NORDIC NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN. Focus on Lintinen & Larsson Gothe

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1 NORDIC HIGHLIGHTS 2/201 NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN Focus on Lintinen & Larsson Gothe

2 NEWS Schnelzer at Weekend Festival Albert Schnelzer will be next year s Weekend Festival Composer at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Scheduled for -9 April, the festival will feature some 15 of his orchestral and chamber works, including the premiere of a new 20-minute orchestral piece dedicated to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic under the direction of Evan Rogister. Jacob Koranyi will be soloist in the cello concerto Crazy Diamond, and the Gävle Symphony Orchestra will make a guest performance, together with Francois Leleux, in the oboe concerto The Enchanter. Kalevi Aho in demand The series of Kalevi Aho concerto premieres continues in Antwerp on 21 October 201 with the performance by the DeFilharmonie of the Double Concerto for English Horn and Harp it has commissioned from him. The soloists will be Anneleen Lenaerts, harp, and Dimitri Mestdag, cor anglais. Aho s 2 nd Violin Concerto will receive its premiere in Kotka on 30 November by the Kymi Sinfonietta. The soloist is Elina Vähälä. Aho s Symphony No. 14 Rituals will receive five performances in August. It is on the tour programme for the Lappeenranta City Orchestra in Finland and Lithuania on August (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. NORDIC HIGHLIGHTS 2/201 NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN Sound samples, video clips and other material are available at 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 (Print), ISSN (Online) Printed in Sweden by TMG Sthlm, Bromma 201 Photo: Hans Lindén Extended agreement Gehrmans has entered into an extended collaboration with Jacob Mühlrad. The 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 Silvana Imam. When Mühlrad receives his master s degree from the composition programme at the Royal College of Music in June there are already many commissions waiting: a violin concerto, a couple of large-scale choral works and a number of chamber music pieces. Photo: David Karlsson Jacob Mühlrad Karlsson and Nieminen The Lapland Chamber Orchestra conducted by John Storgårds is to premiere Lars Karlsson s Clarinet Concerto with Christoffer Sundqvist as the soloist in Rovaniemi on 28 September. BIS will be recording the concerto alongside with Karlsson s Seven Songs for Baritone and Orchestra of poems by Pär Lagerkvist (with soloist Gabriel Suovanen). Solo works by Kai Nieminen are to be premiered 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. Pilfink Records has released a CD including works by Kai Nieminen performed by Tommi Hyytinen, horn (see: New CDs). Photo: Saara Vuorjoki Photo: Beatrice Lundborg Rautavaara s Mine in Hungary Einojuhani Rautavaara s opera The Mine (Kaivos) is in the repertoire of the Hungarian State Opera House in October-November; the first of the four performances is scheduled for 23 October, and there are also plans for bringing the production to Finland. The conductor is Tibor Bogányi and the soloists include Tommi Hakala, Adrienn Miksch and Sándor Balla. The opera is about the Hungarian uprising in 195 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. Photo: Ondine Records Harri Viitanen highlighted The spring 201 issue of the French magazine Orgues Nouvelles has highlighted the organ music of Finnish composer-organist Harri Viitanen. There are two works by him Images d oiseau and Voyager on the accompanying CD, and an article by Carolyn Shuster Fournier extols his music for its universal visions and mystique, calling him a spiritual son of Olivier Messiaen. Viitanen has given many performances in France, at such illustrious churches as Notre Dame and La Sainte-Trinité de Paris, where he gave a recital of his own works in May Päivi Nikkanen-Kalt and Harri Viitanen in front of the Église de la Sainte-Trinité de Paris. HIG HLIG HTS 2/201

