# Rautavaara



## Marco01

Anyone else a fan? I have recently been listening to Symphonies 8 & 7, as well as the Manhattan Trilogy. All I can say is that I am *very *pleased to have become acquainted with his work.


----------



## World Violist

His 7th and 8th symphonies are really good, but I don't know much else of his. He is one of the better composers working today. If you like him, check out his former pupil, Kalevi Aho--now there's one great composer!


----------



## LvB

If you haven't already discovered Rautavaara's _Cantus Arcticus_, concerto for birds and orchestra, Op. 61, do give it a listen; composed in 1972, it's one of the most haunting pieces of music written in the last several decades.


----------



## World Violist

LvB said:


> If you haven't already discovered Rautavaara's _Cantus Arcticus_, concerto for birds and orchestra, Op. 61, do give it a listen; composed in 1972, it's one of the most haunting pieces of music written in the last several decades.


That's the most common introduction to Rautavaara's work, actually, and it was mine as well. I recall being slightly disappointed with the bird calls not being at all thematically tied together with the instruments, but hey, whatever floats your boat... or bird, as it were.


----------



## Marco01

I've heard Cantus Arcticus and I'll admit to not having been too fond. I found the bird sounds quite eerie, and not in an intriguing way. I'll have to give it a few more listens and give myself a chance to warm up to it.


----------



## Falstaft

*Einojuhani Rautavaara*








​
"Einojuhani Rautavaara (born October 9, 1928) is a Finnish composer of contemporary classical music, and is one of the most notable Finnish composers after Jean Sibelius...Rautavaara is a prolific composer and has written in a variety of forms and styles....A characteristic 'Rautavaara sound' might be a rhapsodic string theme of austere beauty, with whirling flute lines, gently dissonant bells, and perhaps the suggestion of a pastoral horn" 
(from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einojuhani_Rautavaara)

Let's use this thread to share our thoughts on the reigning great old man of Finnish music, Rautavaara!

I discovered him through enthusiastic posts on this and other classical music boards. For me, it was love at first hearing. Like many people, I was introduced to his oeuvre through the bird-cantata _Cantus Articus_, which scratched my itch for evocative, quasi-tonal music. Since discovering that piece of his around this time last year, he has become the composer with fastest growing records in my collection. He has composed (both score and libretto) for a number of striking operas (my favorite so far is _Aleksis Kivi_, which has some devastatingly beautiful melodies -- try "Sydämeni laulu" and compare to Sibelius' setting of the same poem.

Rautavaara has written many concerti (including a percussion one in the works!), choral and chamber works, and is *one* shy away from the magic number of symphonies. His 8-symphony cycle I find of particular interest: with the exception of the wildly successful 7th and 8th, no two seem to occupy the same sound world. My favorite is the magnificent, strange Fifth Symphony, a single movement work that propels you through a number of dreamlike, haunted spaces.

What do you think?


----------



## Aramis

I have quite big set of his works. At the beginning I was excited about it, I've heard many good things about him, but after listening to some of the works I felt disappointed. It seems like he wouldn't have any idea what to do, harp concerto is just messing around. Only Cantus with birds were enjoyable (from what I've heard).


----------



## World Violist

I've liked Cantus Arcticus, and I've liked the 7th symphony... there just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of variety in his compositions, unlike the heir to the throne of Finnish music, Kalevi Aho.


----------



## joen_cph

Have mainly found the 3rd (somewhat Brucknerian) Symphony a fine one, the naxos recrording especially. The piano concertos are all-rightish also, but they sometimes have a kind of repetitive motoricness of "Verfremdungseffekt" which can be too unpleasant. Can´t say that I know works in detail, but own quite a lot. As regards the "Cantus Arcticus," the fact that I have an old recording might be the reason that I find it disappointing. Hovhaness´ "And God Created Great Whales", though simpler, is a better example of integrating recorded animal songs and orchestral music, in my opinion. Rautavaara seems to have been experimenting quite a lot in his oeuvre, from Avant-garde to Neo-Romanticism and other traits, and sometimes he has striking ideas, so there´s a lot to explore.


