work's beginning. This ushers in a section of soft birdsong like figures for the piccolo, oboe, and muted strings, playing repeated rhythmic figures that sound kinda-sorta like you're in a forest. It's a little bit like a zombie apocalypse wiped out all the humans and now only nature remains. That's the interpretation I'm going with. ;D
Though the piece initially sounded rather ugly and grating, it turned out very interesting, and ultimately this was one of the CDs that for me had the biggest jumps up from my expectation (low) to the reality (fairly high).
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Minea is a 19-minute rhapsodic piece written for the Minnesota Orchestra as a virtuosic concert opener on tour. The point is to give everyone a solo and the orchestra to show off its worth on its travels. For Aho, the artistic impetus was to digest Indian raga style and other Eastern musical idioms, and to look at the Western canon from their perspective rather than vice versa. So although there are sounds that are a bit like, say, Rimsky-Korsakov's "eastern" music, or even Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin, the intention is to serve as their reverse. Aho's orchestra tends to more in a more repetitious fashion, absorbing the musical cells in multiple stages. This also enables him to incorporate a variety of instruments and sections discussing the same motifs.
The first 8 minutes could be said to take up one section, since it's all the same material worked through. At 8', the bassoons and hand-played percussion start to take up a variation of this sufficiently different, and faster, to constitute a new section. The drumming begins to underpin the forward drive of the piece, until, at about 16', you have a good idea of the frenzy in which it will end up. You can feel a climax coming, the way you might feel the start of an earthquake. The final frenzy really is something amazing. It's also probably the most "populist" or concert-hall-friendly Aho piece since the Symphonic Dances. Although Minea might have seemed aloof at times early, you can easily imagine a crowd roaring with applause at the end of this one.
From the big and loud whiz-bang ending of that piece, we transport ourselves to a much more traditionally Ahoian (Aholic?) sound world at the beginning of the Double Bass Concerto. As he often does, he starts with questioning, enigmatic woodwinds searching for a melody. The orchestra is much smaller, allowing the bassist to be kept in balance - and allowing him, also, to play quite low notes a lot of the time. Don't listen to this piece if your environment has a lot of ambient background noise. The big orchestral outbursts involving tuba, timpani, etc. tend to only set up the stage for double bass features afterwards. There are two cadenzas: one all pizzicato, strumming like a jazz bassist (joined by occasional harp licks), the other bowed, with sparse accompaniment, and 'misterioso.' (Aho's favorite marking?)
The scherzo has a really wonderful atmosphere, with a fluttery, shimmering texture over an insistent rhythm. Here the bass see-saws its way from the bottom to top of its scale, reminiscent of the orchestra see-sawing upwards at the end of the slow movement in Martinu's Third Symphony. The final movement has some interesting stuff and gradually fades out to a quiet ending (drink!).
Overall, this piece - like many of the "weird instrument" concertos - feels more like an intellectual exercise in sound creation rather than an emotional journey or extroverted piece. I like a lot of individual episodes, but don't think I would have been super invested or compelled if watching it live.
Symphony No. 15 is the most recent to be recorded, but Aho is up to 18 as of 2023. The movement indications are interesting:
I. Nebbia ("Fog")
II. Musica bizzarra
III. Interludio
IV. Musica strana ("Strange music")
By setting out four movements with specific markings, Aho seems to be marking this as a comparatively traditional symphony. But two of the movements are bizarre and strange!
The fog immediately asserts itself. The string section moves like a silvery alien mass, greeted by chiming bells. There are definitely some thunder claps to be heard in the fog, foreshadowing the music's eventual mood in a louder direction. An oboe solo leads directly into "musica bizzarra," a nocturnal landscape of curlicued woodwind solos that kind of sounds like something from a late Mahler symphony, complete with sarcastic muted trumpet commentary. As with the previous movement, drumming becomes more prominent and relevant through the movement, along with occasional allusions to the 'DSCH' motif.
The interludio privileges more ghostly sounds, mainly provided by the celesta. The strings return for the finale, a 10-minute piece that like Minea builds up gradually to a big, loud, whiz-bang ending. Its strangeness apparently comes from the number of opposing ideas set up against each other, including fanfares and cymbal crashes and chugging rhythms. I really like the buildup to the ending, the sort of fakeout handoff to a piccolo solo, and then the sudden brutal conclusion. It's a bit like the goofy twist ending of Mahler 7, the second time I've thought of Mahler 7 while listening to this piece. For most listeners, the comparison will not be obvious at all, of course. But this is a big, extroverted, weird, interesting, fun, colorful, extroverted, polarizing statement. I'll have to see how it holds up on a return visit.
