NO

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IC4/2018HIGHLIGHTS

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

Marie Samuelsson

Armas Järnefelt

– an all-round

Romantic

N E W SN

OR

DICHIGHLIGHTS 4/2018

NEWSLET TER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN

Sound samples , video clipsand other material are available at

www.gehrmans.se/highlights

Cover photo: Marie Samuelsson (Josef Doukkali)

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 2018

H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8

Whittall and Heininen

commissionsMatthew Whittall has been commissioned to

write the obligatory piece for the Banff Inter-

national String Quartet Competition in August

2019. Another work to be premiered next year is

the commission from Musica Nova Helsinki for

the Crash Ensemble. It will be on the festival’s

programme on 2 February, in Helsinki.

Paavo Heininen is composing a piece for vi-

olin and orchestra as a commission from the St.

Michel Strings. Th ere will be two performances:

on 23 May in Mikkeli and 24 May in Helsinki.

Th e soloist will be Kaija Saarikettu.

Söderqvist at the Nobel Prize

Concert Ann-Sofi Söder-qvist’s Movements

opens this year’s

Nobel Prize Con-

cert in Stockholm

on 9 December.

Th is is music

about movements

in our time: ref-

ugees on the run

and people’s vul-

nerability. Kari-na Cannelakis conducts the Royal Stockholm

Philharmonic. Söderqvist has also attracted

attention during Gehrmans’ 125th anniversary

for her choral work What Is Life? , which was

part of the project #swedishchoralmusic, and as

composer of Gehrmans’ jubilee work, City Life

for orchestra, a companion piece to Lars-Erik

Larsson’s Pastoral Suite (premiered by O/Mod-

ernt Soloists and New Generation on 11 No-

vember).

Tommie Haglund festivalA three-day Tommie Haglund festival took

place on 19-21 October in Halmstad. Fifteen

of his chamber and orchestral works were per-

formed by top musicians from the USA, Eng-

land, Denmark and Sweden, e.g. Jakob Kullberg

as soloist in the cello concerto Flaminis Aura

and Ilya Kaler as soloist in the violin concerto

Hymnen an die Nacht. Th e Helsingborg Sym-

phony Orchestra performed under the direction

of Joachim Gustafsson. (See: Reviews) Kalevi Aho at 70 Kalevi Aho will be 70 on 9 March 2019. Th ere will be no fewer than 12 premieres during 2019, starting with the Con-

certo for Two Bassoons composed on the initiative of Bram van Sambeek, himself a bassoonist. Th is will be at a concert

by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra on 18 January, and

will be followed the next day by Kirje tuolle puolen (A

Letter to the Netherworld) for string orchestra commis-

sioned by the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra.

On 11 May, the Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello

and Piano will receive its world premiere by the

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and the Storioni

Trio, and the previous day the Lapland Chamber

Orchestra and Ismo Eskelinen will perform his new

Guitar Concerto. Th e Lahti Symphony will also celebrate Aho by premiering his 17th Symphony on 4 April – a joint

commission by the Lahti and Gothenburg orchestras.

Mats Larsson Gothe awarded Th e major Christ Johnson Prize has been awarded to

Mats Larsson Gothe for his …de Blanche et Marie…–

Symphony No. 3. Th e jury’s motivation is as follows:

”With a personal musical language, an unerring feeling

for form, brilliant orchestration and an impressive craft

of composition, Larsson Gothe passes on with a sure

hand the great symphonic tradition of our time.” Th e

symphony is based on motifs from his acclaimed

opera Blanche and Marie and was premiered by

the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic during their

Composer Weekend Festival 2016.

Joonas Kokkonen

centenary 2021Th e year 2021 will mark the centenary of the

birth of Joonas Kokkonen. More and more

music by him has been fi nding its way back into

concert programmes in the past few years, and

his opera Viimeiset kiusaukset (Th e Last Temp-

tations) is still one of the Finnish operas

most often performed. Fennica Gehrman has

published a new version of the impressive Requi-

em he composed in 1981 in memory of his wife.

Th e arrangement by Jouko Linjama is for organ,

mixed choir and soloists. Th e Cello Concerto

has also found an established place in the rep-

ertoire; it was heard most recently in the Finals

of the International Paulo Cello Competition in

October 2018.

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Ann-Sofi Söderqvist

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H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8

PREMIERESJanuary–March 2019

KALEVI AHOConcerto for Two Bassoons and OrchestraWarsaw PO/ Niklas Willén, sol. Bram van Sambeek, Leszek Wachnik18.1. Warsaw, Poland

Kirje tuolle puolen (Letter to the Netherworld)Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas19.1. Kokkola, Finland

VELI-MATTI PUUMALAHommages Fugitifs 2 (9 bagatelles for piano): No. 1Emil Holmström30.1. Kaustinen, Finland

MATTHEW WHITTALLA new work for ensembleCrash Ensemble2.2. Helsinki, Finland (Musica nova)

JÖRGEN DAFGÅRDTableau vivant for violin and orchestraMalmö SO/Anja Bihlmaier, sol. Daniel Lozakovitj, violin6.2. Malmö, Sweden

JACOB MÜHLRADConcert opening pieceGävle SO/Daniel Bjarnason6.2. Gävle, Sweden

JUHANI NUORVALAFlash Flash (opera)NYKY Ensemble/Nils Schweckendiek, sol. Tuuli Lindeberg, David Hackston, Martti Anttila, Sampo Haapaniemi etc. 9.2. Helsinki, Finland (Musica nova)