3 Håkan Hardenberger PREMIERES Summer 201 Peter Friis-Johansson and Sven-David Sandström Sandström s new Piano Concerto In March of 2017 the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra will premiere Sven-David Sandström s Five Pieces for Piano and Orchestra. The work has been financed by the Anders Wall Foundation and is dedicated to pianist Peter Friis Johansson who says, the piano concerto is a stroke of genius. The music is very personal, full of brilliant ideas, interesting timbres and vivid themes. This 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 The Great Wall of China, Symphonies 3, 5 and 7, concertos, chamber and vocal music. The birth of Englund 100 years ago is being celebrated this year with numerous concerts and performances. Fennica Gehrman recently published new, clean-copied orchestral material of his Symphony No. 4. Kimmo Hakola commissions The Gulbenkian Foundation and the European Concert Hall Organisation have commissioned Kimmo Hakola to compose a piece for clarinet and piano for their concert season. The premiere in London on 19 October by Horácio Ferreira, clarinet, and David Bekker, piano will be followed by a further 1 performances across Europe in autumn 201 and spring 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 first quartet made his breakthrough on winning the Unesco Rostrum competition in Photo: Emelie Kroon Broström s Sputnik at the Proms Håkan Hardenberger will take Tobias Broström s Sputnik on tour with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in July and August. There will be performances in Germany and Norway, and the tour will end with a concert at the BBC Proms, for which Broström has also made an arrangement of Brahms s Hungarian Dance No. for trumpet, banjo, accordion, piano and strings. Haglund Festival in Halmstad Tommie Haglund will be honoured with a twoday festival in St. Nicolai Church, in his hometown Halmstad on 30 September-1 October. The artistic leader is conductor Joachim Gustafsson, who will present a programme featuring orchestral, choral and chamber music works. Participants include the Göteborg Opera Orchestra, the St. Nicolai Choir, the Merentin Quartet, et al. You will find the complete programme at: www. gehrmans.se/en/calendar. Heiniö s Evening on stage and CD The choral work Ilta (Evening) by Mikko Heiniö can now be heard on the new disc released by the Key Ensemble. Lasting 53 minutes, it is in five movements, each in a different language and joined together by clarinet and cello intermezzos. The critically-acclaimed premiere in September 2015 was a co-production with the ERI Dance Theatre to a choreography by Tiina Lindfors. ERI and the Key Ensemble conducted by Teemu Honkanen are now bringing Evening to Helsinki for the first time; the eagerly-awaited performance will be held in the Almi Hall of the Finnish National Opera on 8 October. Staern in focus The Båstad Chamber Music Festival s focus on Benjamin 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 The Five Elements at the Nordic Music Days in Reykjavik in October. And just before Christmas, Staern s family opera The Snow Queen (Snödrottningen), based on H.C. Andersen s fairy tale, will have its premiere at the Malmö Opera. Photo: Marco Borggreve KIMMO HAKOLA Monument Annikka Konttori-Gustafsson, piano Helsinki, Finland String Quartet No. 4 Meta Kemiö, Finland (Kimito Island Music Festival) KAI NIEMINEN Shades... around Stonehenge Ruins Marco Ramelli, guitar 15.. St. Andrews, UK The Smile of Flamboyant Wings Tuomas Mali, piano 2.. Campina, Romania Northern Spells Marko Rutanen, guitar 3.7. Jämsä, Finland MIKKO HEINIÖ When the Boys / Kun pojat James D. Hicks, organ 21.. Turku, Finland Three Morning Songs Sampo Haapaniemi, baritone, Ville Matvejeff, piano Turku, Finland (Turku Music Festival) Jag vill gå mellan rågen Key Ensemble/Teemu Honkanen Turku, Finland (Turku Music Festival) BENJAMIN STAERN Drop Waves David Huang, piano 29.. Båstad, Sweden (Båstad Chamber Music Festival) Air Spiral Light Camilla Hoitenga, flute, Karin Dornbusch, clarinet, Magdalena Meitzner, percussion, David Huang, piano, Nadia Wijzenbeek, violin, Ylvali Zilliacus, viola, Marie Macleod, cello, cond. Christian Karlsen, sol. Jacob Kellermann, guitar 1.7. Båstad, Sweden (Båstad Chamber Music Festival) JACOB MÜHLRAD Point of No Return for solo cello Antonio Hallongren 29.. New