NO

RD

IC2/2016HIGHLIGHTS

N E W S L E T T E R F R O M G E H R M A N S M U S I K F Ö R L A G & F E N N I C A G E H R M A N

Focus on Lintinen & Larsson Gothe

N E W SN

OR

DIC

HIGHLIGHTS 2/2016

NEWSLET TER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN

Sound samples , video clips and other material are available at

www.gehrmans.se/highlights

Cover photo: : Miranda Tini in African Prophetess at the

Larsson Gothe Festival/Jan Olav Wedin, Mats Larsson

Gothe/Mats Bäcker, Kirmo Lintinen/Maarit Kytöharju

(Music Finland)

Editors: Henna Salmela and Kristina Fryklöf

Translations: Susan Sinisalo and Robert Carroll

Design: Tenhelp Oy/Tenho Järvinen

ISSN 2000-2742 (Print), ISSN 2000-2750 (Online)

Printed in Sweden by TMG Sthlm, Bromma 2016

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 6

Rautavaara’s Mine in HungaryEinojuhani Rau-

tavaara’s opera Th e

Mine (Kaivos) is in

the repertoire of the

Hungarian State

Opera House in Oc-

tober-November; the

fi rst of the four per-

formances is sched-

uled for 23 October,

and there are also

plans for bringing the production to Finland.

Th e conductor is Tibor Bogányi and the solo-

ists include Tommi Hakala, Adrienn Miksch

and Sándor Balla. Th e opera is about the Hun-

garian uprising in 1956 and is one of the events

commemorating this. It tells how a community

revolts against dictatorship through the story

of workers trapped underground when a mine

collapses.

Harri Viitanen highlightedTh e spring 2016 issue of the French magazine

Orgues Nouvelles has highlighted the organ

music of Finnish composer-organist Harri Vii-

tanen. Th ere are two works by him – Images

d’oiseau and Voyager – on the accompanying

CD, and an article by Carolyn Shuster Fourni-

er extols his music for its universal visions and

mystique, calling him a spiritual son of Olivier

Messiaen. Viitanen has given many performanc-

es in France, at such illustrious churches as No-

tre Dame and La Sainte-Trinité de Paris, where

he gave a recital of his own works in May 2015.

Extended agreement Gehrmans has entered into an extended collab-

oration with Jacob Mühlrad. Th e agreement,

which initially applied to his choral music, now

also includes orchestral and chamber music, as

well as his border-crossing cooperation with

Swedish Grammy Award winning rap artist Sil-vana Imam. When Mühlrad receives his mas-

ter’s degree from the composition programme

at the Royal College of Music in June there are

already many commissions waiting: a violin con-

certo, a couple of large-scale choral works and a

number of chamber music pieces.

Schnelzer at Weekend Festival

Albert Schnelzer will

be next year´s Weekend

Festival Composer at the

Stockholm Concert Hall.

Scheduled for 6-9 April,

the festival will feature

some 15 of his orchestral

and chamber works, in-

cluding the premiere of a

new 20-minute orchestral

piece dedicated to the Royal Stockholm Philhar-

monic under the direction of Evan Rogister. Ja-

cob Koranyi will be soloist in the cello concerto

Crazy Diamond, and the Gävle Symphony Or-

chestra will make a guest performance, together

with Francois Leleux, in the oboe concerto Th e

Enchanter.

Kalevi Aho in demandTh e series of Kalevi Aho concerto premieres

continues in Antwerp on 21 October 2016 with

the performance by the DeFilharmonie of the

Double Concerto for English Horn and Harp it has

commissioned from him. Th e soloists will be An-

neleen Lenaerts, harp, and Dimitri Mestdag, cor

anglais. Aho’s 2nd Violin Concerto will receive its

premiere in Kotka on 30 November by the Kymi

Sinfonietta. Th e soloist is Elina Vähälä.

Aho’s Symphony No. 14 ‘Rituals’ will receive

fi ve performances in August. It is on the tour

programme for the Lappeenranta City Orches-

tra in Finland and Lithuania on August 10-19

(there will be four performances in all) and the

Chamber Orchestra of Lapland will play it at the

Luos to Classic Festival on 14 August.

A new music festival dedicated to Kalevi Aho

will be launched in Forssa, Finland on July 1-2. It

will focus on his chamber music, including piano

works performed by Sonja Fräki.

Päivi Nikkanen-Kalt and Harri Viitanen in

front of the Église de la Sainte-Trinité de Paris.

Th e Lapland Chamber Orchestra conduct-

ed by John Storgårds is to premiere Lars

Karlsson’s Clarinet Concerto with Christoff er

Sundqvist as the soloist in Rovaniemi on 28

September. BIS will be recording the concer-

to alongside with Karlsson’s Seven Songs for

Baritone and Orchestra of poems by Pär La-

gerkvist (with soloist Gabriel Suovanen).

Solo works by Kai Nieminen are to be pre-

miered this summer in Finland, the UK and

Romania. A concert dedicated solely to his

music is to be held in Jyväskylä on 9 August;

Erkki Palola and Tuomas Mali will play

chamber music. Pilfi nk Records has released

a CD including works by Kai Nieminen per-

formed by Tommi Hyytinen, horn (see: New

CDs).