ALBERT SCHNELZEREmperor Akbar for chamber orchestraVästerås Sinfonietta/Anja Bihlmaier21.2. Västerås, Sweden

Piano Concerto – This is Your KingdomSwedish Radio SO/Thomas Søndergaard, sol. Conrad Tao14.3. Stockholm, Sweden

OLLI KORTEKANGASWhen not if (Five Love Songs)Nicholas Söderlund, bass, Hans-Otto Ehrström, piano9.3. Naantali, Finland

TOBIAS BROSTRÖMConcerto for Two Trumpets and OrchestraMalmö SO/John Storgårds, sol. Håkan Hardenberger, Jeroen Berwaerts14.3. Malmö, Sweden

TOMMIE HAGLUNDSymphony No. 1Royal Stockholm Philharmonic/Tobias Ringborg28.3. Stockholm, Sweden (Stockholm Composer Weekend)

KAI NIEMINENFragmental Refl ections Osmo Palmu, guitar30.3. Oulu, Finland

Choral premieresA number of exciting choral premieres

has taken place during the past months.

Karin Rehnqvist’s Songs from the North,

built on Inuit poems, was premiered by

the American chamber choir Sacred

& Profane in Berkeley. Kjell Perder’s

Befria de förtryckta! (Set the Oppressed

Free!) had its fi rst performance with

the Danderyd Vocal Ensemble and was

heard again at the Lund Sacred Con-

temporary Music Festival in October.

October also saw the premieres of An-na-Karin Klockar’s Forever Hurts per-

formed by the Esoterics in Seattle, and

Sven-David Sandström’s In paradisum

by the Lund Vocal Ensemble, at the

Lund Choral Festival.

Jacob Mühlrad’s TimeJacob Mühlrad’s large-scale a cappella

work Time was premiered by the Swed-

ish Radio Choir and Ragnar Bohlin in

Stockholm on 17 November. In the work

Mühlrad has translated the word time

into 27 diff erent languages and arranged

them in order of timbre. Th e work also

includes excerpts of the Psalm 19 in He-

brew and in English. Time is an interna-

tional co-commission from the Swedish

Radio Choir, Cappella San Francisco, the Tapiola Chamber Choir and WDR

Rundfunkchor Köln. Th e US premiere

is scheduled for 23 February in Berkeley,

the Finnish premiere 10 March in Hel-

sinki and the German premiere 14 June

in Cologne.

Cecilia DamströmCecilia Damström (b.

1988) has been awarded

the Rosenberg-Gehrmans

Scholarship 2018 for a

young composer. Gehr-

mans is also starting a col-

laboration with her. De-

spite her young age, Cecilia

Damström already has a

long list of works, including

orchestral, chamber and

choral music, as well as two

chamber operas. To start

with, Gehrmans is publish-

ing three short orchestral

pieces: Lucrum, Tundo!

and Infi rmus, as well as a trilogy of quintets inspired by the

lives of three women, Aino , Minna and Helene, and the

string quartet Letters composed for the Brodsky Quartet.

At present Damström is working on a commission for the

Finnish National Opera, a children’s opera Planet of the An-

imals, which will have its premiere in March 2019. Dam-

ström has studied composition at the Tampere University

of Applied Sciences with Hannu Pohjannoro, and has just

completed her Master’s Degree under Luca Francesconi at

the Malmö Academy of Music.

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String quartets by Kai NieminenString Quartet No. 3, ‘Gestures of Winter’, by Kai Nie-minen has already had 15 performances. Composed

in 2017 for the Meri-Lappi String Quartet, it extols

the wonders of the arctic winter: the Northern Lights, darkness shrouded in mystery, and frosty shivers. Th e

work is one of the items on a CD to be released by

Pilfi nk Records on 5 March and including all three Nieminen string quartets.

While on tour in autumn 2018, the Meri-Lappi

Quartet performed also the string quartets by Juhani Nuorvala and Jaakko Kuusisto in addition to Ges-

tures of Winter.

Premiere of Nuorvala’s Flash Flash Th e opera Flash Flash by Juhani Nuorvala is to be pre-

miered on 9 February, at next year’s Musica nova Helsinki.

Th ere will be two performances, after which it will enter

the repertoire of the Espoo Th eatre with four more. Th e

production will be directed by Erik Söderblom, with a

cast that includes Tuuli Lindeberg, David Hackston,

Martti Anttila and Sampo Haapaniemi.Flash Flash has also been called the Warhol Opera, be-

cause the English libretto by Juha Siltanen is an exhilarating

rewind of the life of Andy Warhol. Th e music is a fearless

combination of classical, minimalist and pop.

Cecilia Damström

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Meri-Lappi String Quartet

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KAI NIEMINENFragmental Refl ections Osmo Palmu, guitar30.3. Oulu, Finland

Meri-Lappi String Quartet

H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8

Armas Järnefelt (1869–1958) was

born into a patriotic, arts-loving

family. His close connection with

Jean Sibelius was refl ected in his

own compositions in National-Romantic vein.

Järnefelt studied with Martin Wegelius at the

Helsinki Music Institute in the late 1880s, and

composition in Berlin and Paris in the early years

of the following decade, combining national ele-

ments with his Late-Romantic idiom. Th e music

of Richard Wagner, in particular, became a ma-

jor model for him.

In 1893, Järnefelt married Maikki Pakari-nen, a soprano, and through her opera career he

soon got a chance to conduct opera in Germany.

Th is paved the way for the role of conductor that

would later dominate his career. His interest in

Wagner was also visible here, and he would in

time conduct almost all the Wagner operas.