Quote from: Brian on October 17, 2023, 12:28:28 PM(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/65/03/7318590010365_600.jpg)
The Oboe Quintet is a rather pleasant surprise - I don't know much music for this instrumentation at all, but it kind of does follow on in the tradition of, say, the Brahms clarinet quintet, but for oboe. Actually, a better stylistic point of comparison might be that moment about 6 minutes into the first movement of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, where you know trouble is about to erupt, but the tempo is slowing down slightly and the climax hasn't quite begun yet. The music is cast in two movements of about 15 minutes each, and they broadly start out slowly with long-lined melodies and then accelerate into wild, wooly, scratchy climaxes full of vigor. The quintet overall ends with quite a long oboe cadenza that lowers the temperature and returns to the more lyrical beginning mood, and there is no string cadence to round things off: the oboe trails off into silence alone. The musical language is not exactly romantic, but it's also not as austere as many of Aho's other works.
Next up comes a 16-minute suite of miniatures, Seven Inventions and Postlude, for oboe and cello. This is a duo I've never heard playing together before, and the "inventions" (mostly at moderate-to-slow tempos) are unpretentious, experimental-feeling little pieces. Each instrument gets one solo by itself.
Compared to the two previous works, the Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello is much tougher stuff. It announces its intentions right away, as all the instruments play high-pitched tones that are very close together but not in unison or a traditional chord. It has a little bit of a nails-on-chalkboard effect. Eventually the music takes on an almost avian quality, fluttering and sending feathers flying all over the place, with wild runs up and down the scales as the tempo increases bit by bit. This being Aho, the climax is reached midway through the piece and then things start to fade down again to a series of soft, melancholy solos for oboe, violin, and then viola. Unexpectedly, the next instrument to take a turn is the piccolo - a reminder of the uncompromising, ear-slashing nature of the work's beginning. This ushers in a section of soft birdsong like figures for the piccolo, oboe, and muted strings, playing repeated rhythmic figures that sound kinda-sorta like you're in a forest. It's a little bit like a zombie apocalypse wiped out all the humans and now only nature remains. That's the interpretation I'm going with. ;D
Though the piece initially sounded rather ugly and grating, it turned out very interesting, and ultimately this was one of the CDs that for me had the biggest jumps up from my expectation (low) to the reality (fairly high).
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Minea is a 19-minute rhapsodic piece written for the Minnesota Orchestra as a virtuosic concert opener on tour. The point is to give everyone a solo and the orchestra to show off its worth on its travels. For Aho, the artistic impetus was to digest Indian raga style and other Eastern musical idioms, and to look at the Western canon from their perspective rather than vice versa. So although there are sounds that are a bit like, say, Rimsky-Korsakov's "eastern" music, or even Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin, the intention is to serve as their reverse. Aho's orchestra tends to more in a more repetitious fashion, absorbing the musical cells in multiple stages. This also enables him to incorporate a variety of instruments and sections discussing the same motifs.
The first 8 minutes could be said to take up one section, since it's all the same material worked through. At 8', the bassoons and hand-played percussion start to take up a variation of this sufficiently different, and faster, to constitute a new section. The drumming begins to underpin the forward drive of the piece, until, at about 16', you have a good idea of the frenzy in which it will end up. You can feel a climax coming, the way you might feel the start of an earthquake. The final frenzy really is something amazing. It's also probably the most "populist" or concert-hall-friendly Aho piece since the Symphonic Dances. Although Minea might have seemed aloof at times early, you can easily imagine a crowd roaring with applause at the end of this one.
From the big and loud whiz-bang ending of that piece, we transport ourselves to a much more traditionally Ahoian (Aholic?) sound world at the beginning of the Double Bass Concerto. As he often does, he starts with questioning, enigmatic woodwinds searching for a melody. The orchestra is much smaller, allowing the bassist to be kept in balance - and allowing him, also, to play quite low notes a lot of the time. Don't listen to this piece if your environment has a lot of ambient background noise. The big orchestral outbursts involving tuba, timpani, etc. tend to only set up the stage for double bass features afterwards. There are two cadenzas: one all pizzicato, strumming like a jazz bassist (joined by occasional harp licks), the other bowed, with sparse accompaniment, and 'misterioso.' (Aho's favorite marking?)