York, USA OLLI KORTEKANGAS Valon aika (Time of Light) Juha Kotilainen, baritone, Janne Malinen, guitar 30.. Heinävesi, Finland JYRKI LINJAMA Sonata da chiesa III Petteri Pitko, harpsichord Hiittinen, Finland (Kimito Island Music Festival) KALEVI AHO Passacaglia Marko Ylönen, cello, Timo Korhonen, guitar Luosto, Finland (Luosto Classic) SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖM Föreställningen/The Performance Chamber Opera Ensemble from the Royal Swedish Orchestra/Mattias Böhm, Love Derwinger, piano, Jeanette Köhn, soprano, Katija Dragojevic & Miriam Treichl, mezzo-soprano Stockholm, Sweden (Baltic Sea Festival) LARS KARLSSON Clarinet Concerto Lapland CO/John Storgårds, sol. Christoffer Sundqvist Rovaniemi, Finland MARIE SAMUELSSON Eros Effect and Solidarity Love Trilogy No. 3 Nordic CO/Sarah Ioannides Sundsvall, Sweden HIG HLIG HTS 2/201

4 p Mats Larsson Gothe a musical seeker Mats 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 highly acclaimed composers just now. His opera Blanche and Marie, after 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 continually seeking, a seeking that never ends. As far as Mats Larsson Gothe is concerned, this has meant different artistic directions and different 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 listener Over the last few years it has become ever more important for Mats Larsson Gothe that the music he creates moves the listener on an emotional level. In the spring of 201 he was given a comprehensive portrait with music for both small and large ensembles during the Composer Weekend at the Stockholm Concert Hall five concerts in four days. The premiere of the Third 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. Photo: Mats Bäcker The 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 together the parts from Blanche and Marie that he likes best. The 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. The 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 & Prophetess Mats Larsson Gothe s major breakthrough came with the opera Poet & Prophetess (200-07). This 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 persons, the Swedish poet Bengt Lidner and the South African prophetess Jula. They 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 finally become a real man by the hard drudgery on the ship. And just as the opera Blanche and Marie lives on in the Third Symphony, Poet & Prophetess has been transformed into The African Prophetess, a concert version of the opera that was premiered at the Norrland Opera on 7 April 201 and performed at the Stockholm Concert Hall the following evening. In the summer of 2015 Mats Larsson Gothe celebrated his 50 th birthday and he has been working as a composer full time for twenty years. For the Weekend Festival in Stockholm he picked out the works that he felt most satisfied with, but also music that has meant a lot to him personally, such as the Trumpet Concerto (199), 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 listen 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 influenced his music at the beginning of his career. But the composer who has probably meant the most for Mats Larsson Gothe is Anders Eliasson ( ), who was also one of his best friends. As soon as I had finished 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 another, says Mats. Epilogos for cello and piano ( ) bears the subtitle Hommage à Anders Eliasson. It was the first piece that Mats had composed after Poet & Prophetess and it was therefore given the title Epilogos, channelling at the same time the fatigue he had experienced after his work on the opera. The music is explosive and pendulates between fervent intensity, dramatic attacks and frenetic energy. The Phantom Carriage Just now Mats Larsson Gothe is working almost exclusively on one extensive and somewhat different task to write new music to Victor Sjöström s classic silent film Körkarlen/The Phantom Carriage from 1920, a commission from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. The music will have its premiere in February of next year in connection with the Gothenburg Film Festival s 40th anniversary. It will be performed live to the film, which will be projected onto a