Not until the present century has the richness

of Armas Järnefelt’s music been truly appreciat-

ed. In this respect, he resembles Erkki Melartin,

at one time familiar to concert audiences main-

ly only for his solemn march for the play Th e

Sleeping Beauty; for the name Järnefelt is most

often associated with his beautiful Berceuse

for violin and small orchestra, in its various ar-

rangements. Astonishingly little attention has

been paid to his other works. Th ere are, perhaps,

two reasons for this, as he pointed out in a radio interview he made in old age: one was that, like

many of his Finnish composer contemporaries,

he was overshadowed by the internationally fa-mous Jean Sibelius, and the other was his focus

on conducting.

Stylistic diversityTh e orchestral works of Armas Järnefelt are both original and bold. Th e instrumental parts are of-

ten demanding, especially in the quick passages,

and he often arrived at some interesting formal

solutions. Th e most distinctive feature of his mu-

sic is, however, its stylistic diversity, including the infl uence of Sibelius and Finnish folk music, and

of German, French, Russian and other Roman-

ticism. He wrote relatively few works, but they cover genres ranging from solo songs to stage

music and from cantatas to utility music, and it

Armas Järnefelt – an all-round RomanticNext year will mark Armas Järnefelt’s 150th anniversary of birth. Järnefelt was defi nitely one of the most exciting and most original Finnish composers of the Romantic era. Not until the present cen-tury has the richness of his music been truly appreciated.

was he who composed the earliest

Finnish fi lm score, for Laulu tuli-

punaisesta kukasta (Th e Song of

the Crimson Flower, dir. Mauritz

Stiller) premiered in 1919.

Järnefelt composed his six-move-

ment Serenade in 1893 while

studying in Paris as a pupil of Jules Massenet. It was fi rst performed in

Helsinki in the spring of that year.

Some claim they can detect French

infl uences, and the second and third movements in

particular call Gabriel Fauré to mind. Th e special

feature of this Serenade is its many eloquent solos.

It is a surprisingly mature piece and reckoned to be

one of Järnefelt’s most interesting multi-movement

works.

Infl uences of Central EuropeTh e Symphonic Fantasy (1895) is a romantic

synthesis, astoundingly expressive and origi-

nal. Its National-Romantic ethos is especially

marked in the lyrical passages, but the full Ro-

mantic trends of Central Europe are also very

much in evidence. While studying in Berlin,

Järnefelt had been introduced to the very latest

ideas on orchestration. Th e infl uence of Strauss

and Wagner can be sensed in the textures, forms

and timbres. Th e aesthetic world of the Sym-

phonic Fantasy, modern for its times and avoid-ing clear formal schemes was too much for con-

temporary Helsinki concert audiences and the

critics had not a good word to say for it. Th is

must have been a great blow for Järnefelt, as he

let the work be forgotten.

Th e Suite in E fl at (1897) consists of fi ve

orchestral character pieces representing a varie-

ty of styles in Järnefelt’s customary manner. By

the time he wrote it, he had been working in

Germany for some time, and this can be heard

in the Suite. Th e Finnish national elements have

mainly been replaced by, for example, hints of

beautiful German folk Ländler, and the move-

ments vary in style from Wagnerian to Romantic

Russian.

Possibly the best-known orchestral work

by Järnefelt is the symphonic poem Korsholma

(1894), which, like the Symphonic Fantasy, has

National-Romantic passages and, among other

things, allusions to Finnish folk tunes. Th e infl u-ence of Wagner is audible in the second half, and

the piece ends with an imposing quotation from

the hymn Ein feste Burg.Armas Järnefelt was defi nitely one of the most

exciting and most original Finnish composers of

the Romantic era, and his fi rst-class works de-

serve a more frequent hearing.

Pasi Lyytikäinen

FootnoteIn honour of the jubilee year, Fennica Gehrman

is publishing previously unpublished works by

Järnefelt. One of these is Miranda, the incidental

music to the fairytale play by Topelius (1901). The

Lahti Conservatory and Lahti Youth Theatre will be

performing it on 1–2 February.

H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8

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2018 has been an eventful year for Marie Samuelsson. It began with the Ger-

man premiere of her orchestral work

Air Drum III with the MDR Sinfonie-

orchester, for which the three large ventilating

shafts, two metres high, were transported all the

way from Stockholm to Leipzig for the concert.

After that she was off to the USA and the Amer-

ican premiere of The Eros Eff ect and Solidarity.

Th is year’s work is now completed, with prepa-

rations for the new CD production that has been

recorded during the past year. Th e third CD-por-

trait with Marie Samuelsson’s music includes

Th e Love Trilogy and a work standing on its

own, Airborne Lines and Rumbles. Th e Love Tril-

ogy is the result of three commissioned works

composed in 2014-2016. Th ese have so far only

been performed separately, but are also intended

to be played as a suite, since all the movements

are tied together both thematically and musical-

ly. According to Samuelsson, this music is more

audacious than her earlier compositions, and of

course she is hoping in the future to be able to hear all three works performed in the same con-

cert. Airborne Lines and Rumbles is an exciting

work from 2009 in which the composer says she started to use material that she later continued

to work with in the trilogy. In this way the whole

record forms an interesting unity.