Karlsson and Nieminen

Jacob Mühlrad

Phot

o: B

eatr

ice

Lund

borg

Phot

o: H

ans L

indé

n

Phot

o: S

aara

Vuo

rjoki

Phot

o: D

avid

Kar

lsso

n

Phot

o: O

ndin

e Re

cord

s

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 6

P R E M I E R E S Summer 2016

Kimmo Hakola commissionsTh e Gulbenkian Foundation and the Europe-

an Concert Hall Organisation have commis-

sioned Kimmo Hakola to compose a piece for

clarinet and piano for their concert season. Th e

premiere in London on 19 October by Horácio

Ferreira, clarinet, and David Bekker, piano

will be followed by a further 16 performances

across Europe in autumn 2016 and spring 2017.

A new string quartet by Hakola (his fourth) is

also forthcoming. Written for the Meta4 Quartet,

it will be premiered at the Kimito Island Music

Festival in July. Hakola’s fi rst quartet made his

breakthrough on winning the Unesco Rostrum

competition in 1991.

KIMMO HAKOLAMonument

Annikka Konttori-Gustafsson, piano19.5. Helsinki, Finland

String Quartet No. 4

Meta412.7. Kemiö, Finland (Kimito Island Music Festival)

KAI NIEMINENShades... around Stonehenge Ruins

Marco Ramelli, guitar15.6. St. Andrews, UK

The Smile of Flamboyant Wings

Tuomas Mali, piano26.6. Campina, Romania

Northern Spells

Marko Rutanen, guitar3.7. Jämsä, Finland

MIKKO HEINIÖWhen the Boys…/ Kun pojat…

James D. Hicks, organ21.6. Turku, Finland

Three Morning Songs

Sampo Haapaniemi, baritone, Ville Matvejeff , piano12.8. Turku, Finland (Turku Music Festival)

Jag vill gå mellan rågen

Key Ensemble/Teemu Honkanen14.8. Turku, Finland (Turku Music Festival)

BENJAMIN STAERNDrop Waves  

David Huang, piano 29.6. Båstad, Sweden (Båstad Chamber Music Festival)

Air – Spiral – Light

Camilla Hoitenga, fl ute, Karin Dornbusch, clarinet, Magdalena Meitzner, percussion, David Huang, piano, Nadia Wijzenbeek, violin, Ylvali Zilliacus, viola, Marie Macleod, cello, cond. Christian Karlsen, sol. Jacob Kellermann, guitar1.7. Båstad, Sweden (Båstad Chamber Music Festival)

JACOB MÜHLRADPoint of No Return for solo cello

Antonio Hallongren29.6. New York, USA

OLLI KORTEKANGASValon aika (Time of Light)

Juha Kotilainen, baritone, Janne Malinen, guitar30.6. Heinävesi, Finland

JYRKI LINJAMASonata da chiesa III

Petteri Pitko, harpsichord15.7. Hiittinen, Finland (Kimito Island Music Festival)

KALEVI AHOPassacaglia

Marko Ylönen, cello, Timo Korhonen, guitar13.8. Luosto, Finland (Luosto Classic)

SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖMFöreställningen/The Performance – Chamber Opera

Ensemble from the Royal Swedish Orchestra/Mattias Böhm, Love Derwinger, piano, Jeanette Köhn, soprano, Katija Dragojevic & Miriam Treichl, mezzo-soprano28.8. Stockholm, Sweden (Baltic Sea Festival)

LARS KARLSSON Clarinet Concerto

Lapland CO/John Storgårds, sol. Christoff er Sundqvist28.9. Rovaniemi, Finland

MARIE SAMUELSSONEros Eff ect and Solidarity – Love Trilogy No. 3

Nordic CO/Sarah Ioannides8.10. Sundsvall, Sweden

Broström’s Sputnik at the PromsHåkan Hardenberger will take Tobias Broström´s

Sputnik on tour with the Academy of St. Martin in

the Fields in July and August. Th ere will be perfor-

mances in Germany and Norway, and the tour will

end with a concert at the BBC Proms, for which Bro-

ström has also made an arrangement of Brahms´s

Hungarian Dance No. 6 for trumpet, banjo, accordi-

on, piano and strings.

Haglund Festival in HalmstadTommie Haglund will be honoured with a two-

day festival in St. Nicolai Church, in his home-

town Halmstad on 30 September-1 October. Th e

artistic leader is conductor Joachim Gustafsson,

who will present a programme featuring orches-

tral, choral and chamber music works. Partici-

pants include the Göteborg Opera Orchestra,

the St. Nicolai Choir, the Merentin Quartet, et al.

You will fi nd the complete programme at: www.

gehrmans.se/en/calendar.

Heiniö’s Evening on stage and CDTh e choral work Ilta (Evening) by Mikko Hei-

niö can now be heard on the new disc released by

the Key Ensemble. Lasting 53 minutes, it is in fi ve

movements, each in a diff erent language and joined

together by clarinet and cello intermezzos. Th e crit-

ically-acclaimed premiere in September 2015 was

a co-production with the ERI Dance Th eatre to a

choreography by Tiina Lindfors. ERI and the Key

Ensemble conducted by Teemu Honkanen are now

bringing Evening to Helsinki for the fi rst time; the

eagerly-awaited performance will be held in the Almi

Hall of the Finnish National Opera on 8 October.