gigantic screen in the Gothenburg Concert Hall. Mats Larsson Gothe compares this creative process to writing an opera, but without singers. The singers are replaced by the various actors in the cast on the film screen, and he follows them just as painstakingly as if it were a real opera he was working on. The composition of the music is scheduled to be finished by October of this year, and he has already begun to develop various leitmotivs for the different characters in the film. It is of course a fantastic film, 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 The Phantom Carriage, symphonic as well as musical-dramatic. Göran Persson p 2 p a HIG HLIG HTS 2/201

5 There s a lot of talk these days about crossover and breaking down fences, but Kirmo Lintinen (b. 197) a man with a finger 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 profile of his works, and in doing so creates hybrids with a balanced blend of contents and each with its own crisp, characterful identity. His sources of inspiration are not difficult 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 flow 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 Concertos for a variety of instruments mf Kirmo Lintinen has an extensive catalogue ranging from opera to chamber music, film scores and songs for children. In recent years he has added concertos along the way by a rich battery of percussion instruments. The Accordion for a variety of instruments: 12 in all. Piano Concerto No. 1 (2008) Concerto (2015) cannot be labelled as jazz, but as an arch endlessly churning out ideas, it calls to mind is a splendid example of his elegant blend of styles. The flowing opening a great Keith Jarrett solo. melody continues in a piano texture reminiscent of Scriabin. The skilful 7 9 orchestration includes such novel combinations as a tuba, glockenspiel and piano all playing in unison. The abundant use of ornaments could be a relic Humour and hybrids in chamber music 5 of the French Baroque, while the endless one-finger melody of the Notturno movement pays homage to both Bill The close on 50 chamber works by Lintinen are p mf f cresc./dim. for their simile part proof of Evans and Ravel. The quirky, his diverse 5mastery and musicianly approach. Quattro capricci 5 (2004) for chipper Scherzo urbano could be described as musical parkour, halting and saxophone quartet ends with a movement titled Keaton. Humour, games leaping onto platforms, fences and walls. Whether the music is soft or loud, and play masked as serious are true Lintinen, as they are in the preceding slow or fast, there is always room for a neatly immersed 5 beat in the orchestra or solo piano. chase each other, one a quarter of a bar behind the other. Canon movement, where two pairs of saxophones acting as mirror images There is also a tailored, chic elegance in the Clarinet Concerto con sord. (2013) that The quintet Marcheairrag (2005), a march, aria and ragtime hybrid, is slips on as smoothly as a chamois-leather glove. Joining the velvety solo both frugal yet extravagant. Parody, empathy, nostalgia and joy are here clarinet, each in turn, are a plodding bass in the nature of a passacaglia, inseparable. pp lush fifths on the cellos, unusually rich melodic support from the timpani, a French horn and violin canon, and woodwind arabesques. Canonische Begegnungen (200) for oboe, clarinet and piano takes strict con sord. Sensual, part writing of German type as its starting point, but from the piano s civilised and conscious of tradition. Even the slow passages proceed with opening signal onwards the canons keep straying onto wayward paths. pp assurance, while the fast ones positively binge on rhythm. The wildly zigzagging clarinet plays a game of tag with itself in the leaps Here, as in his other works, Lintinen writes music con sord. of its cadenza. of detailed precision, full of imagination, free from stereotypical ideas and highly expressive; and In the one-movement Tuba Concerto (2014), the soft-lined solo is borne never more so than in the works for his own instrument, the piano. pp along by an orchestra of varying timbre and texture that, as it waxes and 2 con sord. wanes, adds to the continuous melodic weave. The music is seasoned all Jukka Isopuro pp con sord. HIG HLIG HTS 2/201 Risoluto e maestoso. q = 48 p Fences no obstacle for music s gentleman Despite his long history as a prominent figure 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. Hämeenniemi in the classical sector. The 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. Photo: Maarit Kytöharju (Music Finland)