Music in the name of loveWhen the individual works were to be composed

it was both private and societal events that led

Marie Samuelsson’s thoughts to love. When our age is described in the media, scope is given

mainly to hate, wars and what is frightful, but yet

it is love that carries humanity forward in our

development. It was also a question of how con-

temporary music can be a language of the emo-

Th e Love Trilogy – three commissioned works composed in 2014-2016 – will soon be available on a CD-portrait which aims at answering the ques-tion of how contemporary music can be a language of the emotions and ex-press romanticism in a modern way. “From a conversation with Samuelsson I understand how important modern music can be, and how it can, in its own special way, tackle essential feelings and diffi cult subjects. Above all, I understand that it is still needed”, says the author Elin Hermansson.

tions and express romanticism in a modern way.

Th is is quite in line with Samuelsson’s composi-

tional work in general, which often investigates

bodily and sensual presence in music. Th e solo

parts are not seldom worked out in collaboration

with the musicians who are going to perform the

music. Th ere are no mathematical formulas here,

but instead she takes advantage of the physical

capacities available. Perhaps this less individ-

ualistic way of creating music contributes to a

somewhat more organic and vivid result.

Th e fi rst part of Th e Love Trilogy, Aphrodite

– Fragments of Sappho, for mezzo-soprano and

orchestra, was written on commission from the

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and treats

of erotic love. In 2014 a previously unknown

papyrus fragment – ”Th e Kypris Poem” – was

discovered in London. It was written by the fi rst

known female poet, Sappho, who lived on the is-

land of Lesbos. Th e fragment can be heard here

in its fi rst ever setting to music together with

four other fragments. In the orchestral sonorities

we hear the ocean waves, whose long lines con-

trast with the seductive vocal parts’ extensions

of the tones, melismas that were worked out to-

gether with mezzo-soprano Katija Dragojevic.

Th e Malmö Symphony Orchestra commis-

sioned the second part of Th e Love Trilogy, A

New Child of Eternity, To my two sons, which de-picts fi lial aff ection. A verse from Göran Sonne-vi’s Th e Impossible (Det omöjliga) (1975), which

had long hung on Samuelsson’s wall, inspired the

work –”Every child carries / in its body’s swirl-

ing core / a new child / of eternity”. Th e solo part is composed to resemble a small child who

cannot sit still, and Samuelsson thinks there is

an interesting driving force that makes children want to move around quickly in the early years,

to be able later to grow up into adulthood. Th e

orchestral texture answers, supports and calms

the whirling solo part, which does not always live

in lightness but also goes through diffi culties.

Freedom and solidarityIn Th e Eros Eff ect and Solidarity for chamber

orchestra, the third part of the trilogy, love has

been extended to such solidarity as can arise

between people. Th e text to the music which is

recited collectively by the orchestra was worked

out from George Katciafi ca’s article Th e Eros Ef-

fect (1989), and opens with the words, ”Humans

have an internal need of freedom.” It describes

how mankind, by combining rationality and emo-

tional intuition, can come together and create

freedom movements. Th e work was premiered

by the Nordic Chamber Orchestra and the con-

ductor Sarah Ioannides, who later took it along

to the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra in the USA,

where, according to the composer, it led to some

heated discussions. In this way the work can also

be seen as a political statement, and it appears at a

time when there is a greater than ever polarisation

between various groups of people.

In Airborne Lines and Rumbles Samuelsson

wanted mainly to investigate how a composer

could write music on a piece of paper that would

make you fl y. Is this possible? Diff erent musical

levels that move away from and back to one an-

other are now and then interrupted by power-

ful, unstoppable rumblings. Th e contrast with

the lighter lines reinforces the feeling of taking

a running leap. Th e concept of freedom is also

relevant in Airborne Lines and Rumbles, as it is

about lifting one’s eyes to dare – something that

can be heard in all the works on this record.

Now new challenges are awaiting Marie Sam-uelsson. At present she is writing a double con-

certo for the slightly unusual instrument combi-

nation of violin, guitar and orchestra, which is

scheduled to be premiered by the Gävle Sym-

phony Orchestra in the autumn of 2019.

Elin Hermansson

Marie Samuelsson:

The Love Trilogy

Swedish Radio SO/

Daniel Blendulf/

Malmö SO, Nordic

Chamber Orchestra/

Sarah Ioannides, sol.

Katija Dragojevic,

mezzo-soprano and

Andreas Sundén,

clarinet

Daphne 1062 (to be

released in early 2019)

Love and musical fl ying in Marie Samuelsson’s music

H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8

KALEVI AHO (arr. 1998) Hosianna (Vogler) Dur: 3’ 3333/3431/str, organ

Vom Himmel Hoch/From Heav’n on High /Enkeli Taivaan (Praetorius) Dur: 7’

3333/4331/2perc/str, organFine arrangements for symphony orchestra made by Ka-levi Aho for a Christmas release by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in 1998. Known for his skills as an arranger, Aho has a consummate gift for handling an orchestra and cre-ating a rich, full sound. From Heav’n on High begins with a three-minute introduction in which the winds have a chance to shine and in dialogue with the organ.

JOONAS KOKKONENJoululauluja lapsille/Christmas Songs for Children (1956-66) Dur: 7’, Arranger: Jouko Linjama (2003)Text: J. Suomalainen, E. Ahokai nen, O. Paloheimo, J. Haavio (Fin), voice and

orchestra: 1111/2000/strThese four songs were originally published in a version for voice and piano. To words by four Finnish poets, they are: 1. Jouluna (At Christmas), 2. Aattoiltana (On Christmas Eve), 3. Metsän joulu (The Forest’s Christmas) and 4. Legenda (Legend). The mood varies from devout and hymn-like in Christmas Eve to the lively melody of Legend accompanied by pungent fi gures in seconds.