Staern in focus Th e Båstad Chamber Music Festival’s focus on Ben-

jamin Staern (27 June-2 July) will include the world

premiere of Air – Spiral – Light for guitar and small

ensemble with Jacob Kellermann as soloist. It will

also see the premiere of the piano piece Drop Waves

composed for David Huang. Conducted by Daniel

Raiskin, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra will play

Godai – Th e Five Elements at the Nordic Music Days

in Reykjavik in October. And just before Christmas,

Staern´s family opera Th e Snow Queen (Snödrottnin-

gen), based on H.C. Andersen´s fairy tale, will have

its premiere at the Malmö Opera.

Sandström’s new Piano ConcertoIn March of 2017 the Gothenburg Symphony Or-

chestra will premiere Sven-David Sandström´s

Five Pieces for Piano and Orchestra. Th e work has

been fi nanced by the Anders Wall Foundation and is

dedicated to pianist Peter Friis Johansson who says,

“the piano concerto is a stroke of genius. Th e music is

very personal, full of brilliant ideas, interesting tim-

bres and vivid themes. Th is will be an epic journey

for me and undoubtedly for the audience as well.”

Englund works published Fennica Gehrman is signing an agreement with the

Einar Englund estate for works by him that have not

yet been published. It covers 17 items for orchestra,

among them Th e Great Wall of China, Symphonies

3, 5 and 7, concertos, chamber and vocal music. Th e

birth of Englund 100 years ago is being celebrated

this year with numerous concerts and performances.

Fennica Gehrman recently published new, clean-cop-

ied orchestral material of his Symphony No. 4.

Håkan

Hardenberger

Phot

o: M

arco

Bor

ggre

ve

Peter Friis-Johansson and

Sven-David Sandström

Phot

o: E

mel

ie K

roon

p2

p

p

a

pH I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 6

Mats Larsson Gothe – a musical seekerMats Larsson Gothe doesn´t excuse himself any longer. He writes the music that he wants to write and doesn´t hesitate to bring out the beautiful.

Mats Larsson Gothe is without a

doubt one of Sweden´s most high-

ly acclaimed composers just now.

His opera Blanche and Marie, af-

ter P.O. Enquist´s novel about Marie Curie and

her assistant and friend Blanche Wittman, was a

great success at its premiere during the Capital of

Culture year in Umeå 2014, and was nominated in

the category World Premiere at the International

Opera Awards. His extensive output also includes

orchestral works, solo concertos, chamber music, as

well as songs.

In his opinion, to be a composer is to be contin-

ually seeking, a seeking that never ends. As far as

Mats Larsson Gothe is concerned, this has meant

diff erent artistic directions and diff erent periods

with a variety of aesthetic achievements. But he has

always returned to his point of departure: himself

and his own conscience.

To move the listenerOver the last few years it has become ever more im-

portant for Mats Larsson Gothe that the music he

creates moves the listener on an emotional level. In

the spring of 2016 he was given a comprehensive

portrait with music for both small and large ensem-

bles during the Composer Weekend at the Stock-

holm Concert Hall – fi ve concerts in four days. Th e

premiere of the Th ird Symphony “…de Blanche et

Marie… “ attracted great interest, a continuation of

his opera Blanche and Marie.

Already during the rehearsals of the opera and

when he saw the performances himself, it gradually

dawned on him that he should let this music live on

in some other form.

– Th e fact is that this new symphony is based

in its entirety on material from Blanche and Marie;

at the same time it is important to emphasise that

it is a new work. You neither have to have seen nor

heard the opera to enter into the vast sound world

of the new symphony, he says.

He describes the music as a journey through a

changeable musical landscape, where he puts to-

gether the parts from Blanche and Marie that he

likes best.

– Th e long lines in the music have come to be

essential, he says. For he is keen on keeping the

listeners in his grip and not losing them on the

way. Nor does he make any abrupt changes or play

hide-and–seek with the audience. Th e only thing

that matters is to move the listeners emotionally

and, if possible, to say something about what it is

like to be human.

Poet & ProphetessMats Larsson Gothe´s major breakthrough came

with the opera Poet & Prophetess (2006-07). Th is

was a commission from the Norrland Opera in

collaboration with the Cape Town Opera in South

Africa. In the libretto by Michael Williams both

Swedish and South African eighteenth-century

history are linked up through two historical per-

sons, the Swedish poet Bengt Lidner and the

South African prophetess Jula. Th ey never met in

real life, but in the opera they meet aboard a ship

on the way to Cape Town. She is to be sold as a

slave, he has been sent off by his stepfather who

hoped that the romantic poet would fi nally be-

come a real man by the hard drudgery on the ship.

And just as the opera Blanche and Marie lives on in

the Th ird Symphony, Poet & Prophetess has been

transformed into Th e African Prophetess, a concert

version of the opera that was premiered at the Nor-

rland Opera on 7 April 2016 and performed at the

Stockholm Concert Hall the following evening.

In the summer of 2015 Mats Larsson Gothe

celebrated his 50th birthday and he has been work-

ing as a composer full time for twenty years. For

the Weekend Festival in Stockholm he picked out

the works that he felt most satisfi ed with, but also

music that has meant a lot to him personally, such

as the Trumpet Concerto (1996), which he wrote

during a period when he was more oriented toward

modernism than he is today.

