NORDIC HIGHLIGHTS 2/2019 NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN Focus on Tobias Broström & Esa Pietilä NEWS Ten performances of the Moomin Opera Flash Flash available at Yle Areena Th ere will be ten performances of the Moomin Maarit Kytöharju Photo: Opera by Ilkka Kuusisto in September: in Tam- Juhani Nuorvala’s opera Flash Flash – Two pere on 13–15 and Valkeakoski on 21–29. Th e Deaths of Andy Warhol is now at Yle Aree- opera is based on the book Vaarallinen juhannus na and available also to viewers outside (Moominsummer Madness) by Tove Jansson, in Finland. Th is opera to a text in English by which the Moomins take refuge from the fl ood Juha Siltanen has enjoyed cult status on in an opera house fl oating by. Th e project is a the Finnish opera scene; it is seductively joint Tampere Music Academy and Valkeakoski melodious, pop-infl ected, absurd and thrill- City Th eatre production. Also taking part in ing – something quite unique. Flash Flash the performance conducted by Tuomas Turria- was premiered on 9 February and received four additional performances at Espoo City go will be students and young actors from the Th eatre in May. Th e soloists were Tuu- Valkeakoski Music Institute and Th eatre School. li Lindeberg, David Hackston, Martti Anttila, Sampo Haapaniemi and Varvara Collections for saxophone Merras-Häyrynen. Tap dancer Ari Kaup- and clarinet pila performed a stunning scene at the end. Kalevi Aho premieres Th e BBC commissioned a work from Kalevi Aho as part of a set entitled Pictures Within: Birthday Variations for M.C.B. Elgar’s ‘Enigma Variations’ provides both model and inspiration for this new Photo: Anna-Kaisa Noki/Tampere-talo Photo: set of variations by 14 living composers to mark the 60th birthday of conductor Martyn Brab- bins. Th e premiere by the BBC Scottish Sympho- Finnish Favourites for the Saxophone is a com- ny Orchestra under Brabbins will take place on 13 pendium of works written for saxophone and August as part of the BBC Proms. piano in 1930–1950. Edited by Olli-Pekka Yet one more instrument is being added to the Tuomisalo, this anthology contains works list of solo concertos by Aho, this time for bass published now for the fi rst time, including a clarinet and orchestra. Th e concerto is a joint few arrangements. commission from the Jyväskylä Sinfonia and the Th e previously published Finnish Favourites Church opera by Kortekangas Joensuu City Orchestra on the initiative of Mik- for the Clarinet edited by Mikko Raasakka Th e church opera Elämänkuvat (Pictures of ko Raasakka. (See: premieres). presents music for clarinet and piano. Pilfi nk Life) by Olli Kortekangas is to be premiered Records has released a new CD that includes at the Korsholm Music Festival on 1 August Valfridsson & Dalasinfoniettan works from the collection by Leevi Madeto- by the Seinäjoki and Vaasa City Orchestras, Jonas Valfridsson ja, Sulho Ranta, Väinö Hannikainen, Erik Vaasa Opera Choir and Children’s Choir, as will be the Dalasin- Bergman and others performed by Raasakka well as two soloists: soprano Päivi Nisula and fonietta’s composer and Antti Vahtola (See: new CDs). baritone Waltteri Torikka. Th e conductor profi le during the Viktor Gårdsäter Photo: will be Anna-Maria Helsing and the stage 2019-2020 season. director is Ville Saukkonen. Th e libretto is He will compose two by Pia Perkiö and the opera was commis- new works: a cham- NORDIC HIGHLIGHTS 2/2019 sioned by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. ber piece for string NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN Lasting about one hour, the opera follows the quartet, fl ute, oboe, Sound samples , video clips stories of two characters side by side: a 16th-cen- clarinet and French and other material are available at tury Painter and present-day Mariia. It will be horn, and an orchestral work comprising the third www.gehrmans.se/highlights performed in the medieval Isokyrö Church and part of a trilogy inspired by the fairy-tale artist John was inspired by the paintings on its walls. Bauer. Rounding off the season, the main work in the trilogy, John Bauer Suite 1918 for choir and Cover photo: Ari Kauppila in the opera Flash Flash (Maarit Kytöharju), Tobias Broström (Nicklas Raab), orchestra, will be performed. Th e award-winning Esa Pietilä (Heikki Tuuli) work Th e Only Th ing Th at You Keep Changing Is Editors: Henna Salmela and Kristina Fryklöf Yo u r Na m e will open the season on 20 September, Translations: Susan Sinisalo and Robert Carroll Design: Tenhelp Oy/Tenho Järvinen and in January we can listen to the Swedish pre- ISSN 2000-2742 (Print), ISSN 2000-2750 (Online) miere of A Spark in the Deep Dark. Printed in Sweden by TMG Sthlm, Bromma 2019 HIGHLIGHTS 2/2019 New CEO at Gehrmans Filiz Erat Edhlund has as- PREMIERES sumed the position of CEO at Gehrmans Musikförlag. Music Finland Photos: July–September 2019 She is a trained pianist with OLLI KORTEKANGAS T’have seen what I have seen a focus on chamber music Tuuli Lindeberg, soprano, Petri