# What do you think of Aulis Sallinen's Symphony no. 4?



## Guest (Aug 9, 2018)

It came in at no. 3 in Art Rock's game of compositions by living composers.

Here's the first movement:






and a playlist for those who can access the auto-generated music on youtube (not available in all countries) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHbpqrp-3EhBqnRwJQfbS9RQKTn3xVCVH


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I was pleasantly surprised it did so well. Sallinen is one of my favourite living composers. That said, for me this is not his best work (that would be _Songs of life and death_, and _Symphony No. 6 'From a New Zealand Diary'_. I still like it a lot though.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

It is not for me. I didn't find much of interest and didn't finish the clip. Sorry.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Sallinen CPO box. His music is pleasant enough, but he's a very conservative composer for someone born in 1935. I don't find the music that interesting.


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

I love this symphony! I find it darkly magical with its extremely imaginative use of percussion. Like Art Rock, Sallinen is one of my favorite living composers and I love his other symphonies as well as his _Songs of Life and Death_. Just because his music isn't groundbreaking or avant-garde doesn't mean it's not interesting and worthy...


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

This is undoubtedly one of Sallinen's finer works. Seems to have momentum and substance. For me this and No.3 are the best. The two newest ones seem a bit bland, sorry.

He's debatably my favourite contemporary composer. Delighted to see his excellent "Requiem", Songs of Life and Death, mentioned, a fine work. Delving further, I'd suggest his masterpieces are the two operas, The Horseman, and The Red Line.

His earlier works tend to be a bit more cutting edge......a bit like Penderecki's evolved, but less extreme!

I also love the very pretty and jolly Sunrise Serenade!


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2018)

Among my favorite works by a contemporary composer.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

kyjo said:


> Just because his music isn't groundbreaking or avant-garde doesn't mean it's not interesting and worthy...


Fair enough. But that wasn't my reason! I just found it (on that hearing, anyway) to be not very interesting. I can't say whether closer acquaintance would lead to my liking it and I certainly didn't hate or despise it. It is certainly interesting to see so many regulars really valuing Sallinen.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

starthrower said:


> I have the Sallinen CPO box. His music is pleasant enough, but he's a very conservative composer for someone born in 1935.


I like Sallinen's music very much. Birth dates aren't a big deal. If Sallinen was born in 1880, the music would still sound the same.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I'd never listened to Sallinen before but that wasn't too bad, tbh. I will investigate more. Thanks.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

I bought this disc many years ago and have always enjoyed all three pieces including the 4th symphony. Since then I have purchased several other Sallinen discs and have yet to be as impressed by the pieces on those as I was with this


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Magical, atmospheric, and mythological. The Scandinavian composers can do no wrong in my book. They seem just slightly enough ahead of their time to be contemporary and modern in a way that can so often be immediately grasped.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Vasks said:


> I bought this disc many years ago and have always enjoyed all three pieces including the 4th symphony. Since then I have purchased several other Sallinen discs and have yet to be as impressed by the pieces on those as I was with this


Maybe you could try the opera The King Goes Forth to France, if you like the Shadows piece; they are irretrievably closely linked!


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Merl said:


> I'd never listened to Sallinen before but that wasn't too bad, tbh.


I have passed this on to CPO, great marketing stuff, Merl!!!


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2018)

Enthusiast said:


> Fair enough. But that wasn't my reason! I just found it (on that hearing, anyway) to be not very interesting. I can't say whether closer acquaintance would lead to my liking it and I certainly didn't hate or despise it. It is certainly interesting to see so many regulars really valuing Sallinen.


I feel the same, although I'm probably just not in the mood to listen to this kind of music often. It's my own fault that I can't really grasp this kind of 20th century thing I guess.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

shirime said:


> I feel the same, although I'm probably just not in the mood to listen to this kind of music often. It's my own fault that I can't really grasp this kind of 20th century thing I guess.


What's this 'fault', self-flagellation thing, are you a christian Flagellant or something? You don't like it. Period. C'est la vie.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Vasks said:


> I bought this disc many years ago and have always enjoyed all three pieces including the 4th symphony. Since then I have purchased several other Sallinen discs and have yet to be as impressed by the pieces on those as I was with this


My first Sallinen CD.

I have been a been fan of his operas as well. One of my favorites is _The Palace_. Unfortunantly the CD I have is out of print. There is a DVD of it. What I like about the opera is that although it is not a science fiction story it feels like one.


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2018)

aleazk said:


> What's this 'fault', self-flagellation thing, are you a christian Flagellant or something? You don't like it. Period. C'est la vie.


Someone else said something about the nature of the work that it's easy to grasp, or immediately graspable or something like that. I seem to lack the ability to grasp it as some other people immediately do. I don't dislike it, but it will take a lot more exposure to this kind of music for me to really get used to it.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I do find it easier on the ears. I like to punish them at times, but sometimes need a break. Nothing that is really that special though to me.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

shirime said:


> Someone else said something about the nature of the work that it's easy to grasp, or immediately graspable or something like that. I seem to lack the ability to grasp it as some other people immediately do. I don't dislike it, but it will take a lot more exposure to this kind of music for me to really get used to it.


Your use of words is astronomically pedantic in its political correctness. It's obscene and infuriating.


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## Guest (Aug 10, 2018)

aleazk said:


> Your use of words is astronomically pedantic in its political correctness. It's obscene and infuriating.


You're joking, right? I just don't find the music immediately 'graspable' because of the kind of music I tend to listen to, and unless I am in the mood for some Sallinen I will probably not be able to connect with his music very easily.


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## Guest (Aug 10, 2018)

I thought this was a really odd choice for #3. I wouldn't say it's my first choice from Sallinen, and I am not certain that my first choice from Sallinen would be in my top 100. I wasn't even aware the work was popular (OMG THE SECRET WORD).

EDIT: I'd comment if I could remember it. I last listened to the work on January 16, 2015.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

nathanb said:


> I thought this was a really odd choice for #3.


It was odd. I would have preferred that it come in at no. 1 or 2.


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

I found it all a little...amateurish. It's safe, fits neatly in a nice little box, but never really breaks out of it into anything engaging. Generally pleasant but not much more.

That being said, I trust the judgement of a few of those who showed great enthusiasm for the work.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Some posters I respect seem to really like this composer, so no disrespect intended but I have some reservations... It is nice enough to listen to, pleasant, competent, but I need a little more challenge than this from a living composer. I think great composers should stretch our conception of what music can be.

I can understand why some would get enjoyment out of listening to this, but I would not have voted for it.


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

If it's modern and it doesn't give me a headache then that's winning half the battle! I have been interested in Sallinen since I got his opera Palatsi.


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