----------



## Guest

I just discovered Rautavaara through an Amazon recommendation, and I really like what I've heard so far (Symphonies nos. 5 & 7, Cantus Articus, Piano Concerti). He reminds me of Hovhaness at times, especially the way he utilizes dissonant bells and his overall harmonic language. I look forward to delving more into his music.


----------



## StlukesguildOhio

I have quite liked what I have heard of Rautavaara: _Cantus Articus_, Symphony 3 and 7, a collection of his choral works, and his piano concertos 2 and 3.


----------



## Art Rock

From my blog:

Few countries' classical music have been dominated so much by one composer as Finland. Many casual classical music lovers would be hard pressed to name one Finnish composer besides Sibelius. Which is not fair to the likes of Aho, Crusell, Madetoja, Kokkonen and especially Sallinen and Rautavaara, who are amongst my favourite living composers. Spotlight today is on Einojuhani Rautavaara (born 1928). There is a pastoral beauty in much of his works, even though he writes in a distinctly modern idiom. If you have been following my blog for a few years, you may remember the main composition on the CD from the Unusual Concerto Series. Scored for taped bird sounds and orchestra, the 1972 composition Cantus Arcticus (Concerto for Birds and Orchestra) weaves recordings of bogs, larks and swans into the orchestral tapestries with great cunning. This work is probably his best known, and for me one of the best composition of the second half of the 20th century. The other pieces on the CD are no fillers either. The first piano concerto from 1969 is a dazzling piece, receving a brilliant performance here. The third symphony from 1960 may be less famous than his later ones, but deserves attention nonetheless for its almost Brucknerian approach - a romantic dodecaphonic masterpiece. These compositions are expertly played by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Hannu Lintu, with Laura Mikkola on piano in the concerto. The recording is great as well -as is the fascinating cover design. All in all, an essential bargain priced CD to start to explore one of the greatest living composers.

AMAZON link


----------



## World Violist

I heard one of his operas today for the first time, Thomas, and it was very interesting, in my opinion far more interesting than any of the recent purely orchestral stuff.

I'd love to get a recording of his third symphony that's grouped with better material than Cantus Arcticus or the Manhattan Trilogy, though. Not to bash either work, I just don't really like them. Why I like his operatic writing is that the music is tied to a central concept and so Rautavaara has to do something, to move or whatever. With his abstract music it's not really... doing anything.


----------



## myaskovsky2002

*A lot*

I bought a lot of his music...Now I am fed up.

Too much!

RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI WORKS FOR MIXED CHORUS FINISH RADIO CHAMBER CHOIR (COND. ERICH-OLOF SODERSTROM) AUVOC DISQUE COMPACT 04/03/2000 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI THOMAS JOENSUU CITY ORCH. PEKKA HAAPASALO, DIRECTEUR OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 28/03/1997 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI VINCENT FINNISH NATIONAL OPERA, FUAT MANCHUROV, CONDUCTOR OPERA DISQUE COMPACT 25/12/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI VIGILIA (ALL-NIGHT VIGIL IN MEMORY OF ST-JOHN BAPTIST FOR MIXED C HOIR AND S OLOISTS JYRKI KORHONEN, BASS; TOPI LEHTIPUU, TENOR (FINNISH RADIO CH AMBER CHOIR,TIMO NUORANNE,CONDUCTOR ORATO DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI A FINISH MYTH OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI A REQUIEM IN OUR TIME HELSINKI PHIL. ORCHESTRA- JORMA PANULA, CONDUCTOR SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI A REQUIEM IN OUR TIME (1953) FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI A SOLDIER'S MASS (1968) FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI AN EPITAPH FOR BLA BARTOK (1959/86) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ANADYOMENE (ADORATION D'APHRODITE, 1968) HELSINKI PHIL. (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 15/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ANGEL OF DUSK FINISH RADIO SYMPH. ORCHESTRA (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ANGEL OF DUSK (1980) (CONCERTO FOR DOUBLE BASS AND ORCHESTRA) ESKO LAINE, DOUBLE BASS - TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA (DIR. JEAN-JAC QUES KANTOROW) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ANGELS AND VISITATIONS HELSINKI PHIL. ORCH. (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 02/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ANGELS OF LIGHT (SYMPHONY NO. 7, 1994) HELSINKI PHIL. ORCH. (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 02/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ANNUNCIATIONS (CONCERTO FOR ORGAN, BRASS GROUP AND SYMPHONIC WIND ORC HESTRA (1976-77) HELSINKI PHIL. ORCH. (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM)- KARI JUSSILA, OR GAN SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 02/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI AUTOMN GARDENS (1999) HELSINKI PHIL. ORCHESTRA (VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/06/2000 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI BALLAD FOR HARP AND STRINGS OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTO I (1960) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTO II(1961) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTO III(1972) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTO IV (1992) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTOS I-III (1960, 1972) TAPIOLA SYMPHONIETA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTUS ARCTICUS OP.61 KLEMETTI INSTITUTE, PERTTI PEKKANEN, CONDUCTOR. SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTUS ARCTICUS, OP.61 (CONCERTO FOR BIRDS AND ORCHESTRA) ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA (DIR. HANNU LINTU) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/06/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CANTUS ARTICUS LEIPZIG RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (DIR. MAX POMMER) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CELLO CONCERTO HELSINKI PHIL. ORCHESTRA (DIR. MAX POMMER) - MARKO YLONEN, C ELLO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI CONCERTO POUR FLUTE (DANCES WITH THE WINDS, 1975) HELSINKI PHIL. (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM) PATRICK GALLOIS, FLUTE) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 15/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI DIVERTIMENTO (1953) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI EPITAPH FOR BELA BARTOK THE HELSINKI STRINGS SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ETUDES POUR PIANO OP.42 PIANO: LAURA MIKKOLA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/07/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI HOMMAGE A FERENC LISZT THE HELSINKI STRINGS SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI HOMMAGE A LISZT FERENC (1989) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI HOMMAGE A ZOLTAN KODALY THE HELSINKI STRINGS SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI HOMMAGE A ZOLTAN KODALY (1982) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI HYMNUS (1998) FOR TRUMPET AND ORGAN FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ICONS, OP. 6 PIANO: LAURA MIKKOLA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/07/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI INDEPENDENCE FANFARE (1992) FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ISLE OF BLISS ELMAR OLIVEIRA, VIOLIN - HELSINKI PHIL. ORCH. (DIR. LEIF SEG ERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 02/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI OCTET FOR WINDS (1962) FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI ON THE LAST FRONTIER (1997) HELSINKI PHIL. (DIR. LEIF SEGERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 15/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI OSTROBOTHNIAN POLSKA OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PARTITA OP.34 PIANO: LAURA MIKKOLA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/07/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PELIMANNIT (FIDDLERS) OP. 1 (1952) TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA (DIR. JEAN-JACQUES KANTOROW) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PELIMANNIT (FIDDLERS) OP. 1 (1952) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 NETHERLANDS RADIO SYMPH. ORCH. - ERI kLAS, COND. - LAURA MIK KOLA, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/06/2000 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 "GIFT OF DREAMS" (1998) HELSINKI PHIL. ORCHESTRA (VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/06/2000 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 "GIFT OF DREAMS" (1998) NETHERLANDS RADIO SYMPH. ORCH. - ERI kLAS, COND. - LAURA MIK KOLA, PIANO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/06/2000 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PIANO CONCERTO NO.1, OP.45 ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA (DIR. HANNU LINTU)- PIANO: LAURA MIKKOLA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/06/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PIANO SONATA NO.1 OP.50 "CHRISTUS UND DIE FISCHER" PIANO: LAURA MIKKOLA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/07/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PIANO SONATA NO.2 OP.64 "THE FIRE SERMON" PIANO: LAURA MIKKOLA SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 28/07/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI PLAYGROUNDS FOR ANGELS (1981) FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SONETTO (1969) KULLERVO KOJO, CLARINETTE SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI STRING QUARTET NO. 1 (1952) JEAN SIBELIUS QURTET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI STRING QUARTET NO. 2 (1958) JEAN SIBELIUS QUARTET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 30/10/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI STRING QUARTET NO. 2 (1958) JEAN SIBELIUS QURTET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SUITE FOR STRINGS (1952) OSTROBOTHINIAN CHAMBER ORCH. (JUHA KANGAS, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SUOMALAINEN MYYTTI (1977) MYTHE FINLANDAIS TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA (DIR. JEAN-JACQUES KANTOROW) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SYMPHONIE NO. 2(1957/1984) TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA (DIR. JEAN-JACQUES KANTOROW) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SYMPHONIE NO. 4 LEIPZIG RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (DIR. MAX POMMER) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SYMPHONIE NO. 5 LEIPZIG RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (DIR. MAX POMMER) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SYMPHONIE NO. 6 HELSINKI PHIL. ORCHESTRA (DIR. MAX POMMER) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI SYMPHONIE NO.3, OP.20 ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA (DIR. HANNU LINTU) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 21/06/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI TARANTARA 1976 FOR SOLOTRUMPET FINNISH BRASS SYMPHONY (HANNU LINTU, CONDUCTOR) - PASI PIRIN EN, TRUMPET SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 08/11/2001 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI UNKNOWN HEAVEN (STRING QUINTET) JEAN SIBELIUS QURTET, JAN-ERIK GUSTAFSSON, CELLO SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 27/11/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI VIGILIA FINNISH RADIO CHAMBER CHOIR (TIMO NUORANNE, CONDUCTOR) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 09/12/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI VIOLIN CONCERTO ELMAR OLIVEIRA, VIOLIN - HELSINKI PHIL. ORCH. (DIR. LEIF SEG ERSTAM) SYMPH DISQUE COMPACT 02/05/1999 
RAUTAVAARA EINOJUH ANI WORKS FOR MIXED CHORUS FINNISH RADIO CHAMBER CHOIR (COND. ERIC-OLOF SODERSTROM