ILKKA KUUSISTO (arr. 1967-83)24 Suomalaista joululaulua/24 Finnish Christmas Carols Text: Fin/Swe, some songs also in English, voice and orchestra: 2fl /hp/str (33221)

Kuusisto’s delightful arrangements for small orchestra are lasting favourites. Among them are some of the best-loved Finnish Christmas carols, such as the fi ve Sibelius songs op. 1. Most of them are scored for strings only, but some also in-clude a harp or two fl utes. The arrangements have also been recorded, and soloist on the disc is Soile Isokoski.

NILS LINDBERGA Christmas Cantata (2002) Dur: 50’ , Text: Bible’s Christmas Gospel (Eng) S, Bar, mixed chorus, big band: 1000-1440-11-0-pf-4saxdrums-dbLindberg’s cantata is based on tradition-

al English Christmas carols joined together by newly written music to texts taken from the Bible. It comprises a delightful mix of Christmas melodies, Swedish folk music, classical and jazz.

ARMAS MAASALOJouluoratorio/Christmas Oratorio (1945) Dur: 45’ Text: H. Jalkanen, I. Salomies, Bible (Fin), S, T, Bar, mixed chorus, orchestra: 2200-2230-11-org.hpd-str

The tradition of performing the Christmas Oratorio has, ever since its premiere, fallen to St John’s Church, Helsinki, where Maasalo was the organist. He was one of the great names in Finnish church music – composer, choir leader and Professor. The vocal solos in the Oratorio are sublimely beautiful. The music strongly refl ects the Finnish hymn tradition and the choral fugues are honed to perfection.

HILDING ROSENBERGDen Heliga natten/The Holy Night (1936) Dur: 32’ Text: Hjalmar Gullberg/Christmas Gospel (Luke) (Swe), S, A, T, B, narrator, mixed chorus, orchestra: 1120-2200-11-0-cel-

str (reduced version: organ and strings)This is a colourful drama in which the orchestral texture conjures up images of shepherds out in their fi elds, the light radiating from heaven, Mary swaddling her child, Herod raging, etc. Rosenberg’s harshness gives way here to a more lyrical tone. For Joseph, Mary and the shepherds

REPER TOIRE T IPS R E V I E W S

the music has an almost pastoral character, while the Wise Men are depicted with a more oriental tone language and other rhythms.

JAN SANDSTRÖMLo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (1987/2007) Dur: 4’30’’ string orchestraJan Sandström’s magical choral classic here in a version for strings. The or-

chestra is divided into a smaller group (string quartet) that plays Preatorius’ hymn in slow motion (preferably in baroque style without vibrato), and a larger string-orchestra group that plays Sandström’s harmonizing music in ordinario.

SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖMChristmas Oratorio (2004) Dur: 35’, Text: Christmas Gospel (St. Luke) (Swe), S, Bar, mixed chorus, orchestra: 2222-2222-12-0-strIn his oratorio Sandström wanted to create a magical and mystical atmos-

phere. The work is divided into ten short movements and in some places it is breathtakingly beautiful. But round the romantically exquisite melodic solo and duet sections the choir contrasts now and then with rapid rhythmical fi gures, and the orchestra’s brass and percussion conjure up the oc-casionally violent nature of the Nativity story.

DAVID SAULESCOChristmas Oratorio (2013) Dur: 55’, Text: Saulesco/Christmas Gospel (Matthew and Luke) (Swe),Mz, T, Bar, mixed chorus, narrator, fl , cl, 2 tpt, 2 perc, organ, str

David Saulesco depicts the Christmas narrative with warmth and humour, and in a postmodern tone language. The music varies between harsh expressionistic sonorities and Nordic romantic melancholy. It is easily accessible but still chal-lenging and harmonically exciting.

FREDRIK SIXTENA Swedish Christmas Oratorio (2009) Dur: 50’ Text: Ylva Eggehorn/from the Christmas Gospel (Swe) S, descant choir, mixed choir, wind quintet, strings

This work is permeated by elements of Swedish folk music and contains both light and darkness. The newly written texts are meant to show that the innocent child was sur-rounded by darkness, poverty, alienation and death. But the oratorio is also full of joy and songs of praise. Sixten lets a soprano take the role of the evangelist and instead of more soloists he lets two choruses play diff erent roles.

ANDERS SOLDH (ARR.) O helga natt/O Holy Night (Adolphe Adam) Dur: 4’

Santa Lucia (trad.) Dur: 3’

När det lider mot jul(Ruben Liljefors) Dur: 3’,

2222-2200-01-0-strThree popular Christmas songs in arrangements for cham-ber orchestra by Anders Soldh. Suitable for both amateur and professional orchestras. Included in the series “Popular Arrangements for Orchestra”.

JEAN SIBELIUS Viisi Joululaulua/Five Christmas Songs Op 1 (1895-1913) Dur: 15’ Arranger: Harri Wessman (1994)mixed choir, fl -str (reduced version: 4 voices, fl -str4) (Fin)

Wessman made his highly workable transcriptions as a commission from the Espoo Music Institute. They aff ord small ensembles an opportunity to perform these popular Sibelius songs. In addition to the version for choir and or-chestra there is one for four voices, fl ute and string quartet. Around the middle, Wessman has inserted a piece of his own, a Meditation for strings in the style of Sibelius.

