Cello Concerto Symphonies Nos

Cello Concerto Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 Marko Ylönen, cello Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Sakari Oramo (1921–1996) Cello Concerto (1969) 1 I Moderato mosso – Allegro 7:23 2 II Allegretto 3:12 3 III Adagio 6:06 4 IV Cadenza (Adagio) 3:28 5 V Allegro vivace 2:05 Symphony No. 3 (1967) 6 I Andante sostenuto 5:12 7 II Allegro 3:10 8 III Allegretto moderato 3:14 Marko Ylönen, cello 9 IV Adagio 6:09 Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Symphony No. 4 (1971) Sakari Oramo 10 I Moderato 8:20 11 II Allegro 5:52 12 III Adagio 7:38 [62:12] 2 F rom the 1960s to the 1980s, there was a single of his music, except that now they were aligned with a dominating figure on the Finnish musical scene: Joonas specific colouring. The new, colourful orchestration is at its Kokkonen (1921–1996). Apart from being a notable most florid in the tonal fields of the first movement of the composer, he also held numerous elected posts, was Third Symphony. a member of the Academy of Finland, developed the infrastructure of Finnish music and enhanced Finland’s In the Third Symphony , Kokkonen is more open international connections in the field. As a composer, he and direct than before.Although his neo-tonal period was a slow developer.After a number of Neo-Classical involved abandoning twelve-tone technique – with chamber music works, his breakthrough work Musiikkia the exception of a handful of minor works later – this jousiorkesterille (Music for String Orchestra, 1957) paved change too was not as drastic as one might expect.The the way towards his orchestral output. He wrote his central elements of Kokkonen’s musical idiom remained dodecaphonic First Symphony (1960) at the advanced unchanged; what was notable was that triads and pedal age of 40. He had written four symphonies by the time points became more important in his neo-tonal period. he established himself with the public at large through the The Third Symphony, colourful and expressive as it opera Viimeiset kiusaukset (The Last Te mptations, 1975). is, is also an exercise in conciseness and crystallization. The opera has had some 300 performances to date, and This was the first work in which he used an extensive it has served as the calling card of the Finnish National percussion section, and he used the piano as an orchestral Opera on several visits abroad. Notwithstanding the instrument rather than as a member of the percussion success of the opera, however, it is orchestral music which group. The keystone of the structure is the Adagio, which forms the core of Kokkonen’s output. reflects the composer’s sense of the monumental: it is in Between 1964 and 1967, Kokkonen’s music underwent the deep waters of the slow movements that the great a considerable change, apparent in his use of tonal colour symphonic designs lie. Kokkonen was not interested in and his free-tonal technique. The transition was not writing a traditional presto finale; he did not like to resolve abrupt, though. The first two symphonies were relatively things by force. Kokkonen was not content to create his austere in their orchestration, but the Third Symphony symphonic form through juxtaposition and contrasts as in (1967), commissioned by the Finnish Radio Symphony the classical model. For him,‘symphonic’ meant using the Orchestra, was much more colourful. Kokkonen himself same basic motif material in all movements. said that he did not consciously change his colour palette; Almost all contemporary critics were amazed at how instead, it was the material that he worked with which short the symphony was. Some felt that Kokkonen’s music changed and required colours different from his earlier had become more introvert than ever and had perhaps works. The change was not so profound that Kokkonen turned towards quite new paths. The Finnish music critic could then have been described as a colourist. Melody, Seppo Heikinheimo was fascinated by the enigmatic rhythm and harmony remained the basic building blocks nature of the work, which as he said was “by no means an 3 alienating reticence but more reminiscent of the inscrutably which also found expression in the organ piece Surusoitto smiling sphinxes of Egypt: the listener feels like a somewhat (Funeral Music, 1969). Bowing to the concerto tradition, confused mortal. ” In February 1968, the Nordic Music the Cello Concerto is full of brilliance and gratifying for Council awarded Kokkonen – and his Third Symphony in the soloist to play. Its fast movements display the warm, particular – its distinguished music prize. profound humanity and playful sense of humour that were characteristic of its composer. Its conclusion is good fun The Cello Concerto (1969) is the only concerto with not a trace of