----------



## myaskovsky2002

I am not bragging...I was excited about his music, I'm not anymore...Kind of all the same.

Martin


----------



## Sid James

myaskovsky2002 said:


> ...Too much!


Yes, that's too much for sure. I'd say about 5 would be enough (I currently have nothing by him & he's not really a high priority for me. I have heard his music but I think it's all a bit blah, hit or miss, like Hovhaness)...


----------



## World Violist

I still think he'll be remembered as a great opera composer, personally. Otherwise yes, his music is rather blah. But try some of his operas. I haven't yet heard Aleksis Kivi, but that's generally regarded as among his best.


----------



## myaskovsky2002

I also have a DVD Rasputin










Not good!

Martin (buying without knowing...)


----------



## Huilunsoittaja

myaskovsky2002 said:


> Martin (buying without knowing...)


You could sell on Ebay.

That's why I use the little money I have carefully.


----------



## myaskovsky2002

*Some difficulties*

I could sale from my 9 Mysakovsky's CDs I have (symphonies) just 2. I couldn't sale La Rondine DVD ( a version I don't like) neither a Zemlinsky CD (brand new) I had twice...
Ebay is good for "easy stuff" I guess.

Martin


----------



## myaskovsky2002

I don't mind...I think I am going to take a look again...Maybe a second time...I like his symphonies very much and some concertos...But haveing bought too much I had a Spanish ilness called "empacho"...What is "empacho"?...Kind of overdose...


Martin


----------



## Falstaft

Wow Martin, I understand why you're feeling overdosed, that's a huge amount of music to go through! I certainly get Rautavaara-boredom myself sometimes. Especially some of his more recent orchestral music -- Autumn Gardens, Tapestry of Life, etc -- it is rather disappointingly samey and sometimes downright tedious. He has a set of orchestration and harmonic tricks that he most definitely falls back on to an annoying degree. While generally more sophisticated in terms of sonority and harmony than Hovhaness, I think Andre's comparison is apt; I know what I'm going to get from ER more often than I'd like.