Music for Christmas

Phot

o: P

atrik

Ste

nstr

öm

Rousing fun and energyThe program opened with the U.S. premiere of “Flounce,” by Lotta

Wennäkoski …This is a rowdy and loud, of course, work, tempered only

by a melancholic passage on Cally Banham’s oboe. The rest was whim-

sically scored (a slide whistle?), and rousing fun. St Louis Post 29.9.

Lotta Wennäkoski: Flounce

US premiere: St. Louis SO/Hannu Lintu, 28.9. 2018 St. Louis, USA

Rounding out the fi rst half was Wennäkoski’s Hele, an eccentric and en-

ergetic respite from the broodiness of the fi rst two works. Wennäkoski

utilized the slide whistle amid frantic and agile ensemble writing to

sometimes atmospheric, sometimes cartoonish, but always surprising

eff ect. New Classic LA/15.11.

Lotta Wennäkoski: Hele

World premiere:

Los Angeles Philharmonic/

Susanna Mälkki,

13.11.2018

Los Angeles, USA

Between jazz, classical and impro Pietilä’s work operates freely

somewhere between jazz, con-

temporary classical and free im-

provisation… In Three Strides of

Light for piano, Risto-Matti Marin

radiated a confi dent concentra-

tion in a wicked boogie-woogie

in which the melody line in the

right hand gradually escalated

into a feral romp.

Hufvudstadsbladet 29.10.

Esa Pietilä: Chamber music

Kamus Quartet, Risto-Matti Marin, piano, Veli Kujala, accordion, Janne Tuomi and Harri Lehtinen,

percussion, Esa Pietilä, saxophone, 26.10. Helsinki, Finland (Pietilä focus concert)

Fine opening for the

seasonAho’s Harp Concerto Mearra was

a fi ne opening for the autumn

season of the St. Michel Strings.

As their soloist they had Anneleen

Lenaerts, a world-class harpist

and principal in the Vienna

Philharmonic, who fi lled

the church with the

tones both daintily

elfi n-like and solidly

grand piano-like she

conjured forth from

her instrument.

Länsi-Savo 18.9.

Kalevi Aho: Mearra

Finnish premiere: Mikkeli

City Orchestra/Erkki Lason-

palo, sol. Anneleen Lenaerts,

harp, 16.9.2018 Mikkeli, Finland

Anneleen

Lenaerts

Phot

o: M

arco

Bor

ggre

ve

Lotta Wennäkoski

Phot

o: M

aarit

Kyt

öhar

ju

Esa Pietilä

H I G H L I G H T S 4 / 2 0 1 8

Dafgård’s gripping EclipseCamerata Nordica engages in intricate interplay

with a dynamic and powerful performance…

Hugo Ticciati, brilliant on the violin, is adroit in

all sections… The movements are full of feeling,

and one is carried away and gripped by the work’s

dramatic fl uctuations. The concluding movement

opens up toward brightness and liberation.

Barometern 30.10.

Jörgen Dafgård: Eclipse – Concerto for Violin

and Orchestra

World premiere: Camerata Nordica, sol. and leader Hugo Ticciati,

27.10.2018 Oskarshamn, Sweden

Amusing,

imaginative,

expressiveAbove all, the Piano Quintet sound-

ed surprisingly modern, considering

that it has clocked up 25 years… as

a bit of amusing and imaginative

music theatre such as is fashionable

these days... Syyskesän laulu (Late

Summer Song) was the most reward-

ing piece with its eloquent, exalted

expression…the high point of the

concert. Hufvudstadsbladet 9.10.

Mikko Heiniö: Chamber music

Tommi Hakala, baritone, Kristian Attila, Pasi Helin,

piano, Patrik Kleemola, guitar etc., 7.10.2018

Helsinki, Finland

Awesome John Bauer SuiteA large-scale mythological work oozing auras from that period’s late-Romanticism

and Ravel’s Impressionism, with a wordless chorus and a celesta sounding like a

music box…music which Valfridsson in a very deliberate, elegant and skilfully or-

chestrated way plays with in 4-colour sound… The music is more transparent in a

continental manner and coloured by modern playing techniques. Dagens Nyheter 5.11.

This is insanely entertaining music. The whole work is full of well-developed ideas

and displays an impressive breadth of expression. It is at the same time easily ac-

cessible and intricate. Jönköpingsposten 4.11.

Jonas Valfridsson: John Bauer Suite 1918

World premiere: Jönköpings Sinfonietta, Jönköping Chamber Choir, SVF Choir/Christian von Gehren, 4.11.2018

Jönköping, Sweden

Fervently fl owing choral musicThe Mikaeli Chamber Choir displayed a successful

combination of well-tried Ericson repertoire and re-

cently discovered gems from the recesses of Gehr-

mans Musikförlag…. It was nice to hear the sound of

the chorus take on body and colour in Gösta Nystro-

em’s exciting suite “Golfi ner” , and fi nd vigorous

harshness in Sven-Erik Bäck’s sacred work “Utrannsa-

ka mig” .… Jazz vocalist Lena Swanberg contributes

to the contrasting eff ect in Ann-Sofi Söderqvist’s

forceful “What is Life?”, and among the serene mo-

ments of the evening were Jerker Leijon’s steadfast

“Hjalmar Gullberg Suite”. SVD 27.10

Choral music by Valborg Aulin, Knut Håkansson,

Gösta Nystroem, Sven-Erik Bäck, Ann-Sofi Söder-

qvist, Mattias Sköld, Gabriella Gullin, Jerker Leijon

etc.

