NORDIC HIGHLIGHTS 1/2019 NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN Focus on Kalevi Aho Tommie Haglund festivals NEWS Linjama’s opera Three Letters to Laestadius Jyrki Linjama’s church opera Three Letters to Laestadius (Kolme kirjettä Laestadiuk- selle) is to be performed in Oulu Cathedral on 12 October, as part of Oulu’s contempo- rary music festival. Premiered in 2017, the opera takes place while the Swedish revivalist preacher Lars Levi Laestadius (1800–1861) is dying, and addresses major human issues in a dream-like state. The title role will be sung byEsa Ruuttunen, baritone, and the stage director is Michael Baran, who wrote the libretto with Linjama. The Soli Deo Gloria chamber orchestra will be conducted by Juhani Lamminmäki. Jyrki Linjama PHOTO: SAARA VUORJOKI/MUSIC FINLAND VUORJOKI/MUSIC SAARA PHOTO: Aino Ackté at Ilmajoki Schnelzer premieres The operaAino Ackté by Ilkka a strong woman and unrelenting 2019 will see three Albert Schnelzer premieres. Besides the piano concerto Kuusisto can be heard in its origi- artist who achieved international This Is Your Kingdom with Conrad Tao and the Swedish RSO (14 March), nal version for large orchestra at the acclaim and laid the foundations for and the violin concerto Nocturnal Songs with Ilya Gringolts and the Uppsala Ilmajoki Music Festival on 14–16 Finnish opera. The conductor will Chamber Orchestra (11 April), a new concert opener will also be premiered in June. There will be four perfor- be Jonas Rannila and Marjukka connection with the Clara Schumann Bicentenary. Its title is Burning My Let- mances. The opera is a portrait of Tepponen will sing the leading role. ters: Remembering Clara, and alludes to the intensive correspondence between Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms. The piece is a joint commission of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Korsholm and will be premiered under the direction of their principal conductor Jaime Music Festival Martin in Gävle in November and in Los Angeles in February 2020. Lotta Wennäkoski is the focus composer at this year’s Whittall in Canada and on tour Korsholm Music Festival, 25 The piano concertoNameless Seas received a new commission: the July–5 August. At the open- by Matthew Whittall is to have Winnipeg Symphony has asked ing concert, the Ostroboth- two performances in Canada in him to compose a piece featuring a nian Chamber Orchestra May 2020. The soloist with the baritone soloist, and a choral role for will perform her Zeng for Toronto Symphony Orchestra will the Toonkunst Koor Amsterdam. string orchestra, percussion be Angela Hewitt, who premiered The new work will be premiered in and recorder. There will also the concerto with the National Winnipeg in April 2020 and taken be several chamber works by Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa on WSO’s tour in the Netherlands her on the programme. On 1 in October 2017. Whittall has also on 29 April –10 May 2020. August, the Festival will be premiering the church opera Fennica Gehrman purchases MES catalogue Elämänkuvat (Pictures of Fennica Gehrman purchased the catalogue of MES (The Foundation for Life) by Olli Kortekangas. Music Promotion) in December 2018. This includes two major operas – The 150th anniversary of the Aulis Sallinen’s The Horseman and Aarre Merikanto’s Juha – and a number birth of Armas Järnefelt will of smaller-scale works by various composers. According to Executive Director also be reflected in the pro- Hannu Saha, MES is pleased that these works, formerly owned by LUSES PHOTO: MAARIT KYTÖHARJU MAARIT PHOTO: Lotta Wennäkoski gramme. have ended up in a home with the best possible publishing expertise. Matthew Peterson NORDIC HIGHLIGHTS 1/2019 NEWSLETTER FROM GEHRMANS MUSIKFÖRLAG & FENNICA GEHRMAN Gehrmans is staring a collaboration with American- Swedish composer Matthew Peterson with focus on his Sound samples , video clips choral music. He came to Sweden in 2008 as a Fulbright and other material are available at scholar, following studies with, among others, Sven-David www.gehrmans.se/highlights Sandström at Indiana University School of Music in www.fennicagehrman.fi/highlights Bloomington. He has received praise especially for his masterly vocal compositions that have been performed by Cover photo: Kalevi Aho (Romain Etienne) renowned choirs as Chanticleer and Vocal Essence. Editors: Henna Salmela and Kristina Fryklöf Gehrmans is now publishing four of his most recent choral works: the motets , Translations: Susan Sinisalo and Robert Carroll Ave maris stella Adoramus te and Cantate Domino premiered by the Sofia Vocal Design: Göran Lind Ensemble and Bengt Ollén in October 2018, and ISSN 2000-2742 (Print), ISSN 2000-2750 (Online) Lux aeterna, written for the Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Printed in Sweden by TMG Sthlm, Bromma 2019 Choir in 2017. PHOTO: PETER ERIKSSON PETER PHOTO: HIGHLIGHTS 1/2019 Double Concerto PREMIERES for Vänskä and Keefe Spring 2019 Olli Kortekangas has written a double PAAVO HEININEN concerto for Osmo Vänskä and Erin Pyhäaamu Suomen Lappeenrannassa Keefe. The Concerto for Clarinet, Vio- Lappeenranta City Orchestra/Vytautas Lukocius lin and Orchestra will receive its world 8.3. Lappeenranta, Finland Michaelmas: Concerto da Camera premiere at the Naantali Music Festi- Mikkeli Orchestra, sol. and cond. Kaija Saarikettu, val on 5 June by the Lahti Symphony violin. 