That said, I think at his best he is an extremely rewarding composer, and I have not been let down by any of his symphonies or operas so far (the fifth and Kivi are my favorites, respectively).


----------



## myaskovsky2002

*Good for you Falstaft*



> That said, I think at his best he is an extremely rewarding composer, and I have not been let down by any of his symphonies or operas so far (the fifth and Kivi are my favorites, respectively).


__________________
Unsung Symphonies Blog

The last time I listened to him it was on eyear ago...BTW...Why your name is Falstaft and not Falstaff (Verdi's opera I suppose)....I find Verdi boring also....The worse is La Traviata.

Martin


----------



## chalkpie

Anybody have the 8 Symphony box? I was thinking about pulling the trigger...........


----------



## dmg

Definitely give the piano concertos a listen.


----------



## Vaneyes

Marco01 said:


> I've heard Cantus Arcticus and I'll admit to not having been too fond. I found the bird sounds quite eerie, and not in an intriguing way. I'll have to give it a few more listens and give myself a chance to warm up to it.


I culled the birds...couldn't take it anymore, after two listens. Never been back to Rautavaara.

I have two birdless Messiaen CDs, so if someone can recommend one birdless orchestral and one birdless chamber by Rautavaara, I'm all eyes 'n ears.


----------



## violadude

chalkpie said:


> Anybody have the 8 Symphony box? I was thinking about pulling the trigger...........


It's pretty good. They aren't the first 20th century symphony set I would recommend but they are cool. They're very atmospheric and rhapsodic so if you don't like that sort of thing or do.. then ya.


----------



## KenOC

I went throuigh a phase where I collected a fair number of Rautavaara recordings. Then I realized that I didn't go for his music all that much, and getting more recordings wouldn't cure that. Right now I'm more interested in the music of Aho, who I'm told is Rautavaara's student.


----------



## Guest

Is the title of #1 Rautavaara fanboy up for grabs?

Because, if you didn't know this, in spite of raging Stockhausen love, Ferneyhough love, etc... I have a huge fetish for Einojuhani. I mean a serious, unhealthy, bordering on disorder, fetish.

Given that I have come to the letter "E" in the "listen to everything on my computer, iPod, etc" project (finished "D" with the Shostakovich piano concerti on Wednesday night)... and also given that Rautavaara makes up a disproportionate amount of music for this cross-section of my collection (~2x the amount of the 2nd place composer (Elliott Carter))... well, I've had to get down to business and tackle some of his music again. Note: I have heard most of several times before, but this project requires that I start fresh.

Thursday/Friday listens have thus far included:









































+ Miscellaneous....

C'mon. Go ahead and let me have the title.


----------



## shangoyal

Remarkable 8th symphony.


----------



## Guest

His music is so varied, I think he should probably be immune to one word abstractions. Really. If you don't like what you've heard, chances are you just haven't heard the right thing.

For instance, we see Rautavaara using entirely different varieties of choral writing between the _Vigilia_ versus the _Missa A Cappella_ versus _True And False Unicorn_. Just when you think _Symphony No. 7_ or _Piano Concerto No. 3_ is a bit too romantic for your tastes, you hear _Symphony No. 4_ or _Piano Concerto No. 2_. Just when you found some element of the synthesizers in _Symphony No. 6_ to be contrary to your taste, you hear the tape track in _The Myth Of Sampo_. Just when you decide that his "style" isn't for you, you realize he's essentially adapted his style differently to each one of his opera texts. He's got operas, symphonies, concertos, masses, songs, sonatas, quartets, and he's dying for you to think a little harder about writing him off so easily


----------



## Richannes Wrahms

You can view some of his most popular scores here: www.fennicagehrman.fi/composers/rautavaara-einojuhani/


----------



## Avey

Woah your _Concerto for Birds_ is truly amazing. I bought the record on a whim the other day, during some travels, and was not expecting much, since titles like that often come as gimmicks and I wonder what the real point behind the work was, from the composer's view that is.