Mikaeli Chamber Choir/Anders Eby, Carlos Murakami, piano, sol. Lena

Swanberg, 26.10.2018 Stockholm, Sweden (Gehrmans Anniversary

Concert + Eric Ericson 100th birthday)

A Nordgren gemRock Score is, with its spookily fl eeting allusions to

folk fi ddle music, one of the gems in Nordgren’s out-

put for string orchestra. Hufvudstadsbladet 10.10.

Pehr Henrik Nordgren: Rock Score, Violin Concerto

No. 4, Horn Concerto

CD: Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas (Alba Records 425)

Imaginative feast for the earsThe pulsating and feverish parts are recurring fea-

tures in Schnelzer’s music, as are also the contrasts

between the lyrically beautiful and the raw riff s. But

even though he ventures out on the dark side of the

moon Schnelzer manages to mould his various im-

pressions into an imaginative feast for the ears.

Opus #84 September 2018

Albert Schnelzer: Cello Concerto – Crazy Diamond,

Tales from Suburbia, Brain Damage

CD: Gothenburg SO/Benjamin Shwartz, sol. Claes Gunnarsson, cello

(BIS-2313)

Music with deep impactThree things can be taken from this festival; the

uniqueness and value of the music, the consistent

excellence of the players and their devotion to this

repertoire and fi nally the impact it has on both the

players and most importantly the audiences… If mu-

sic needs to be able to communicate to be eff ective

then this certainly does. Seen and Heard International 29.10.

Tommie Haglund: Flaminis Aura, Hymns to the

Night, Serenata per Diotima, La Rosa Profunda, To

the Sunset Breeze, Arcana Lacrimae etc.

Helsingborg SO/Joachim Gustafsson, sol. Ilya Kaler, Jacob Kullberg, John

Mills, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Brett Deubner, Niklas Sivelöv, Ann-Kristin

Larsson etc., 19-21.10.2018 Halmstad, Sweden

Daniel Nelson

Foto

: Ella

Nel

son

Jonas Valfridsson thanking

for the applauds

Phot

o: L

ars K

roon

Anders Eby and Mikaeli

Chamber Choir

Phot

o: Ja

nna

Vett

ergr

en

Phot

o: L

ouise

Mar

tinss

on

Intriguing new disc Finnish composer Lars Karlsson has been called a “modern romanticist… this in-

triguing new disk is welcome. It off ers two of his major later works opening with

Seven Songs to texts by Swedish Nobel Prize laureate Pär Lagerkvist… The cycle

is dedicated to Gabriel Suovanen, who sings them with great sensitivity. We also

have an extraordinary Clarinet Concerto written for Christoff er Sundqvist. In three

movements, it is a brilliant display piece for the soloist... www.classicalcdreview.com

Lars Karlsson: 7 Songs to Texts by Pär Lagerkvist, Clarinet Concerto

CD: Lapland CO/John Storgårds, sol. Gabriel Suovanen, baritone, Christoff er Sundqvist, clarinet (BIS-2286)

Phot

o: Ju

ssi V

ierim

aa

Fun and swinging Steampunk

BlizzardA short whirling piece

in which the music

takes unexpected

directions… Rhyth-

mical with powerful

brass and heavy tubas,

playful jazzy sections,

sometimes lilting and

a little romantic… Fun

and exciting music, en-

ergetically performed.

Arbetarbladet 15.9.

Gävle SO/Jaime Martin,

14.9.2018 Gävle, Sweden

This is a fun and swinging piece based on an ostina-

to-like motif in which the tuba has a prominent role

together with bright strings, whistlings and trom-

bone-glissandi. It is not hard to imagine smoke well-

ing up from chimneys and cog-wheels spinning in

time with the music. Göteborgsposten 15.10.

Daniel Nelson: Steampunk Blizzard

Gothenburg SO/Santtu-Matias Rouvali, 10.10.2018 Gothenburg, Sweden

“Bridge“ is rewarding for all in-volved and at the same time it is surprising, overpowering and convincing – in short: It encom-passes everything that music needs. Leipzig Volkszeitung 28.9.

Rolf Martinsson: Bridge – Trumpet Concerto No. 1Gewandhausorchester/Andris Nelsons, sol. Håkan Hardenberger 27.9.2018 Leipzig, Germany

Virtuoso concert with all the trimmings

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

SCORES

CHAMBER & INSTRUMENTAL

VOCAL

N E W C D s

TOBIAS BROSTRÖMDream Variations

DANIEL BÖRTZDialogo 4 – RicordoHåkan Hardenberger, trumpet, Colin Currie, percussionCCR-0002 ‘The Scene of the Crime’

ARMAS JÄRNEFELTAamulla varhain

LEEVI MADETOJATanssilaulu & other worksBrass Septet ImperialPilfi nk JJVCD-196 (‘Barcarola’)

PEHR HENRIK NORDGRENConcerto No. 4 for Violin and Strings, Rock Score, Concerto for Horn and Strings Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas, sol. Jari Valo, violin, Jukka Harju, horn Alba Records ABCD 425

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARAHarp Concerto, Symphony No. 9 etc.Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam, sol. Marielle NordmanOndine ODE 1236-2D (90th Anniversary Edition)

JEAN SIBELIUSFive Christmas Songs

MATTHEW WHITTALLChristmas Hath a Darkness, Huron Carol (arr.)Audite Chamber Choir/Jani SivénAlba Records NCD 56 (’This Advent Moon’)

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, SwedenTel. +46 8 610 06 00 • Fax +46 8 610 06 27www.gehrmans.se • info@gehrmans.seHire: hire@gehrmans.seWeb shop: www.gehrmans.seSales: sales@gehrmans.se

