11 JANUARY FRIDAY SERIES 8 Music Centre at 7 pm

PAAVO HEININEN 75 YEARS

Anna-Maria Helsing, conductor Kaisa Ranta, soprano Niina Keitel, mezzo-soprano Mati Turi, tenor Rolf Broman, bass-baritone Tapiola Chamber Choir, coach Hannu Norjanen

Paavo Heininen: Kaukametsä, Op. 77, world premiere (Yle commission) 13 min

Arthur Honegger: Symphony No. 2 25 min

I Molto moderato – Allegro II Adagio mesto III Vivace non troppo

INTERVAL 20 min

Paavo Heininen: Musta kehtolaulu (Black Lullaby), Op. 82, world premiere (Yle commission) 40 min

I Surmayöt (Nights of Killing) II Surupäivä (One Day for Sorrow) III Sodan hevonen (The War: its Little Mount) IV Ylitse (Over! Crossing!) V Runoilijan unet (The Poet: her Dreams) VI Hilpeä toivomus (A Last Wish, serene)

Interval at about 7.55 pm. The concert ends at about 21.10 pm. Broadcast live on Yle Radio 1 and the Internet (yle.fi/rso).

1 PAAVO HEININEN was quickly written to suit my mu- sical plans. But when the time came (1938–): for me to begin composing, Walton TE DEUM CREATURAE Grönroos was dead, the Opera had a new Director, and the plans were shel- Te Deum Creaturae was commissioned ved for financial and practical reasons. by the Finnish Broadcasting Company Meanwhile, the ideas, words and (Yle). An “oratorio” for choir, soloists images of Helmi Hämäläinen had been and orchestra, it is a work of operatic ticking over in my mind. Towards the breadth in the nature of an imaginary end of Ketunkivi, as the main charac- work for the stage. ter, Paavo, sits in his rocking chair Though cast as a single entity, Te while a storm blows over, gazing at a Deum Creaturae falls into three sec- rainbow and watching the furry wasps tions: flying upwards towards the roseate I Musta kehtolaulu (Black Lullaby), clouds, the idea and perspective ex- Op. 82; six settings of poems by Helvi pand into an eco-metaphysical vision. Hämäläinen, c. 40 minutes While I wanted this to be included, it II Kaukametsä, (“Mother, that golden would quite obviously be too broad in forest of the Horizon”), Op. 77 (2001), for scope at this point in the opera. When chamber choir and chamber orchestra, the plan for an opera proved impos- to words by Aleksis Kivi, c. 13 minutes sible, the opportunity presented itself III Eläinten taivas (Ascensus anima- of its own accord to solve the difficul- lorum; “The Village ascends to Heaven”), ty by expanding the animals’ ascent to Op. 83, c. 60 minutes heaven into an independent work. I did Sections I and II will be performed not, at the outset, know how big that at this concert. But in order to grasp one part (the present finale, Ascensus their form and essence, it is necessary animalorum, Op. 83) would become, to examine the work as a whole. so I began planning a suite of several In the early 1990s, the Finnish movements. In order to counterbalan- National Opera, namely Walton ce the naively cheerful finale, there was Grönroos, its Artistic Director at the virtually no option but to turn to her re- time, contacted me with a view to my cently-published collection Sukupolveni composing an ‘optimistic’ opera. My unta and its themes of grief and war. At search for a topic led me to the novel that time they tied in with both world Ketunkivi by Helvi Hämäläinen. When I events and my own personal life. The got in touch with her to ask her permis- broad themes of man and nature, ani- sion, she was delighted to hear I wished mal and artist, war and peace, young to compose an opera based on it and and old, mother and son, death and life immediately gave her consent. We of- thus constituted a totally unorthodox ten discussed the project on the pho- yet ultimately comprehensive, cohe- ne; sometimes she would call me after rent entity, a combination of the lof- receiving a letter from me. A libretto tily lyrical, the naïve, and sometimes