Anyways, I just want to hear more of this. Makes me feel all warm and calm inside.


----------



## QuietGuy

I like his Harp Concerto.


----------



## Azol

My favorite compositions are Symphonies Nos. 3, 7 and 8!


----------



## Dim7

I have for a long time complained how Scriabin wrote so little orchestral music during his middle-to-late period. I'm listening to Rautavaara's Symphony no. 8, and while it certainly isn't Scriabin, it has that very lush and romantic, tonalish-atonalish mysterious vibe to it. That's close enough for me.


----------



## Skilmarilion

Re: the finale of the Cello Concerto No. 2 ... boy, there's some extraordinary writing for the higher (probably more like highest) register of the cello. Anyone hearing it without any context would surely assume that those passages are being played by a violin.


----------



## Skilmarilion

This is one of those where you wonder how anyone can conceive of something as extraordinary as this.

_Melankolia_


----------



## regenmusic

Einojuhani Rautavaara - Piano Concerto No. 1 (1969)


----------



## Notorious JWB

I'm a very recent convert myself via a chance encounter with the Leif Segerstam/Helsinki Philharmonic CD of Manhattan Trilogy and Third Symphony. Immediately enthralled, multiple revisits. Been checking out some of his other music since then.


----------



## regenmusic

I think much of modern culture, including modern serious music, is lacking, but he's one composer whose work I've heard that seems to stand up to the basic musical standards as they were in the past.


----------



## TwoPhotons

I stumbled upon your _Cantus Arcticus_ recently and am ashamed that I have not listened to your work before. Please forgive me!


----------



## Notorious JWB

I recall reading in the liner notes that Rautavaara was channeling Bruckner in his Third Symphony. I was listening to (and suitably blown away by) Manhattan Trilogy while reading it and thinking, "How is THIS guy ever going to remind me of Bruckner?" Then sure enough, within the first minute of the opening movement, "Hm, whaddya know? Bruckner!"


----------



## Xenakiboy

I love all his symphonies and his piano works, such as the etudes. Great composer!


----------



## Xenakiboy

Rautavaara is not only incredible but I don't have words for what I feel when I hear his works. His clusters evoke really strong, deep feelings in me. I can't say there are many other composer that evoke anything like what Rautavaara does (though there are other composer I have reactions of awe to  ), it is POWERFUL! :angel::cheers:


----------



## ArtMusic

He also composed operas that have been reasonably successful.


----------



## Xenakiboy

ArtMusic said:


> He also composed operas that have been reasonably successful.


I have no doubts that his powerful, dissonant (yet beautiful) cluster will be amazing in a dramatic atmosphere! I'll be listening this weekend!!


----------



## Skilmarilion

Rautavaara's (possibly) last work is available to listen to here:

*Fantasia for Violin and Orchestra*
-- Performed by Anne A. Meyers


__
https://soundcloud.com/entertainment-one-classical%2Frautavaara-fantasia-for-violin-and-orchestra

mp3 download here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rautavaara...474474502&sr=8-1&keywords=rautavaara+fantasia


----------



## Composer Kid

@World Violist Randomly enough, I'm a huge Rautavaara fan myself (RIP). I did an essay and presentation on Cantus Arcticus and as it turns out, there is much importance between the birds and orchestra, although it takes a bit of digging. Just one example is the second movement. It begins with a single slowed down bird call... after a while another bird echoes the first, with a 15-20 second delay. Eventually the high strings enter with beautiful serene chords... About 15-20 seconds later, the low strings enter. They play the chords the high strings did when they entered. Of course the high strings are bars ahead and playing different chords at this point. The result is a bitonal canon which mirrors the canon in the bird calls in the beginning. The sound is extremely harmonically rich. Sometimes the low strings and high strings, almost by chance, will meet at a single chord in a moment of ecstacy and no sooner they will be simultaneously playing in completely different key areas. 