6 REPERTOIRE TIPS Concert pieces for organ REVIEWS TOMMIE HAGLUND Di sogni tessuto (2013) Dur: 18 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 meditative to really big, dark and roaring emotional outbursts. But Haglund also lets the light shine through in the form of immensely beautiful melody lines that instil a glimmer of hope. PAAVO HEININEN Aiolos (2014) Dur: 80 Concerto for Organ and Symphonic Band: (+bar)1 Heininen s monumental Aiolos, rich in fantasy, is in nine movements each with its own distinct sound and character. Orchestra and organ weave together as one huge, throbbing wind instrument to produce a fascinating mystery and drama: 1½ hours just fly past listening to this miracle. MIKKO HEINIÖ Concerto for Organ and Orchestra ( ) Dur: 25 organ 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 IDENSTAM Cathedral Music (1995-9) Dur: 7 This suite consists of 17 pieces where virtuosity, form, structure and sonorities 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 offers us a soundscape filled with mysticism, playfulness, brilliance and euphoric delight. The pieces can also be performed separately. NILS LINDBERG Dalecarlian Pictures (2013) Dur: 10 organ str Lindberg s Dalecarlian Pictures was composed for the inauguration of the new Organ Acusticum in Piteå, the largest organ in Scandinavia. 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 LINJAMA Liturgical Concerto for Organ and Strings (2005) Dur: 25 organ+strings: This concerto can be performed either in concert or as part of divine worship. In the opening movement the strings create a lyrical setting and the organ gradually becomes the focus of attention. The middle movement is based on Linjama s own, jubilant choral transcription of the medieval Christmas carol Puer natus in Bethlehem, and shining through the last movement is a Gregorian chant. ROLF MARTINSSON Chords and Bells (2008) Dur: 10 In this piece chords and harmonies become symbols for bells. The chords are presented in the quiet first 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 NORDGREN Concerto for Organ and Chamber Orchestra (2007) Dur: 2 organ+3perc-hp-str This is a work of deep hues and dynamic 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 FREDRIK SIXTEN Variations for Organ (2008) Dur: variations on the Swedish folk song Visa från Åhl (Song from Åhl) intended for the myriad colours possible on a large symphonic instrument. Each of the eleven variations possesses a distinct identity. 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 STAERN Fluxus (2008) Dur: 10 The Latin word fluxus means flow. In Staern s work it is about different harmonic and rhythmical flows, which toward the end of the work are united in a dancing and virtuosic finale. Fluxus was written for Hans Fagius, who has played the work more than 30 times in venues throughout Europe and in Japan. HARRI VIITANEN Firmamentum ( ) Dur: 45 organ 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 different moods and elements, such as synthetic scales, a chorale and variations, and meditative episodes follow one another and in doing so create astonishing timbral effects that reach out to another reality. Cape Town Opera Choir in African Prophetess Larsson Gothe Festival Here there are dazzlingly beautiful transitions between piano and celesta, supporting brass parts and a fervent solo violin in conversation with a cello. Now and then Stravinsky 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 refined 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 magnificent 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 difficult 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, Stockholm, Sweden Eliasson s amazing sound world Eliasson s sound world is depicted in well-balanced water colours It is the most powerful in its quiet moments, when a strange beauty, unusual for