2 the grotesque that above all binds to- and nights. Black ones? Ultimately this gether the distinctive vision and voice is not true – the colour derives from of Helvi Hämäläinen. The mother-and- the firm decision to take the plunge, child poem by Kivi (Kaukametsä) see- firm faith in a peaceful dream beneath med just right for this, especially sin- the rays of a kindly sun. These are the ce the presence of Kivi’s world can very last words. They are short and quiet, clearly be sensed in the language and but they look ahead to the broad un- imagery of Hämäläinen’s early poems folding of the animals’ heaven from the about death, further processed as irre- perspective of its zenith. futably and with just as much origina- In style, the short movements (= lity. Black Lullaby) are more in the natu- Black Lullaby partly incorporates who- re of songs or arias, solos with a cho- le poems, partly combinations of two ir. The closing movement begins like a poems in a single, slightly condensed symphonic poem superimposed by a song. Ascensus animalorum is an enti- lyrically-handled text. Towards the end, ty in itself inspired by that section of the movement becomes more monu- the novel. To some extent it is possible mental and oratorio-like, and the words to find in the poems of Hämäläinen’s are subjected to choral polyphony. This middle period precisely the same ide- movement has numerous orchestral as as those on which Paavo medita- interludes that ‘paint’ the landscape tes as he sits in his rocking chair; the and the drama of the storm. Here, as same imagery features in several po- always, I thought in terms of absolute ems. These I combined and expanded music, but the text evokes quite spe- so that, through certain words (maa/ cific associations. This is the ‘painting’ earth, järvi/lake, pilvi/cloud), the music aspect. paints the scene: a socio-metaphysical The finale ends with the words stage on which the characters enter “Ottakaa kauneus! Ehtoolliseni se on and tread, with their words, thoughts teille.” (Here, take beauty! This is my and songs – from a poet and angel to Hallowed Breakfast for you) fish and rushes, a red cow and a green But this is followed by a short closing cowherd, bees, snow sheep, storm section as an epilogue ending with the clouds and a river. In other words, that words “Helvi Hämäläinen nukkuu (Helvi which the reader of the poetry collec- Hämäläinen sleeps)”. tions (and anyone familiar with Helvi In the finale we stand, the animals Hämäläinen’s prose) will sense on pe- and us, before a linen-smocked God. rusing even a single poem. The last few minutes are a tribute from The world and cast of Black Lullaby our contemporary musicians to Helvi are the same. Slightly compressed, but Hämäläinen. from a slightly later time perspective. Neither a story nor a journey, but more Paavo Heininen attention to detail and focusing on in- dividual moments and feelings, days

3 ARTHUR HONEGGER brittle, groping introduction. An incisi- ve unison motif heralds the quick sec- (1892–1955): tion with its powerful, almost march-li- SYMPHONY NO. 2 ke tread. The slow middle movement starts with a soft harmonic backcloth A symbiosis of French and German is against which a cello traces an inten- a lasting, core feature of the oratorios sive melody. The main theme of the and symphonies of Arthur Honegger. busy finale is rugged and later sharp- While writing his second symphony, ly pungent. At the end of the move- he found himself seriously having to ment a broad chorale tune evocative of address his relationship with all things Bach and the Baroque emerges, carried German. It had been commissioned along by the ad lib trumpet should one in 1938 by a fellow Swiss, Paul Sacher be present. This is the trumpet’s sole the conductor, but it was not comp- appearance in the symphony and it ap- leted until 1941 in occupied Paris, un- pears like a heavenly promise of a bet- der the shadow of the Second World ter future world. War. Honegger later recalled: “For over a year I gathered together a few va- Kimmo Korhonen (abridged) gue ideas; none of them satisfied me. Eventually, during the sad days of the occupation, I threw myself into the PAAVO HEININEN quartets of Beethoven and the influen- ce of these magnificent pieces stimu- Now celebrating his 75th birth, Paavo lated and enabled me to start work.” Heininen is known not only for his long Like Thomas Mann, Honegger was able career as a composer, for he has also to make a distinction between Nazi mentored many representatives of the Germany and the Germany of Bach, subsequent generation now internatio- Beethoven and Goethe, and indeed nally renowned, such as German culture as a whole with its and . faith in high ideals. Heininen studied musicology at the Sacher conducted the premiere in University of Helsinki and the pia- Zurich in May 1942, and he later went no and composition at the Sibelius on to commission Honegger’s fourth Academy, where his teachers in the symphony. Both of the Sacher com- latter subject were , missions are scored for strings, though , Einar Englund the second also has a short ad lib for and . After receiving trumpet. his composition diploma in 1960, he The second symphony is one of continued his studies in Cologne and Honegger’s most sombre works, as if at the Juilliard School of Music in New reflecting everything he saw and ex- York. His output includes works for or- perienced in Paris while he was writing chestra and for solo instrument, vocal it. The first movement begins with a and chamber music, and two operas.