It's quite a remarkable piece, and definitely a "goosebump" piece.


----------



## ronaldgeorge

Big fan of all of his symphonies, esp. 2,7,and 8. I've streamed much of his vocal music and it sounds great, but I haven't purchased any yet. He is a great melodist. To me, his music has a distinct sound whether it's an early serial work or any of his later compositions.


----------



## Skilmarilion

Documentary from 1997.


----------



## starthrower

^^^
Unfortunately, the documentary has been blocked by Naxos America. I'm listening to his Harp Concerto, and symphonies 7 & 8.


----------



## flamencosketches

Anyone a fan of Mr. Rautavaara's piano music? I just stumbled upon his Etudes:






Very good work. Almost Scriabinesque, shades of Debussy's Etudes too.

Any fans here? Seems he composed quite a bit besides piano music.


----------



## Janspe

flamencosketches said:


> Anyone a fan of Mr. Rautavaara's piano music? I just stumbled upon his Etudes:
> 
> ---
> 
> Any fans here? Seems he composed quite a bit besides piano music.


I must admit that I'm pretty unfamiliar with the solo works - wasn't very fond of the études last time I heard them but I should probably give them another chance. I do enjoy listening to his three piano concertos every now and then, though! Especially the first is quite memorable. Rautavaara's concertos in general are worth checking out.


----------



## flamencosketches

Noted, I see there is a Naxos disc of the concertos by the same pianist who does the Etudes I heard (Laura Mikkola; I hadn't heard of her but she has a great touch for this music). 

You are Finnish, it appears, or at least live there. Is Rautavaara a fairly well-known or well-regarded composer in your country? I am an American and this is the first I'm ever hearing of him, I think, thanks to the Youtube algorithm randomly showing me the Etudes.

Do give them another shot. I don't know if he is seen as much of a piano composer, but these are quite good. You may like them after all.


----------



## Janspe

flamencosketches said:


> You are Finnish, it appears, or at least live there. Is Rautavaara a fairly well-known or well-regarded composer in your country?


In my experience, yes. I go to orchestral concerts a lot and Rautavaara tends to be quite loved by the concert-going public - perhaps due to his rather accessible musical language? I'm so knee-deep in the classical music world that I have no idea how well-known Rautavaara is among the so called _general_ public...

It's a little unfortunate that Rautavaara's music doesn't get played very often, even here where he's very much admired! I did recently hear his 4th symphony, though, and there are other performances coming. I managed to see the man himself in a concert a few years ago, he was already quite frail at the time.

The Finnish label Ondine has recorded a huge amount of his music, from solo works to his operas. If you're interested in exploring his work further, that could be a place to start. His symphonies and concertos, and definitely operas, offer quite a broad insight into his work.


----------



## flamencosketches

Impressive, was he conducting one of his own works?

I'll have to look into some of those Ondine recordings. I didn't know he'd written any operas. Don't know anything of his orchestral music. Is there any one symphony, concerto etc of his that you would say is a definitive achievement? Or are they all pretty much equally good?

His music is quite accessible, would one term this neo-Romantic? There is something more than that going on, I think, but that may be a start.


----------



## Janspe

flamencosketches said:


> Impressive, was he conducting one of his own works?


No, he was there only as an audience member. If my memory serves me, it was John Storgårds leading the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.



flamencosketches said:


> I didn't know he'd written any operas. Don't know anything of his orchestral music. Is there any one symphony, concerto etc of his that you would say is a definitive achievement? Or are they all pretty much equally good?


Rautavaara is quite a mixed bag, stylistically. This can be seen just from the symphonies alone; he touched upon a variety of different compositional schools, but in the end he ended up being quite a mellow, one could say neo-Romantic composer. Very lush, very accessible. I wouldn't really know which one work to single out as his main achievement!

One of my personal favourites is the spiky opera _Kaivos_ (_The Mine_ in English) that was his very first, but it was not performed until years after because its political topic was considered too much for the Soviet authorities.