Music came to him at an early age from the Free

Church. His father was a pastor in the Swedish

Missionary Society, where music was important,

and when Mats started to play in the brass band, a

new world opened up to him. He even began to lis-

ten to music by Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and later

during his secondary school years he also found his

way to Lutoslawski, Stockhausen, Boulez, et al. –

composers who profoundly infl uenced his music at

the beginning of his career.

But the composer who has probably meant the

most for Mats Larsson Gothe is Anders Eliasson

(1947-2013), who was also one of his best friends.

– As soon as I had fi nished a piece I went home

to him to play it and get his opinion. He could be

very frank, but we had great respect for one anoth-

er, says Mats.

Epilogos for cello and piano (2008-09) bears the

subtitle “Hommage à Anders Eliasson”. It was the

fi rst piece that Mats had composed after Poet &

Prophetess and it was therefore given the title Ep-

ilogos, channelling at the same time the fatigue he

had experienced after his work on the opera. Th e

music is explosive and pendulates between fervent

intensity, dramatic attacks and frenetic energy.

The Phantom CarriageJust now Mats Larsson Gothe is working almost

exclusively on one extensive and somewhat diff er-

ent task – to write new music to Victor Sjöström´s

classic silent fi lm Körkarlen/Th e Phantom Carriage

from 1920, a commission from the Gothenburg

Symphony Orchestra. Th e music will have its pre-

miere in February of next year in connection with

the Gothenburg Film Festival’s 40th anniversary.

It will be performed live to the fi lm, which will be

projected onto a gigantic screen in the Gothenburg

Concert Hall.

Mats Larsson Gothe compares this creative pro-

cess to writing an opera, but without singers. Th e

singers are replaced by the various actors in the

cast on the fi lm screen, and he follows them just as

painstakingly as if it were a real opera he was work-

ing on. Th e composition of the music is scheduled

to be fi nished by October of this year, and he has

already begun to develop various leitmotivs for the

diff erent characters in the fi lm.

– It is of course a fantastic fi lm, very powerful.

I have had more fun doing this than anything else

I have done up to now, says Mats Larsson Gothe,

who has several exciting projects coming up after

Th e Phantom Carriage, symphonic as well as mu-

sical-dramatic.

Göran Persson

Phot

o: M

ats B

äcke

r

Risoluto e maestoso. q = 48

sff

sff

sff

sff

sff

sff

mf

sff

sff

sff p mf f cresc./dim. similerr5 6

7

6

6 9 6

6

6

6

65 6

5

5

5

5 5

p

con sord.

pp2

p

con sord.

pp

p

con sord.

ppa 2

p

con sord.

ppcon sord. H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 6

There’s a lot of talk these days about crossover and breaking

down fences, but Kirmo Lintinen (b. 1967) – a man with a

fi nger in many musical pies – skims across borders with such

elegance that the thought of crossover barely occurs. For here

is a composer who seamlessly adjusts the ambience and stylistic profi le of

his works, and in doing so creates hybrids with a balanced blend of con-

tents and each with its own crisp, characterful identity.

His sources of inspiration are not diffi cult to spot. Many of them date

from around the 1920s: Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc and the other

members of Les Six. French Baroque and jazz. Historical forms from ron-

do to cavatina fl ow from his pen, as do Afro-American genres. Stravinskyan

kleptomania goes hand in hand with ever gentlemanly musical decorum.

Lintinen graduated from the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department some

two decades ago, but the bulk of his composition studies were with Eero Hämeenniemi in the classical sector. Th e UMO Jazz Orchestra has kept

him busy for nearly thirty years, as pianist, as the conductor of countless

concerts, and for a couple of terms as Artistic Director. Among the items in

his lengthy CV are a jazz concert he arranged and conducted for soprano

Karita Mattila and the artistic planning of several festivals.

Concertos for a variety of instrumentsKirmo Lintinen has an extensive catalogue ranging from opera to chamber

music, fi lm scores and songs for children. In recent years he has added con-

certos for a variety of instruments: 12 in all. Piano Concerto No. 1 (2008)

is a splendid example of his elegant blend of styles. Th e fl owing opening

melody continues in a piano texture reminiscent of Scriabin. Th e skilful

orchestration includes such novel combinations as a tuba, glockenspiel and

piano all playing in unison. Th e abundant use of ornaments could be a relic

of the French Baroque, while the endless one-fi nger melody of the Not-

turno movement pays homage to both Bill Evans and Ravel. Th e quirky,

chipper Scherzo urbano could be described as musical parkour, halting and

leaping onto platforms, fences and walls. Whether the music is soft or loud,

slow or fast, there is always room for a neatly immersed beat in the or-

chestra or solo piano.

Th ere is also a tailored, chic elegance in the Clarinet Concerto (2013) that

slips on as smoothly as a chamois-leather glove. Joining the velvety solo

clarinet, each in turn, are a plodding bass in the nature of a passacaglia,

lush fi fths on the cellos, unusually rich melodic support from the timpa-

ni, a French horn and violin canon, and woodwind arabesques. Sensual,

civilised and conscious of tradition. Even the slow passages proceed with

assurance, while the fast ones positively binge on rhythm. Th e wildly zig-

zagging clarinet plays a game of tag with itself in the leaps of its cadenza.