The scherzo has a really wonderful atmosphere, with a fluttery, shimmering texture over an insistent rhythm. Here the bass see-saws its way from the bottom to top of its scale, reminiscent of the orchestra see-sawing upwards at the end of the slow movement in Martinu's Third Symphony. The final movement has some interesting stuff and gradually fades out to a quiet ending (drink!).
Overall, this piece - like many of the "weird instrument" concertos - feels more like an intellectual exercise in sound creation rather than an emotional journey or extroverted piece. I like a lot of individual episodes, but don't think I would have been super invested or compelled if watching it live.
Symphony No. 15 is the most recent to be recorded, but Aho is up to 18 as of 2023. The movement indications are interesting:
I. Nebbia ("Fog")
II. Musica bizzarra
III. Interludio
IV. Musica strana ("Strange music")
By setting out four movements with specific markings, Aho seems to be marking this as a comparatively traditional symphony. But two of the movements are bizarre and strange!
The fog immediately asserts itself. The string section moves like a silvery alien mass, greeted by chiming bells. There are definitely some thunder claps to be heard in the fog, foreshadowing the music's eventual mood in a louder direction. An oboe solo leads directly into "musica bizzarra," a nocturnal landscape of curlicued woodwind solos that kind of sounds like something from a late Mahler symphony, complete with sarcastic muted trumpet commentary. As with the previous movement, drumming becomes more prominent and relevant through the movement, along with occasional allusions to the 'DSCH' motif.
The interludio privileges more ghostly sounds, mainly provided by the celesta. The strings return for the finale, a 10-minute piece that like Minea builds up gradually to a big, loud, whiz-bang ending. Its strangeness apparently comes from the number of opposing ideas set up against each other, including fanfares and cymbal crashes and chugging rhythms. I really like the buildup to the ending, the sort of fakeout handoff to a piccolo solo, and then the sudden brutal conclusion. It's a bit like the goofy twist ending of Mahler 7, the second time I've thought of Mahler 7 while listening to this piece. For most listeners, the comparison will not be obvious at all, of course. But this is a big, extroverted, weird, interesting, fun, colorful, extroverted, polarizing statement. I'll have to see how it holds up on a return visit.
I missed this album but your write up has piqued my curiosity on it so will listen today.
The very last post in my Ahodyssey! (Until the next release in the series is published...)
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The Oboe Concerto of 2007 dates from a time when Aho was looking for new frameworks to look at tonality and seeking answers in Arabic musical scales. Thus the first movement's long, slow lament with achingly gorgeous oboe melodies sounds a lot like certain Middle Eastern moods. Two orchestral cor anglais echo many of the oboist's solo lines.
It's an immediately atmospheric, gripping opening - the kind of thing I am a total sucker for. Soft, misty strings, floating soloist with an emotionally expressive big tune, gradual buildup to a more tense atmosphere. It's a passionate movement. Then we get a Presto scherzo-type movement with lots of Arabic percussion. The oboe squawks a bit but mostly dances, and the atmosphere here is again very convincing. The oboist gets a chance to relax during a short interlude after this, where Aho experiments with what other orchestral sections can do in his chosen tonal range and gently melancholy/nostalgic mood. Then the oboe soloist gets a three-minute cadenza that leads into an Andante finale. This finale starts with a surprisingly romantic, almost Hollywoody vision - horns softly intoning a melody, Arabic percussion pattering gently, the violins soaring upwards. It's sunrise in the desert. As is so typical of Aho, the mood gradually returns to the lament of the concerto's beginning, with tension gradually rising again. The finale is slow, but exciting enough not to feel it. In fact, almost all this concerto is slow, taking advantage of the oboe's strengths.
There's a loud ending, too. It all feels much more "conventional" than the usual Aho concerto in form - but not in the tonal language itself. As a person with romantic leanings and Middle Eastern family roots, I was perfectly set up to love this piece. It shoots right up to the top of my list of favorite Aho.