Fennica Gehrman Oy Ab

PO Box 158, FI-00121 Helsinki, FinlandTel. +358 10 3871 220 • Fax +358 10 3871 221www.fennicagehrman.fi • info@fennicagehrman.fi Hire: hire@fennicagehrman.fi Web shop: www.fennicagehrman.fi Sales: kvtilaus@kirjavalitys.fi (dealers)

MIKKO HEINIÖAmen for male choir and tubular bellText: the word AmenFG 9790-55011-299-5

LARS KARLSSONKaksi joululaulua (Two Christmas Carols)for SSAA choirText: Paula Hiekkala (Fin) FG 9790-55011-458-6

ANNA-KARIN KLOCKARForever Hurtsfor double choir SSAATTBBText: Karin Boye, Paul Laurence Dunbar (Eng)GE 13480

OLLI KORTEKANGASMustaa, mustaa for SATB choirFG 9790-55011-421-0

Onni hymyilee for SATB choir, soprano and pianoFG 9790-55011-422-7

Sanasotaa for SSAATTB choir and pianoText: Tuomas Parkkinen (Fin)Three songs from the opera Veljeni vartija (My Brother’s Keeper). FG 9790-55011-423-4

TIMO-JUHANI KYLLÖNENThe Touch of Christmas/Joulun kosketusfor soprano solo, mixed choir (SAT or SAB), piano and glockenspielText: Timo-Juhani Kyllönen (Eng/Fin) FG 9790-55011-460-9 (English), 55011-459-3 (Finnish)

NILS LINDBERGElf Shot for SSB soli, mixed choir and big bandText: A traditional Danish ballad (Eng)GE 13489 (vocal score)

JACOB MÜHLRADTimefor mixed choir SSAATTBBText: Excerpt from Psalm 19 of the Book of Psalms (Eng/Hebrew), the word time in 27 languagesGE 13475

TOBIAS BROSTRÖMMiragefor string orchestraGE 13477

JÖRGEN DAFGÅRDAbrasax – Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and OrchestraGE 13075 (score) GE 13076 (solo saxophone) GE 13077 (study score)

MATS LARSSON GOTHESymphony No. 2GE 13144 (score) GE 13146 (study score)

Works by Uuno Klami Arranged for OrganArr. Esa YlönenFG 9790-55011-448-7

ESA PIETILÄBriskfor violoncello and marimbaFG 9790-55011-457-9

Three Strides of Lightfor pianoFG 9790-55011-456-2

ALBERT SCHNELZERApollonian Dancesversion for string quartet and percussionGE 13048 (score and parts)

GE 13049 (study score)

BENJAMIN STAERNTwo Souls, One Mindfor brass quintetGE 13349 (score) GE 13350 (parts)

TUOMAS TURRIAGOSonata for Flute and PianoFG 9790-55011-462-3

DANIEL MÖLLERLux aeterna for mixed choir SABText from Requiem Mass (Lat)GE 13392

KJELL PERDERBefria de förtryckta!/Set the Oppressed Free!for mixed choir SATBText: Jes. 58:6-11 (Swe/Eng) GE 13341

KARIN REHNQVISTSongs from the Northfor 1–3 soloists and mixed choir SSAATTBBText: Inuit poems (Swe/Eng)GE 13351

SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖMLifefor male choir TTBarBarBBText: Emily Dickinson (Eng)GE 13469

In paradisumfor mixed choir SATBText from Requiem Mass (Lat)GE 12929

Som eldfl ugan tänds och slocknarThree songs for voice and pianoText: Tomas Tranströmer (Swe)GE 12854

MATTHEW WHITTALLChristmas Hath a Darkness – Four Carols for Adventfor mixed choirText: Christina Rossetti (Eng)FG 9790-55011-455-5

Seven Pieces for Violin and Orchestra

S C O R E

Sven-David Sandström

Lux æterna

För kör SAB a cappellaDaniel Möller

Violin

S C O R E

Emperor Akbarfor chamber orchestra

Albert SchnelzerS C O R E

Miragefor string orchestra

Tobias Broström

r

Befria de förtryckta!

Blandad kör a cappella

) Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra

S C O R E

Jörgen Dafgård

Abrasax

SVEN-DAVID SANDSTRÖMSeven Pieces for Violin and OrchestraGE 12732 (score) GE 12733 (solo violin) GE 12734 (study score)

ALBERT SCHNELZEREmperor Akbar for chamber orchestraGE 13407 (score) GE 13409 (study score)

ANN-SOFI SÖDERQVISTMovementsfor orchestraGE 13200 (score) GE 13202 (study score)

xophone and Orchestra

Symphony No. 2“...sunt lacrimae rerum...”

for orchestra

S C O R E

Mats Larsson Gothe

Movementsfor orchestra

S C O R E

Apollonian Dancesfor string quartet and percussion

S C O R E

Albert Schnelzer

Songs from the North for soloists and mixed choir

Life

for male choirSven-David Sandström

In paradisum

Mixed choir a cappella

r

för sång och piano

text: Tomas Tranströmer

Nils Lindberg

Elf shotElverskud Erlkönig

for big band, mixed chorus and three soloists

Klaverutdrag/Vocal score

Anna-Karin KlockarTHE INTERNATIONAL WINNER OF POLYPHONOS COMPETITION 2018

FOREVER HURTS

Text by Karin Boye and Paul Laurence Dunbar

for mixed choirSSAATTBB

Två själar, en tankeTwo Souls, One Mind

for brass quintet

S C O R E

Benjamin Staern