In the one-movement Tuba Concerto (2014), the soft-lined solo is borne

along by an orchestra of varying timbre and texture that, as it waxes and

wanes, adds to the continuous melodic weave. Th e music is seasoned all

along the way by a rich battery of percussion instruments. Th e Accordion

Concerto (2015) cannot be labelled as jazz, but as an arch endlessly churn-

ing out ideas, it calls to mind a great Keith Jarrett solo.

Humour and hybrids in chamber musicTh e close on 50 chamber works by Lintinen are for their part proof of

his diverse mastery and musicianly approach. Quattro capricci (2004) for

saxophone quartet ends with a movement titled Keaton. Humour, games

and play masked as serious are true Lintinen, as they are in the preceding

Canon movement, where two pairs of saxophones acting as mirror images

chase each other, one a quarter of a bar behind the other.

Th e quintet Marcheairrag (2005), a march, aria and ragtime hybrid, is

both frugal yet extravagant. Parody, empathy, nostalgia and joy are here

inseparable.

Canonische Begegnungen (2006) for oboe, clarinet and piano takes strict

part writing of German type as its starting point, but from the piano’s

opening signal onwards the canons keep straying onto wayward paths.

Here, as in his other works, Lintinen writes music of detailed precision,

full of imagination, free from stereotypical ideas and highly expressive; and

never more so than in the works for his own instrument, the piano.

Jukka Isopuro

sff

ffsff

sff

ff

Fences no obstacle for music’s gentleman

Despite his long history as a prominent fi gure in jazz circles, most of Kirmo Lintinen’s compositions have been in the Classical tradition. His music is full of imagination, free from stereotypical ideas and highly expressive.

Phot

o: M

aarit

Kyt

öhar

ju (M

usic

Fin

land

)

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 6

TOMMIE HAGLUNDDi sogni tessuto (2013) Dur: 18´ organ solo

Tommie Haglund describes this work as a journey between various states of mind, where the main destination

is consolation. The music goes from the tranquil and medita-tive to really big, dark and roaring emotional outbursts. But Haglund also lets the light shine through in the form of im-mensely beautiful melody lines that instil a glimmer of hope.

PAAVO HEININENAiolos (2014) Dur: 80´Concerto for Organ and Symphonic Band:

3373-433(+bar)1

Heininen’s monumental Aiolos, rich in fantasy, is in nine movements each

with its own distinct sound and character. Orchestra and or-gan weave together as one huge, throbbing wind instrument to produce a fascinating mystery and drama: 1½ hours just fl y past listening to this miracle.

MIKKO HEINIÖConcerto for Organ and Orchestra (2012-13) Dur: 25´organ+2222-2200-10-str

At times the organ dances to the beat of an old Italian Saltarello, while at others

it engages in sustained, intense dialogue with the orchestra. The result is an impressive, sublime work steeped in colour. At the heart of the concerto is the Summer Hymn familiar to all Finns, its theme sumptuously and variedly treated before building up to a mighty climax.

GUNNAR IDENSTAMCathedral Music (1995-96) Dur: 76´ organ solo

This suite consists of 17 pieces where virtuosity, form, structure and sonori-

ties from the French tradition of cathedral music are combined with the harmony and energy in the symphonically oriented rock music. There is also inspiration from Swedish folk music and Gregorian chant. Organ virtuoso Gunnar Idenstam off ers us a soundscape fi lled with mysticism, playfulness, brilliance and euphoric delight. The pieces can also be performed sep-arately.

NILS LINDBERGDalecarlian Pictures (2013) Dur: 10´ organ+2222-2200-01-str

Lindberg´s Dalecarlian Pictures was composed for the inauguration of the

new “Organ Acusticum” in Piteå, the largest organ in Scandina-via. The work is based on two folk tunes from Dalarna, a Horn Tune from Gagnef framed by a Marching Tune from Leksand. Lindberg displays once again his skill in combining Swedish folk tradition with a classical tone language.

JYRKI LINJAMALiturgical Concerto for Organ and Strings (2005) Dur: 25´organ+strings: 6-6-4-4-2

This concerto can be performed either in concert or as part of divine worship.

In the opening movement the strings create a lyrical setting

REPER TOIRE T IPS Concert pieces for organ R E V I E W S

and the organ gradually becomes the focus of attention. The middle movement is based on Linjama’s own, jubilant cho-ral transcription of the medieval Christmas carol Puer natus in Bethlehem, and shining through the last movement is a Gregorian chant.

ROLF MARTINSSONChords and Bells (2008) Dur: 10´ organ solo

In this piece chords and harmonies become symbols for bells. The chords

are presented in the quiet fi rst part of the work, after which the sound of fragile bells appears, using colorful registrations and short, rhythmic touches. Towards the end of the piece the bells emerge with full force, furioso in forte fortissimo.

PEHR HENRIK NORDGRENConcerto for Organ and Cham-ber Orchestra (2007) Dur: 26´organ+3perc-hp-str

This is a work of deep hues and dynam-ic variation against a serene orchestral

soundscape. The undercurrent in Nordgren’s music is dark and the melodies are often melancholy and falling, but there is always a way to the light. Nordgren composed the concerto only a year before he died, and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra premiered it with Jan Lehtola as the soloist in 2009.