contemporary music, makes its appearance perhaps most beautiful in Anna Larsson s contralto parts. Dagens Nyheter Anders Eliasson: Dante Anarca Royal Stockholm PO, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir/Sakari Oramo, sol. Ingela Brimberg, Anna Larsson, Michael Weinius, Gabriel Suovanen, 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 accentuation The soloist pair wandered together through violent outbursts, over calmer reflections to the finale s fiddling and urgent soloist lines. Dalarnas Tidning Anders Eliasson: Concerto per violin ed orchestra da camera Dala Sinfonietta/Daniel Blendulf, sol. Fredrik Paulsson, violin, Ellen Nisbeth, viola, Falun, Sweden Photo: Jan-Olav Wedin HIG HLIG HTS 2/201

7 Congenial Samuelsson It 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 floating voice about consuming love, at the same time as the orchestra churns out a fascinating acoustic ambience. Dagens Nyheter Marie Samuelsson: Aphrodite Fragments by Sappho World premiere: Swedish Radio SO/Daniel Blendulf, sol. Katija Dragojevic, mezzo-soprano, Stockholm, Sweden High point of the evening The one leaving a mesmerizing impression was the mystical Eternal Echo it evolves with haunting solos, vocalise and echo effects, 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 artists to develop Olli Kortekangas: Ikikaiku (Eternal Echo) Piedmont East Bay Children s Choir/Robert Geary, San Francisco, USA Katija Dragojevic Staern s most beautiful composition He 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 luxurious 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, Malmö, Sweden Photo: Mattias Ahlm Lotta Wennäkoski Wennäkoski s Amor Omnia Suite Wennäkoski s work has an amazing effect. The music is refined, delicate and sustained. It is as if the musicians were addressing the listener all the time, both literally and in rhetorical gestures. Hufvudstadsbladet Lotta Wennäkoski: Amor Omnia Suite World premiere: Tampere PO/Ville Matvejeff, Tampere, Finland Majestic Heininen concerto The Aiolos Organ Concerto by Paavo Heininen, lasting 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 another in such a way as to detract from the organ s solo dominance. The performance by Jan Lehtola was simply brilliant. Aamulehti15.4. Paavo Heininen: Aiolos, Concerto for Organ and Symphonic Band Guards Band/Petri Komulainen, sol. Jan Lehtola, Tampere, Finland Elegant Meriläinen Usko Meriläinen s Visions and Whispers (1985) made a splendid concert come-back. The elegant, sensitive music of Meriläinen, flowing along with a natural breeziness, has become yet more refined with the passing of time. The rich orchestral writing and the sovereign solo playing by Mikael Helasvuo were completely at one. Aamulehti 1.4. Usko Meriläinen: Visions and Whispers Tampere PO/Ville Matvejeff, sol. Mikael Helasvuo, flute, Tampere, Finland Photo: Maarit Kytöharju Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir Sandström casts light The 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 find peace when Sandström, if only for 100 minutes, casts light on the way out of the darkness. Dagens Nyheter Sven-David Sandström s new work for Easter is incredibly beautiful music, and it is performed by an absolutely world-class chamber choir Berlingske 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, Copenhagen, Denmark, , Lund, Sweden Subtle melancholy A work that strikes a balance between unadulterated yearning for beauty and moderate anti-sentimentality. A subtle melancholy mood is heard right through the seven movements, and the contrast between the solo violin s nakedness and the orchestra s thundering power is utilised to the hilt But the strongest impression is made by Ticciati, who gets everything to vibrate with tension. Dagens Nyheter 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, Stockholm, Sweden Photo: Ole Christiansen Kalevi Aho Photo: Romain Etienne Breathtaking musical visions Kalevi Aho provided proof of his musical wisdom in his Saxophone 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, attention-catching details in, among others, the harp and above all the percussions. Satakunnan kansa 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 fit the work