----------



## Josquin13

One of Rautavaara's most essential works, in my opinion, is his String Quintet, entitled "Les Cieux Inconnues" or "Unknown Heavens", which comes coupled with his two String Quartets on the following Ondine CD: 




Otherwise, it's good to see that Rautavaara's Violin Concerto is getting played & recorded more often by violinists, in addition to Elmar Oliveira, who commissioned and premiered the concerto (& interestingly, plays his own cadenza). Hilary Hahn has performed the work in concert (see link below), and there's been recordings by violinists Jaakko Kuusisto on BIS, and most recently by Tobias Feldmann on Alpha. Which is quite impressive for a more or less contemporary concerto--that it should have generated such interest from violinists. Over the years, I've grown to appreciate the concerto more myself, than I did when it first came out (a good sign).

Can anyone name another violin concerto by a contemporary composer that has been recorded by three different violinists?, and Hahn will be the fourth, when she sets down her interpretation in the studio. There have been a number of contemporary VCs that have received two recordings--by Glass, Nørgård, & Lindberg (off the top of my head)--but I can't think of any that have received 3 or 4 recordings... Why do I think this is important?--because I hope that it puts these exceptional, deserving violin concertos one step closer towards becoming standard violin repertory in our concert halls. How many more times do we need to hear the same set of 6 or 7 'old warhorses' over again? As great as those 'classic' violin concertos are, wouldn't it be nice to have a little more variety on our concert stages?:

Oliveira:




Hahn: 



Kuusisto: https://www.amazon.com/Rautavaara-S...avaara&qid=1557707564&s=music&sr=1-1-fkmrnull
Feldmann: 




In addition, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers commissioned and recorded Rautavaara's "Fantasia" for violin and piano, a work from the composer's last years (& possibly his final work?): 




Another interesting commission has come from pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, who premiered Rautavaara's Piano Concerto No. 3, entitled "Gift of Deams" (which comes coupled with "Autumn Gardens"): 



.

Pianist Laura Mikkola's recordings of Rautavaara's complete PCs (& solo piano music) on Naxos are excellent, too.

I can't say which recordings of Rautavaara's 8 Symphonies I like best--not yet, as it's been one of my listening projects for 2019. I'll try to report back...


----------



## Janspe

Josquin13 said:


> Can anyone name another violin concerto by a contemporary composer that has been recorded by three different violinists?, and Hahn will be the fourth, when she sets down her interpretation in the studio. There have been a number of contemporary VCs that have received two recordings--by Glass, Nørgård, & Lindberg (off the top of my head)--but I can't think of any that have received 3 or 4 recordings...


Here are some that come to mind:

Gubaidulina's _Offertorium_ has been recorded by Kremer, Krysa and Kagan (at least).
Gubaidulina's _In tempus praesens_ has been recorded by Mutter, Gluzman and Lamsma.
Rihm's _Gesungene Zeit_ has been recorded by Mutter, van Zweden and Yang.

And even more:

Adams' Violin Concerto: Kremer, Hoopes, Josefowicz, McDuffie, Waley-Cohen, Hanslip and Gringolts.
Dutilleux' _L'arbre des songes_: Stern, Hadelich, Capuçon, Amoyal, Charlier...


----------



## starthrower

Ligeti's violin concerto has been recorded four or more times. I've been meaning to listen to a few more works by Rautavaara. I've become a fan of conductor Hannu Lintu recently so maybe I'll give his recordings a listen. I have one BIS disc of brass works by Rautavaara that I enjoyed the last time I gave it a spin.


----------



## starthrower

Enchanting and beautiful piece!


----------



## DillyTroger

Richannes Wrahms said:


> You can view some of his most popular scores here: www.fennicagehrman.fi/composers/rautavaara-einojuhani/


thank you for the link. I have been searching for his scores


----------



## Plague

His two serenades for violin and orchestra were recorded by Hilary Hahn and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in her latest album:






The serenades were written for Hilary Hahn and completed by Kalevi Aho.


----------