FREDRIK SIXTENVariations for Organ (2008) Dur: 14´organ solo

11 variations on the Swedish folk song Visa från Åhl (Song from Åhl) intended

for the myriad colours possible on a large symphonic instru-ment. Each of the eleven variations possesses a distinct iden-tity. The contrasting movements include a section for double pedals, a scherzo, varying contrapuntal techniques, tender adagios, and a fugue, all of which are concluded by a toccata. Commissioned and premiered by James D. Hicks.

BENJAMIN STAERNFluxus (2008) Dur: 10´ organ solo

The Latin word fl uxus means fl ow. In Staern´s work it is about diff erent harmonic and rhythmical fl ows, which

toward the end of the work are united in a dancing and vir-tuosic fi nale. Fluxus was written for Hans Fagius, who has played the work more than 30 times in venues throughout Europe and in Japan.

HARRI VIITANENFirmamentum (1985-88) Dur: 45´organ+2222-2220-03-str

The Firmamentum concerto is, says Viitanen – a keen astrologist – like a

Mass in space. His aim was to convert the distances between constellations into relationships between notes. The organ rises out of the initial silence, after which diff erent moods and elements, such as synthetic scales, a chorale and variations, and meditative episodes follow one another and in doing so create astonishing timbral eff ects that reach out to another reality.

Larsson Gothe FestivalHere there are dazzlingly beautiful transitions between pi-

ano and celesta, supporting brass parts and a fervent solo

violin in conversation with a cello. Now and then Stravin-

sky casts a shadow over rhythmically intense passages. But

above all it is his model Anders Eliasson who reappears in

the contrast between expressive outbursts and reconciling

calm. It is intertwined in a refi ned manner to form a unity.

Dagens Nyheter 8.4.

Mats Larsson Gothe: ”…de Blanche et Marie…”

– Symphony No. 3

The performance of African Prophetess was magnifi cent

and explosive… Rhythmical and dramatic, with an apt

staging of the choir and the soloists, this opera may very

well be Larsson Gothe’s best work up till now. For once the

audience´s standing ovations were not at all excessive…

Mats Larsson Gothe is a composer whose music is very

accessible; all remaining prejudices about new art music

being diffi cult come to nought. Aftonbladet 8.4.

Mats Larsson Gothe: African Prophetess

Composer Weekend Festival: Royal Stockholm PO/Benjamin Shwartz, Cape

Town Opera Company, Norrland Opera SO/Rumon Gamba, 7-10.4.2016

Stockholm, Sweden

Eliasson’s amazing sound worldEliasson’s sound world is depicted in well-balanced

water colours… It is the most powerful in its quiet mo-

ments, when a strange beauty, unusual for contem-

porary music, makes its appearance – perhaps most

beautiful in Anna Larsson’s contralto parts.

Dagens Nyheter 14.3.

Anders Eliasson: Dante Anarca

Royal Stockholm PO, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir/Sakari Oramo, sol. Ingela

Brimberg, Anna Larsson, Michael Weinius, Gabriel Suovanen, 10.3.2016

Stockholm, Sweden

It moves in the late Eliasson’s typical landscape in a

state of pure stringency, a restless chromaticism and

here also an almost folk-musical touch and accentua-

tion… The soloist pair wandered together through vi-

olent outbursts, over calmer refl ections to the fi nale’s

fi ddling and urgent soloist lines.

Dalarnas Tidning 10.4.

Anders Eliasson: Concerto per violin ed orchestra da

camera

Dala Sinfonietta/Daniel Blendulf, sol. Fredrik Paulsson, violin, Ellen

Nisbeth, viola, 9.4.2016 Falun, Sweden

Cape Town Opera Choir in African Prophetess

Phot

o: Ja

n-Ol

av W

edin

H I G H L I G H T S 2 / 2 0 1 6

Majestic Heininen concertoThe Aiolos Organ Concerto by Paavo Heininen, last-

ing some half-an-hour in performance, is a mightily

majestic work, but its copious material is credibly and

captivatingly constructed. The wind band and organ

often intertwine and the instruments imitate one an-

other in such a way as to detract from the organ’s solo

dominance. The performance by Jan Lehtola was sim-

ply brilliant. Aamulehti15.4.

Paavo Heininen: Aiolos, Concerto for Organ and

Symphonic Band

Guards Band/Petri Komulainen, sol. Jan Lehtola, 14.4. 2016 Tampere,

Finland

Virtuosic fi reworksWe got half an hour of shifting moods, fi rm

handling of form and material well suited

to the solo instrument… The most mem-

orable of the work’s fi ve interlinked move-

ments was the second, dominated by glo-

riously languorous musical arches on the

woodwinds. In the third movement Mäen-

pää switched to hard sticks and set off a

virtuosic display of rhythmic fi reworks.

Turun Sanomat 24.4.

Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Timpani and

Orchestra

World premiere: Turku PO /Erkki Lasonpalo,

sol. Ari-Pekka Mäenpää, 22.4.2016 Turku, Finland

Breathtaking musical visionsKalevi Aho provided proof of his musical wisdom in his Saxo-

phone Concerto… The concerto revealed his masterly command

of instrumentation and the psychologically correct timing of

events. Breathtakingly beautiful musical visions unfolded during

the performance. In the orchestral part there were ingenious, at-

tention-catching details in, among others, the harp and above all

the percussions.