23.5. Mikkeli, Finland Orchestra, Vänskä on the clarinet and BENJAMIN STAERN Keefe on the violin. Osmo Vänskä will Hilma – An Opera about Hidden Art Mette af Klint, Fredrik af Klint, Alma Adolfsson, PHOTO: LISA-MARIE MAZZUCCO LISA-MARIE PHOTO: also conduct the concert. Stefan Lindgren, piano, Victoria Stjerna, violin, Andreas Lavotha, cello. 9.3. Stockholm, Sweden Konnakol Variations for solo percussion and winds Harri Wessman at 70 Swedish Wind Ensemble/Cathrine Winnes, Börtz’s mightiest sol. Lauri Metsvahi. 16.3. Stockholm, Sweden Harri Wessman will be 70 on 29 March. A versatile com- symphony TOBIAS BROSTRÖM poser whose output includes chamber and vocal music and Nigredo – Dark Night of the Soul concertos (see: Repertoire Tips), Wessman has paid special On 23 May Daniel Börtz’s Sinfonia 13 will Concerto for two trumpets and orchestra attention to music have its premiere at the Stockholm Concert Malmö SO/John Storgårds, sol. Håkan Hardenberger, Jeroen Berwaerts. 14.3. Malmö, Sweden for teaching pur- Hall. The 60-minute work is scored for a large orchestra, two narrators and three vocal La noche oscura for clarinet and piano poses and composed Contestants of the Carl Nielsen International Competition. quality repertoire for soloists, and is thus his most extensive 21.3. Copenhagen, Denmark symphony. The texts are taken from Kjell a variety of instru- ALBERT SCHNELZER ments, combinations Espmark’s collection of poems The Creation. Piano Concerto – This Is Your Kingdom of thereof, and for The Sinfonia is number three in a series Swedish Radio SO/Thomas Søndergaard, sol. Conrad Tao including the opera Medea and the choral 14.3. Stockholm, Sweden young musicians. His Violin Concerto No. 2 – Nocturnal Songs music is known for its work In the Darkness of Voices. They all Uppsala CO/Gérard Korsten, sol. Ilya Gringolts malleable melodies, have their origin in a dark outlook where 11.4. Uppsala, Sweden only mankind itself has the possibility of its practical approach TOMMIE HAGLUND and its direct appeal. influencing the world in a brighter direction Symphony No. 1 (See: Premieres). Royal Stockholm PO/Tobias Ringborg In addition to music 28.3. Stockholm, Sweden and languages, Wess- WESSMAN LIISA PHOTO: KAI NIEMINEN man is inspired by cooking, which, like composing, offers Fragmental Reflections (on a Finnish Theme) endless potential for combining different ingredients. Osmo Palmu, guitar. 30.3. Oulu, Finland TUOMAS TURRIAGO Tangerengue for trumpet and piano Choral Composer of the Month Pacho Flores, trumpet, Tuomas Turriago, piano In 2018 Gehrmans Musikförlag celebrated its 125th anni- 3.4. Tampere, Finland versary with twelve films about choral music from 1893- KALEVI AHO Symphony No. 17 2018 under the heading #swedishchoralmusic. In our new Lahti SO/Dima Slobodeniouk. 4.4. Lahti, Finland series “Choral Composer of the Month” we are presenting Concerto for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra contemporary composers who share their thoughts about Lapland CO/John Storgårds, sol. Ismo Eskelinen choral music and its future. Subscribe to our international 10.5. Rovaniemi, Finland Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, newsletter by sending a message to swedishchoralmusic@ Piano and Chamber Orchestra gehrmans.se! On the #swedishchoralmusic Facebook page Antwerp SO/Martyn Brabbins, sol. Storioni Trio you will find the interview of the month in Swedish. (Bart van de Roer, pf, Wouter Vossen, vl., Marc Vossen, vc.) 11.5. Antwerp, Belgium There you have the possibility of posing questions directly String Quartet No. 1, Solo X for horn, to the composers (in English if you prefer)! In February Solo XVI for harp Kamus Quartet, Ilkka Puputti, horn, Anneleen Lenaerts, harp. Jacob Mühlrad became the first Choral Composer of the 28.-29.6. Forssa, Finland (Musica Kalevi Aho) Month, the second was Anna-Karin Klockar. Who will LINDÉN HANS PHOTO: be the next? DANIEL BÖRTZ Sinfonia 13 Royal Stockholm PO/Patrik Ringborg, sol. Johanna Rudström, Daniel Carlsson, Karl-Magnus Fredriksson; Tebogo Monnakgotla Stina Ekblad, Hannes Meidal, reciters Un clin d’oeil 14.5. Stockholm, Sweden Gehrmans is publishing Tebogo Monnakgotla’s song cycle Un clin d’oeil OLLI KORTEKANGAS (A Wink) – three songs for baritone and orchestra to texts by the Mada- Concerto for Violin, Clarinet and Orchestra gascan poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo, who is also considered Africa’s Sinfonia Lahti/Osmo Vänskä, sol. Erin Keefe, violin, Osmo Vänskä, clarinet first modern poet. The first song is about life’s transitoriness, the second 5.6. Naantali, Finland (Naantali Music Festival) is a love poem from the poet to his daughter and in the third, ”Danses”, JYRKI LINJAMA an elderly woman who dances with a young woman is really one and the Allerheiligentag IV for solo gamba same person.