seriousness, while the long melodic arcs proper that Joonas Kokkonen ever wrote, yet it is one of of the slow movement are poignant and touching. the gems of the Finnish concerto repertoire. It belongs The Cello Concerto was premiered by the Helsinki to the same free-tonal period as the Third and Fourth Philharmonic Orchestra in October 1969 – the first time Symphonies. The concerto has a technically demanding that the orchestra had premiered a piece by Kokkonen. solo part and is just as economical as the symphonies. Composer colleague Einar Englund, in his review in Hufvud- It has not a trace of virtuoso brilliance for its own sake stadsbladet, praised Kokkonen as the most gifted musical – the idea of such extra-musical fireworks was thoroughly architect in Finland. Englund saw a deep symbolic meaning alien to Kokkonen. The concerto of course differs from in the concerto, which was dedicated to architect Alvar the symphonies in that its orchestration is lighter, the cello Aalto: he felt that Kokkonen would surely have become a being a solo instrument susceptible to being drowned out great architect had he chosen to exercise his talent in that by the orchestra, a danger that Kokkonen knew how to field. Kokkonen wrote the Cello Concerto specifically for avoid. He said that he knew of too many composers who cellist Arto Noras; its dedication to Alvar Aalto stems from at rehearsals had been forced to cut as much as a third the fact that it was the first major work that Kokkonen of the notes they had written. Once the concerto was wrote in his new home,Villa Kokkonen, which Aalto had completed and Kokkonen submitted the score, he said: designed. “In all other respects I am not qualified to estimate the qualities of this work, but of one thing I am certain: the In the early 1970s, there was no doubt at all who Finland’s cello will always be heard.” leading contemporary composer was. Kokkonen’s 50th The Cello Concerto has five movements, of which birthday was celebrated in November 1971, and for the the final three are played without a break: the slow occasion the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra organized movement, the cello cadenza which is titled as a separate a concert of his music.The orchestra wanted a premiere movement, and the rapid finale – the same scheme as to crown the programme, preferably a new symphony.As in the Cello Concerto of Shostakovich. The nucleus Kokkonen had already been planning a new symphony, he and psychological focus of the concerto is the third of was pleased with the commission. The Fourth Symphony its five movements, the Adagio. Its profound solemnity was eventually not long in the making: it was completed in was prompted by the death of the composer’s mother, October 1971 after only three months of actual writing, 4 MarkoYlönen 5 although before this Kokkonen had had to struggle with MarkoYlönen studied the cello with Csaba Szilvay the overall shape of the work. He always worked out the at the East Helsinki Music Institute, with Erkki Rautio structure and progression of his works before starting to and Heikki Rautasalo at the Sibelius Academy and with write the music, and in this case he had become annoyed Heinrich Schiff in Basel. At the age of fifteen he attained with his accustomed practice of beginning and ending his the finals in the Turku Cello Competition. He went on to symphonies with a slow movement, reversing the classi- win 2nd prize in the Nordic Cello Competition in Turku in cal scheme of movements. Now he wanted to write a 1990 and a prize in the finals of the Tchaikovsky Competi- symphony where the slow movement would grow into a tion in Moscow in the same year. In 1996, he won the straightforward fast finale. In the event, he was unable to Concert Artists Guild competition in NewYo rk. develop this idea out of the end of the slow movement, Marko Ylönen has appeared in solo and chamber and finally he gave up: the Fourth Symphony has only three music recitals all around Finland, in several countries in movements and is similar in structure to its predecessors. Europe, in the USA, in Australia and in New Zealand. He The Fourth Symphony is the most immediately ac- was principal cellist of the Tapiola Sinfonietta (1990–91) cessible and perhaps for this reason the most frequently and principal solo cellist of the Finnish Radio Symphony performed of Kokkonen’s symphonies. Its harmonic Orchestra (1991–93). He played cello with the New environment is dominated by triads based on the progres- Helsinki Quartet from 1995–99. Since 2000, he has been sion C – E – A flat.The melodic events are simple, a play a tenured teacher of cello and chamber music at the of colours and mass instead of profuse polyphony.The Sibelius Academy.

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