Satakunnan kansa 12.3.

A grand concerto that banished any preconceived ideas. The work

variedly presented the instrument’s expressive potential, and Esa

Pietilä’s gritty but strictly professional grasp brought a breath of

the world of jazz that fi t the work perfectly. An enjoyable premiere.

Etelä-Saimaa 19.3.Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra

Double premiere: Pori Sinfonietta/Jan Söderblom, Lappeenranta City Orchestra/

Tibor Bogányi, sol. Esa Pietilä 10.3.&17.3., Pori/Lappeenranta, Finland

Congenial SamuelssonIt has more to do with sonorities and atmosphere

than with melodic and harmonic drive forward –

congenial, since the poems depict states of mind,

not narratives. Katija Dragojevic sings with a fl oating

voice about consuming love, at the same time as the

orchestra churns out a fascinating acoustic ambience.

Dagens Nyheter 14.3.

Marie Samuelsson: Aphrodite – Fragments by

Sappho

World premiere: Swedish Radio SO/Daniel Blendulf, sol. Katija Dragoje-

vic, mezzo-soprano, 11.3.2016 Stockholm, Sweden

High point of the evening…The one leaving a mesmerizing impression was the

mystical “Eternal Echo”…it evolves with haunting so-

los, vocalise and echo eff ects, as if emanating from an

isolated group attempting to make human contact…

This work skillfully blends distinct art forms in hybrid

fashion, suggesting a provocative vein for other art-

ists to develop. www.artssf.com 16.5.

Olli Kortekangas: Ikikaiku (Eternal Echo)

Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir/Robert Geary, 14.5.2016

San Francisco, USA

Staern’s most beautiful compositionHe picks up colours and moods and mixes them into

an almost impressionistic shimmer. Over against this

he places the French horn´s solo part, almost luxuri-

ous in its melodic abundance… I would call “Pont de

la mer” Benjamin Staern’s most beautiful composition

thus far. Skånska Dagbladet 2.5.

Benjamin Staern: Pont de la mer

World premiere: Malmö SO/Marc Soustrot, sol. Einar Öhman, French

horn, 30.4.2016 Malmö, Sweden

Subtle melancholyA work that strikes a balance between unadulterated

yearning for beauty and moderate anti-sentimentali-

ty. A subtle melancholy mood is heard right through

the seven movements, and the contrast between the

solo violin´s nakedness and the orchestra´s thunder-

ing power is utilised to the hilt… But the strongest

impression is made by Ticciati, who gets everything

to vibrate with tension. Dagens Nyheter 22.2.

Sven-David Sandström: Seven Pieces for Violin and

Orchestra

World premiere: O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Wind

Ensemble/Kasper de Roo, sol. Hugo Ticciati, violin, 20.2.2016 Stockholm,

Sweden

Wennäkoski’s Amor Omnia SuiteWennäkoski’s work has an amazing eff ect. The music

is refi ned, delicate and sustained. It is as if the musi-

cians were addressing the listener all the time, both

literally and in rhetorical gestures. Hufvudstadsbladet 17.4.

Lotta Wennäkoski: Amor Omnia Suite

World premiere: Tampere PO/Ville Matvejeff , 15.4.2016 Tampere,

Finland

Elegant MeriläinenUsko Meriläinen’s Visions and Whispers (1985) made

a splendid concert come-back. The elegant, sensitive

music of Meriläinen, fl owing along with a natural

breeziness, has become yet more refi ned with the

passing of time. The rich orchestral writing and the

sovereign solo playing by Mikael Helasvuo were com-

pletely at one. Aamulehti 16.4.

Usko Meriläinen: Visions and Whispers

Tampere PO/Ville Matvejeff , sol. Mikael Helasvuo, fl ute, 15.4.2016

Tampere, Finland

Sandström casts lightThe string quartet Brooklyn Rider from New York spins

lovely violin threads through this peacefully billowing

and often lamenting work… You don´t have to be a

believer to fi nd peace when Sandström, if only for 100

minutes, casts light on the way out of the darkness.

Dagens Nyheter 29.3.

Sven-David Sandström’s new work for Easter is incred-

ibly beautiful music, and it is performed by an abso-

lutely world-class chamber choir…

Berlingske 23.3.

Sven David Sandström: Passion of St. John

Danish and Swedish premiere: Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir, Brooklyn

Rider, Jens-Björn Larsen, tuba, sol. Daniel Carlsson, counter tenor, Lars

Möller, baritone, 22.3. 2016 Copenhagen, Denmark, 23.3.2016, Lund,

Sweden

Phot

o: O

le C

hrist

ians

en

Mogens Dahl

Chamber Choir

Katija

Dragojevic

Phot

o: M

attia

s Ahl

m

Lotta

Wennäkoski

Phot

o: M

aarit

Kyt

öhar

ju

Kalevi Aho

Phot

o: R

omai

n Et

ienn

e

ORCHESTRAL & INSTRUMENTAL

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

VOCAL & CHORAL TUTORS & BOOKS

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

Gehrmans Musikförlag AB

Box 42026, SE-126 12 Stockholm, Sweden

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

www.gehrmans.se • info@gehrmans.se

News: news.gehrmans.se

Hire: hire@gehrmans.se

Web shop: www.gehrmans.se

Sales: sales@gehrmans.se

Fennica Gehrman Oy Ab

PO Box 158, FI-00121 Helsinki, Finland

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

www.fennicagehrman.fi • info@fennicagehrman.fi

Hire: hire@fennicagehrman.fi

Web shop: www.fennicagehrman.fi

Sales: kvtilaus@kirjavalitys.fi (dealers)