4 Also an excellent pianist and essay- tumn 2010, Anna-Maria Helsing was ist, Heininen has personally premiered Artistic Director of the Wegelius many of his keyboard works and writ- Chamber Strings 2003–2011 and of ten essays on Finnish music and mu- the Pietarsaari Orchestra/Sinfonietta sical life. 2002–2012. She conducted the The Finnish Radio Symphony Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra has premiered many of in Tallinn in 2010 and last season Heininen’s works for orchestra: the made her debut with, among others, Concerto for String Orchestra (1959), the Gothenburg and Jena Symphony Symphony No. 1 (1960), Soggetto Orchestras and the Braunschweig State (1963), Symphony No. 3 (1977), Tritopos Orchestra. The many Finnish orchestras (1977), Dia (1979) and the Saxophone she has conducted include the Finnish Concerto (1983). Attitude (1980), the Radio Symphony, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Cello Concerto (1985), Two Essays Avanti!, Tampere Philharmonic, Turku (1994/96), Three Beings (1994/97), Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, the Violin Concerto (1999), Symphony and the orchestras of Jyväskylä, No. 5 (2002) and Piano Concerto No. Lappeenranta, Pori and Vaasa. In 4 (2001/06) were all Yle commissions. 2008 she was invited to participate in Since the oratorio, Heininen has the Allianz International Conductors’ composed a wealth of chamber music, Academy in London, where she con- including sonatas for each of the wind ducted the London Philharmonic and instruments. Philharmonia in 2008–2009. For her Finnish National Opera de- but in 2008, Anna-Maria Helsing con- ANNA-MARIA HELSING ducted the opera Adriana Mater by Kaija Saariaho. In London she was as- Anna-Maria Helsing received her con- sistant to Esa-Pekka Salonen for a pro- ducting diploma with distinction in duction of Schönberg’s Gurrelieder with 2007, after studying at the Sibelius the Philharmonia Orchestra in 2009. Academy for three years with Leif She has also been assistant conductor Segerstam, Atso Almila and others. for Jukka Linkola’s opera One Spooky She holds two diplomas from the Night at the Savonlinna Opera Festival Pietarsaari Conservatory in Finland, a (2006) and Fredrik Pacius’s The Hunt violin diploma from the Academy of of King Charles at the Finnish National Music in Bydgoszcz, Poland (2000), Opera (2007). and has attended masterclasses with The German city of Seesen awarded Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, Anna-Maria Helsing the Louis Spohr Vladimir Jurowski, John Carew, Leif Medal in 2011. Segerstam, Jorma Panula and Atso Almila. Artistic Director of the Oulu Symphony Orchestra since au-