perfectly. An enjoyable premiere. Etelä-Saimaa 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 Virtuosic fireworks We got half an hour of shifting moods, firm handling of form and material well suited to the solo instrument The most memorable of the work s five interlinked movements was the second, dominated by gloriously languorous musical arches on the woodwinds. In the third movement Mäenpää switched to hard sticks and set off a virtuosic display of rhythmic fireworks. Turun Sanomat Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra World premiere: Turku PO /Erkki Lasonpalo, sol. Ari-Pekka Mäenpää, Turku, Finland HIG HLIG HTS 2/201

8 SCORE SCORE NEW PUBLICATIONS NEW CDs VOCAL & CHORAL MATHIAS ALGOTSSON Be Not Afraid Text: From the oratorium Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn (Eng) GE Var inte rädd för mörkret/oh, Do Not Fear the Darkness Text: Erik Blomberg/ transl. Linda Schenck (Sw/Eng) GE ANNA-KARIN KLOCKAR Speeches Text: 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 201 GE JYRKI LINJAMA Lieder der Elisabeth Four songs for mezzo-soprano, viola and piano Score (incl. parts) FG JACOB MÜHLRAD Shevah Text: Genesis 1:1 (Hebrew) GE KJELL PERDER Love is All Text: 1 Cor. 13 (Eng) GE KARIN REHNQVIST When I Close My Eyes, I Dream of Peace Text: Anonym Croatian boy (in 12 languages) GE (full version) GE (short version) TAPIO TUOMELA Rondo for mixed choir Text: Kalevala (Fin) FG Rondino for SSAA choir Text: after Kanteletar (Fin) FG Winner of Allmänna Sången & Anders Wall Composition Award 201 Anna-Karin Klockar SPEECHES for mixed choir The Rights of Woman Surrender Speech The Best Friend TUTORS & BOOKS GÉZA SZILVAY Scales and arpeggios for children 3 (Asteikkoja ja murtosointuja lapsille 3) FG ARJA SUORSA-RANNANMÄKI Colour 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 HERMAN RECHBERGER Balkania Rhythms in songs and dances from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, The Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Serbia A 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 ORCHESTRAL & INSTRUMENTAL MATS LARSSON GOTHE The Apotheosis of the Dance for orchestra GE (score), GE (study score) INGVAR LIDHOLM Nausikaa ensam/nausikaa Alone Scene for soprano, choir and orchestra GE 1283 (score), GE (study score) NILS LINDBERG Dalabilder/Dalecarlian Pictures for organ and orchestra GE 1280 (score), GE 1282 (study score) JUHANI NUORVALA Concertino for Clarinet & Soundtrack for Clarinet in A or Basset Clarinet in A (+ CD) FG Mats Larsson Gothe The Apotheosis of the Dance Nils Lindberg Dalabilder Dalecarlian Pictures for orchestra for orchestra ANDERS ELIASSON Disegno No. 2 Beth Levin, piano Navona Records NV01 (Personae) MIKKO HEINIÖ Ilta (Evening) Key Ensemble/Teemu Honkanen, Erkki Lahesmaa, cello, Henna Jämsä, clarinet Fuga 9409 MATS LARSSON GOTHE Symphony No. 2, Apotheosis of the Dance, Autumn Diary Västerås Sinfonietta, Helsingborg SO/Fredrik Burstedt db Productions dbcd172 INGVAR LIDHOLM Fantasia sopra laudi Dan Styffe, double bass Simax PSC1342 (Octophonia) KAI NIEMINEN Elegy, Hymnos II, Ancient Songs... Tommi Hyytinen, horn, Päivi Severede, harp, Tuomas Turriago/ Emil Holmström piano, Pasi Eerikäinen, violin Pilfink Records JJVCD 12 (Tired Light - 21st century music for horn) SELIM PALMGREN Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Pori Sinfonietta/Jan Söderblom, sol. Henri Sigfridsson Alba Records ABCD 385 (The River) ALLAN PETTERSSON Barefoot Songs Ola Sandström, vocals, Mikael Karlsson, electric guitar, Anja Strautmanis, cello, Johan Renman, vibraphone Tröstlösa 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, tenor Ondine ODE JEAN SIBELIUS Norden Songs by Jean Sibelius Pia Freund, soprano, Tommi Hakala, baritone, Kristian Attila, piano Alba Records ABCD 384 For further information about our works or representatives worldwide check our web sites or contact us at: Gehrmans Musikförlag AB Box 4202, SE Stockholm, Sweden Tel Fax info@gehrmans.se News: news.gehrmans.se Hire: hire@gehrmans.se Web shop: Sales: sales@gehrmans.se Fennica Gehrman Oy Ab PO Box 158, FI Helsinki, Finland Tel Fax info@fennicagehrman.fi Hire: hire@fennicagehrman.fi Web shop: Sales: kvtilaus@kirjavalitys.fi (dealers)