Kumela, guitar and has long worked in lead- 9.7. Kemiö, Finland (Kemiönsaari Music Festival) Due per due for two violins ing positions in the music Katinka Korkeala, Sonja Korkeala industry, mainly in the copy- 11.7. Salo, Finland Partita for organ right and licensing company Tomi Satomaa ICE. “I feel both excited and 28.7. Turku, Finland Elämänkuvat (Pictures of Life) inspired at the prospect of leading Gehrmans’ develop- Vaasa & Seinäjoki Orchestras/Anna-Maria Helsing, ment together with the team. At the same time as we Vaasa Opera Choir etc., sol. Päivi Nisula, soprano, Waltteri Torikka, baritone oversee an important part of Swedish music heritage, 1.8. Isokyrö, Finland (Korsholm Music Festival) we must seek out and promote the composers who are CECILIA DAMSTRÖM creating the music we believe will be played in the fu- Piano Quintet – Helene Heli Haapala, fl ute, Kristiina Salmi, oboe, ture.” says Filiz Erat Edhlund. Current CEO Gunnar Helmi Malmgren, clarinet, Helgesson will remain at Gehrmans in the role of Sen- Topias Kiiskinen, bassoon, Tiina Karakorpi, piano 2.8. Janakkala, Finland (Kokonainen Festival) ior Director Composers & Repertoire. Öar i ett hav som strömmar (Islands in a Flowing Sea) Marika Hölttö, soprano, Maritta Manner, piano 18.8. Lappeenranta, Finland (Kumaus Festival) Karin Rehnqvist JYRKI LINJAMA Photo: Ester Sorri Ester Photo: String Quartet No. 2 (Allerheiligentag III) Helsinki Variations Festival Quartet Th e Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated a 10.7. Kemiö, Finland (Kemiönsaari Music Festival) century of Finnish independence in 2017 by launch- LOTTA WENNÄKOSKI Zeng for recorder, percussion and strings ing a commissioning project under the title of Hel- (version for string orchestra) Ostrobothnian ChO/Dalia Stasevska, sol. Anna Petrini, sinki Variations. Works by six composers will receive recorder, Antti Ohenoja, percussion an orchestral performance in 2019–2022. Th e fi rst, 25.7. Korsholm, Finland (Korsholm Music Festival) Om fotspår och ljus/ on 11 September, will be Lotta Wennäkoski with Of Footprints and Light Om fotspår och ljus (Of Footprints and Light), fol- Helsinki PO/Susanna Mälkki 11.9. Helsinki, Finland lowed by Kimmo Hakola (spring 2020), Antti Au- VELIMATTI PUUMALA vinen (autumn 2020), Matthew Whittall (spring Hommages fugitifs II (Bagatelles for Piano) 2021), Seppo Pohjola (autumn 2021) and Sampo Joonas Ahonen Haapamäki (spring 2022). 10.8. Oulu, Finland (Oulunsalo Soi Festival) MATTHEW WHITTALL Bright Ferment (String Quartet No. 2) Banff International String Quartet Competition 26.8.-1.9. Banff , Canada KALEVI AHO Variation XII for Pictures Within: F urther collaboration with Birthday Variations for M.C.B. BBC SO/Martyn Brabbins Karin Rehnqvist 13.8. London, UK (Proms Festival) Gehrmans is increasing its collaboration with Karin Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra Rehnqvist. Upcoming publications include Ljus av Jyväskylä Sinfonia/Ville Matvejeff , sol. Mikko Raasakka ljus/Light of Light (2003) for children’s choir and 4.9. Jyväskylä, Finland orchestra (a resplendent song extolling life and nature), Day is here! (2018) for eight voices and orchestra (set to traditional Native American texts and a text from the Swedish Hymnal, about life and survival), and Staern in Tanglewood and Stralsund Rolf Martinsson festival the frequently performed orchestral piece Arktis Ark- Benjamins Staern’s Confrontation for trumpet solo composer in Nora tis! (2000), a co-commission by the Swedish and and brass quintet will receive its US premiere with Rolf Martinsson is compos- Scottish Chamber Orchestras, inspired by a voyage Håkan Hardenberger and musicians from the Bos- er-in-residence at the Nora Chamber with a Swedish polar expedition in 1999. At present ton Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Festival Music Festival on 15-19 June. Th e Rehnqvist is composing a piece for choir and orchestra on 30 June. Hardenberger will also give the Australi- repertoire will range from his Opus to a newly written text by Kerstin Perski. ”It’s about an premiere of the work at ANAM in Melbourne in 1, String Quartet No. 1 from 1980, to our planet earth, our home in space. It is diffi cult to- October. Th eater Vorpommern will stage Benjamin his Suite for Woodwind Quintet from day not to mention the threats we humans face, and Staern’s popular family opera Th e Snow Queen/Die 2014. Th e artistic leader of the festi- that we ourselves cause”, says Rehnqvist. Th e work is Schneekönigin, to a libretto by Anelia Kadieva Jons- val is violinist and conductor Katari- a joint commission from the Netherlands Radio and son, translated into German by Lisa Henningson. na Andreasson, who also leads the the Swedish Radio, and the premiere will take place in Directed by Horst Kupich there will be nine perfor- festival orchestra in the fi nal concert the Concertgebouw in April 2020 under the baton of mances at the theatres in Stralsund and Greifswald including Airy Flight for trumpet and Dima Slobodeniouk.