5 KAISA RANTA ded the prize for a promising young fe- male voice in 2004. Kaisa Ranta (soprano) graduated with Kaisa Ranta is Artistic Director of the a Master’s degree in Music from the Muhos Music Festival. in 2008, having pre- viously studied in Oulu and Turku. She made her operatic debut as Papagena NIINA KEITEL in The Magic Flute in 2004 and 2005, at Opera Cava in Finland; while at the Trained at the Sibelius Academy, Niina Sibelius Academy she sang in produc- Keitel has been a member of the solo tions of The Magic Flute (the Queen ensemble of the Finnish National Opera of the Night), La finta giardiniera since 2011. Her roles there have inclu- (Sandrina) and Ilkka Kuusisto’s The ded Sesto in Julius Caesar, the Second Rib of a Man (Aina Zinck). In 2006 she Norn in Götterdämmerung and Zara in made her debut at the Finnish National The Purge. During the ongoing season Opera, singing the title role in Zaide. she can be heard in such productions Other assignments there have inclu- as Rigoletto (Maddalena), Flora (La ded the parts of Nanetta in Falstaff, the traviata) and Judith (Duke Bluebeard’s First Nymph in Rusalka, Julietta in Die Castle). tote Stadt and Marian in Robin Hood. Niina Keitel was a soloist at the A soloist with many Finnish orchest- Mannheim National Theatre 2010– ras and choirs, Kaisa Ranta premie- 2011 and the Darmstadt State Theatre red the work Neito/Maiden by Uljas 2007–2010. In Mannheim her assign- Pulkkis with the YL Male Voice Choir ments included Olga (Eugene Onegin), and the FRSO in 2008. She has been Berta (The Barber of Seville), Lola much in demand for sacred repertoi- (Cavalleria rusticana), Hansel (Hansel re, such as the Pergolesi and Scarlatti and Gretel), and Mercedes (Carmen); Stabat Maters, Handel’s Messiah and in Darmstadt Zephyrus (Apollo et Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem. With Hyacinthus) and Magdalene (Die the Handel Choir she has recorded the Meistersinger). Requiem and Cantus by John Rutter Guest engagements have taken Niina and with the Tapiola Chamber Choir Keitel to Frankfurt, the Savonlinna choral songs by Leevi Madetoja. She Opera Festival, the Daegu International has also recorded Lieder for the Finnish Opera Festival, Heidelberg, Lucerne Broadcasting Company (Yle). and the Munich Biennale. She has a Outside Finland Kaisa Ranta has wide concert repertoire and has gi- had solo engagements in England, the ven recitals in Tokyo, Busseto, at the United States, the Czech Republic and Naantali Music Festival and the Kuhmo Japan. She first made a name for herself Chamber Music Festival. in Finland on winning the first prize in the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in 2006, having previously been awar-

6 MATI TURI ROLF BROMAN Mati Turi (tenor) graduated from Rolf Broman trained as an opera singer the Estonian Academy of Music and at the Sibelius Academy. He was a trai- Theatre and was a member of the nee soloist at the Deutsche Oper am Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Rhein in Düsseldorf 2007–2009 and a until 2004. Since 2005 he has pursu- regular soloist there 2009–2011. In ad- ed a freelance musician’s career. He dition to his teachers in Finland (Esa has appeared with, among others, Ruuttunen, Jaakko Ryhänen) he stu- the Estonian National Symphony died privately with Franz Grundheber Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber and and Sir Donald McIntyre. His teacher at Baroque Orchestras, the Latvian present is Michael Rhodes. National Symphony Orchestra, the At home in Finland Rolf Broman Riga Chamber Orchestra, the Malmö has had roles in numerous provincial Symphony Orchestra, the Israel and opera and Sibelius Academy produc- Australian Chamber Orchestras, tions: Schaunard (La bohème) in Lahti, the Swedish Radio Choir and the Masetto (Don Giovanni) in Turku, the Netherlands Chamber Choir. title roles in The Black Monk and Toivo One of the leading Estonian oratorio Kuula in Vaasa and, among others, soloists, Mati Turi has a repertoire ran- Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Publio ging from major Baroque to contempo- (La clemenza di Tito) and Uberto (La rary works. These include all the Bach serva padrona) at the Sibelius Academy. Passions, Handel oratorios, the Verdi At the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Rolf and Dvořák Requiems, Kaumann’s Broman was cast in over twenty ro- Stabat Mater and Pärt’s Litany and St les, among them the Spirit Messenger John Passion. (Die Frau ohne Schatten) and Sarastro Recently, opera roles have started (The Magic Flute for children). He has to play an increasing part in Mr Turi’s also been the soloist in performances career, examples being Juhana in The of Bach’s St. Matthew and St. John Last Temptations, Cassio in Otello, Passions and Mozart’s Requiem in the Prince in Rusalka, Wallenberg 2 Germany. in Wallenberg, Mephistopheles in Dr In autumn 2011 Rolf Broman made Faustus and Don José in Carmen. He his Finnish National Opera debut as made his debut at the Finnish National Edward Teller in John Adams’s Doctor Opera as Paul in Die tote Stadt. In 2009 Atomic. In autumn 2012 he sang the he sang Alwa in the West Coast Kokkola Monk in Don Carlos there, and this sea- Opera production of Alban Berg’s Lulu, son his engagements include a guest in which the orchestra was the FRSO. appearance as the Grand Inquisitor Mati Turi has also participated in in Meyerbeer’s Vasco da Gama numerous Estonian and international (L’Africaine) in Chemnitz. opera and chamber music festivals.