ANDERS ELIASSONDisegno No. 2Beth Levin, pianoNavona Records NV6016 (Personae)

MIKKO HEINIÖIlta (Evening)Key Ensemble/Teemu Honkanen, Erkki Lahesmaa, cello, Henna Jämsä, clarinetFuga 9409

MATS LARSSON GOTHESymphony No. 2, Apotheosisof the Dance, Autumn DiaryVästerås Sinfonietta, Helsingborg SO/Fredrik BurstedtdB Productions dBCD172

INGVAR LIDHOLMFantasia sopra laudiDan Styff e, double bassSimax PSC1342 (Octophonia)

KAI NIEMINENElegy, Hymnos II, Ancient Songs...Tommi Hyytinen, horn, Päivi Severede, harp, Tuomas Turriago/Emil Holmström piano, Pasi Eerikäinen, violinPilfi nk Records JJVCD 162 (Tired Light - 21st century music for horn)

SELIM PALMGRENPiano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 3Pori Sinfonietta/Jan Söderblom, sol. Henri SigfridssonAlba Records ABCD 385 (The River)

ALLAN PETTERSSONBarefoot SongsOla Sandström, vocals, Mikael Karlsson, electric guitar, Anja Strautmanis, cello,Johan Renman, vibraphoneTröstlösa TRCD005 (Mest ibland tistlar)

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA Four songs from the opera Rasputin for mixed choir and orchestra, Rubáiyát, Balada, Into the Heart of Light (Canto V)Helsinki PO, Helsinki Music Centre Choir/John Storgårds, sol. Gerald Finley, bass-baritone, Mika Pohjonen, tenorOndine ODE 1274-2

JEAN SIBELIUSNorden – Songs by Jean SibeliusPia Freund, soprano, Tommi Hakala, baritone, Kristian Attila, pianoAlba Records ABCD 384

MATHIAS ALGOTSSONBe Not Afraidfor mixed choir a cappellaText: From the oratorium Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn (Eng)GE 12930

Var inte rädd för mörkret/Oh, Do Not Fear the Darknessfor mixed choir a cappellaText: Erik Blomberg/transl. Linda Schenck (Sw/Eng)GE 12931

ANNAKARIN KLOCKARSpeechesfor mixed choir a cappellaText: The Rights of Woman (Olympe de Gouges), The Surrender Speech (Hinmuuttu-valatlat/Chief Joseph), The Best Friend (G. Graham Vest) (Eng)Winner of Allmäna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 2016GE 12947

JYRKI LINJAMALieder der ElisabethFour songs for mezzo-soprano, viola and pianoScore (incl. parts) FG 9790-55011-282-7

JACOB MÜHLRADShevahfor mixed choir a cappellaText: Genesis 1:1 (Hebrew)GE 12821

KJELL PERDERLove is Allfor mixed choir a cappellaText: 1 Cor. 13 (Eng)GE 12885

KARIN REHNQVISTWhen I Close My Eyes, I Dream of Peacefor mixed choir a cappellaText: Anonym Croatian boy (in 12 languages)GE 12918 (full version)GE 12919 (short version)

TAPIO TUOMELARondofor mixed choir Text: Kalevala (Fin)FG 9790-55011-284-1

Rondino for SSAA choirText: after Kanteletar (Fin) FG 9790-55011-285-8

ARJA SUORSARANNANMÄKIColour Keys – The Piano ABC, Book B This colourful, inspiring and modern piano method is a result of long pedagogical work and research at the Sibelius Academy. It is suitable for even the youngest players and can be used in both private and group lessons.FG 9790-55011-166-0

HERMAN RECHBERGERBalkania Rhythms in songs and dances from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, The Republic of Macedonia, Romania and SerbiaA major reference compendium for everyone interested in world music and the Balkan especially. The book includes notation examples, pictures, rhythmic patterns and descriptions of traditional instruments. FG 9790-55011-281-0

MATS LARSSON GOTHEThe Apotheosis of the Dancefor orchestraGE 12932 (score), GE 12934 (study score)

INGVAR LIDHOLMNausikaa ensam/Nausikaa AloneScene for soprano, choir and orchestraGE 12836 (score), GE 12839 (study score)

NILS LINDBERGDalabilder/Dalecarlian Picturesfor organ and orchestraGE 12860 (score), GE 12862 (study score)

JUHANI NUORVALAConcertino for Clarinet & Soundtrackfor Clarinet in A or Basset Clarinet in A (+ CD) FG 9790-55011-283-4

The Apotheosis of the Dance

for orchestra

S C O R E

Mats Larsson Gothe

DalabilderDalecarlian Pictures

for orchestra

S C O R E

Nils Lindberg

GÉZA SZILVAYScales and arpeggios for children 3 (Asteikkoja ja murtosointuja lapsille 3)FG 9790-55011-268-1

Anna-Karin Klockar

SPEECHESfor mixed choir

The Rights of Woman

Surrender Speech

The Best Friend

Winner of Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 2016