Solo IX is much harder to digest. Aho's Soli are all about 10 minutes and all designed to push the instruments to technical extremes. In this case, that means the oboist is asked to perform lots of transitions from traditional technique into what I can only describe as car alarm imitations ;D . Midway through the soloist gets to perform some more lyrical, slow material before the recapitulation. All in all this is quite a test of strength, stamina, breathing, and ability to make odd noises. Piet van Bockstal is really extraordinary.
The Oboe Sonata is a much earlier work, from the mid-1980s. It is by far the most abstract work on the album, full of spikes and stabbing chords and repeated notes and unusual effects. Aho describes the work as a battle between the pure tones of conventional oboe playing and the "impure" effects he achieves by other means; the third-movement climax is a pitched battle which is won by traditional "pure" oboe playing so the soloist doesn't have to do any more car alarm screeches in the finale. In fact, it seems to find a measure of peace and tranquility as it fades into softness.
And now it's time for the very last thing on my Ahodyssey...
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Perhaps most widely appreciated and discussed as a masterpiece, the Flute Concerto has been advocated by Sharon Bezaly all over the world. It's all about atmosphere, pretty perfectly encapsulated by the cover of the atmosphere. Without ever really betraying a clear "point" or dramatic arc, the music manages to move forward effortlessly, make time stand still - whatever your favorite metaphor. Using two flutes, he really fully exploits the coloristic potential of the instrument. I think I've known this piece too long and too well to describe it as surgically/analytically as many of the other works in the Ahodyssey. I don't know if it remains my ultimate favorite.
Ranking seems foolish, but I can at least create some tiers now. Personal and subjective, of course!
Definite Favorites
Flute Concerto
French Horn Concerto
Mussorgsky Songs
Oboe Concerto
Preludes for solo piano (19)
Soprano Saxophone Concerto
Symphonies Nos. 9, 11
Triple Concerto (violin, cello, piano)
Very Interesting
Bassoon Concerto
The Book of Questions
Cello Concerto No. 2
Clarinet Concerto
Contrabassoon Concerto
Double Concerto (cor anglais and harp)
Quintet for alto sax, bassoon, viola, cello, and double bass
Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 12, 15
Tenor Saxophone Concerto
Theremin Concerto
Trumpet Concerto
Viola Concerto
Wind Quintets Nos. 1 and 2
Tough to Chew On, but Worth It
Cello Concerto No. 1
Chamber Symphonies Nos. 1-3
Oboe Sonata
Piano Sonata Nos. 1 and 2
Quintet for flute, oboe, violin, viola, and cello
Rejoicing of the Deep Waters
Sonata for Two Accordions
Symphony No. 5
More Populist, but Not in a Bad Way
Bassoon Quintet
Chinese Songs
Clarinet Quintet
Minea
Quintet for clarinet, oboe, bassoon, French horn, and piano
Recorder Concerto
Symphonic Dances
Symphony No. 4 (just because it is so much in the tradition of Shostakovich)
Symphony No. 13
Timpani Concerto
Trombone Concerto
For the Real Aho Lover
Oboe Quintet
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
Piano miniatures written for young players
Prelude, Toccata, and Postlude for cello and piano
Seven Inventions and Postlude for cello and oboe
Sieidi
Sonata Concertante for Accordion and Strings
Symphonies Nos. 1, 8, 10
Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano
Violin Concerto No. 2
Not for Me
Double Bass Concerto
Music for solo violin
Pergamon
Silence
Symphony No. 7
Tuba Concerto
Violin Concerto
That's an impressive traversal!
Thanks for the list,
@Brian. Definitely appreciate it.
@Brian Thanks for mentioning that flute concerto. I found it uploaded by Naxos of America on youtube and have just put it on (I believe that the whole work is there).
Have you listened to the other works on that CD (or did you stream it)?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on October 20, 2023, 11:58:58 AM@Brian Thanks for mentioning that flute concerto. I found it uploaded by Naxos of America on youtube and have just put it on (I believe that the whole work is there).
Have you listened to the other works on that CD (or did you stream it)?
PD
Yes but it has been a long time! I don't have much memory of them but Hurwitz says the Icelandic piece is more abstract and less melodic but very interesting, and the Christian Lindberg piece is kind of a Warhol "pop art" mashup of different styles.