7 THE TAPIOLA THE FINNISH RADIO CHAMBER CHOIR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Tapiola Chamber Choir that gave its debut concert in 1984 is devoted to The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra concert productions of its own, con- (FRSO) is the orchestra of the Finnish certs commissioned by professional or- Broadcasting Company (yle). Its missi- chestras and music festivals, and a sus- on is to produce and promote Finnish tained programme of commissioning musical culture. Its Chief Conductor as and recording projects. of autumn 2013 will be Hannu Lintu, Tapiola Originals is an international following a season (2012/2013) as the collection of commissions from com- orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor. posers in the Baltic region. It is also The FRSO has two Honorary involved in a national project docu- Conductors: Jukka-Pekka Saraste and menting the works of Finland’s leading Sakari Oramo. choral composers. It had a composer- The Radio Orchestra of ten players in-residence agreement with Jaakko founded in 1927 grew to symphony or- Mäntyjärvi for 2000–2005. The cho- chestra strength in the 1960s. Its pre- ir has recorded opera with the Finnish vious Chief Conductors have been National Opera Orchestra, the FRSO Toivo Haapanen, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, and the Helsinki Philharmonic and has Paavo Berglund, Okko Kamu, Leif performed major works by Baroque Segerstam, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and and Classical composers with many Sakari Oramo. great conductors – Peter Schreier, The latest contemporary music is Harry Christophers, Roy Goodman and a major item in the repertoire of the Paul Hillier, for example. FRSO, which each year premieres a Many of the choir’s discs have number of yle commissions. Another won Finnish awards. Those of mu- of the orchestra’s tasks is to record all sic by Penderecki and Sibelius were Finnish orchestral music for the yle ar- among the “benchmarks” listed in the chive. During the 2012/2013 season it Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide will premiere six works commissioned to the world’s best recordings. Since by yle. 1998 the Artistic Director of the Tapiola The FRSO has recorded works by Chamber Choir has been Hannu Eötvös, Nielsen, Hakola, Lindberg, Norjanen. In 2005 the choir was awar- Saariaho, Sallinen, Kaipainen, Kokkonen ded the City of Espoo Culture Prize in and others, and the debut disc of the recognition of its contribution to musi- opera Aslak Hetta by Armas Launis. Its cal life in Espoo. discs have reaped some major distinc- tions, such as the BBC Music Magazine Award and the Académie Charles Cros Award. The disc of the Sibelius and

8 Lindberg Violin Concertos (Sony BMG) with Lisa Batiashvili as the soloist re- ceived the MIDEM Classical Award in 2008, in which year the New York Times chose the other Lindberg disc as its Record of the Year. The FRSO regularly tours to all parts of the world. During the 2012/2013 season it will be heading for Eastern Finland and Southern Europe. All the FRSO concerts both in Finland and abroad are broadcast, usually live, on yle Radio 1. They can also be heard and watched with excellent live stream quality on the FRSO website (yle.fi/rso).

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