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Track Listings
| 1. I. Translucent, secret |
| 2. II. On fire |
| 3. III. Awakening |
| 4. IV. Eclipse |
| 5. V. Heart of Light |
| 6. I. Memento mori |
| 7. II. Winter Sky |
| 8. III. Hunter |
| 9. Mirage |
Product Description
Review
These three recent works by Kaija Saariaho were recorded at a festival of Finnish music in Paris in the spring, and they share her unerring ability to convey different senses of light in sound. Notes on Light, a concertante work for cello and orchestra, boasts the luminescent playing of Anssi Karttunen, who also appears in Mirage alongside the radiant soprano of Karita Mattila in a setting of text by María Sabina. The purely orchestral Orion, commandingly performed, miraculously combines frenzy with stasis. --Matthew Rye, Daily Telegraph, 11 October 2008
Extremely refined yet bold orchestral texture, densely radiant continuums of sound, are Saariaho s stock in trade, and these pieces epitomise it. A Finn long resident in Paris, she writes as though pressed in each piece to rehearse her autobiography and demonstrate how deep, even primeval, Scandinavian broodings are wholly compatible with the Gallic meticulousness of a composer such as Dutilleux. She is linked to the French spectralist movement, which finds new worlds in overtones, and in Notes on Light and Orion, these worlds are decidedly astronomical. Mirage powerfully sets words by a female Mexican shaman. --Paul Driver, Sunday Times, October 208
Extremely refined yet bold orchestral texture, densely radiant continuums of sound, are Saariaho s stock in trade, and these pieces epitomise it. A Finn long resident in Paris, she writes as though pressed in each piece to rehearse her autobiography and demonstrate how deep, even primeval, Scandinavian broodings are wholly compatible with the Gallic meticulousness of a composer such as Dutilleux. She is linked to the French spectralist movement, which finds new worlds in overtones, and in Notes on Light and Orion, these worlds are decidedly astronomical. Mirage powerfully sets words by a female Mexican shaman. --Paul Driver, Sunday Times, October 208
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Judging from past releases, the cello seems to be a favourite instrument of Kaija Saariaho, and this vivid Paris concert-recording features two more pieces with prominent cello-parts. The half-hour long five-part concerto starts off quite hesitantly: lots of wailing sounds by the cello sparsely orchestrated, just the odd touch of piano and other strings. Events liven up in the second movement with fast cues for the xylophone, after which the cello remains very busy with more and more of the orchestra participating in the slowly evolving background. The narrative continues with the cello representing Light being drowned out by the orchestra in what's an extra-ordinary episode that seems tailor-made to accompany a film showing an eclipse of the sun. The cello returns to finally achieve a sense of equilibrium with the orchestra. The concerto's rather masculine solo-part is executed with much élan by Anssi Karttunen, who is joined by soprano Karita Mattila in what was the world premiere of Mirage. Both interpret in their own ways a ritualistic text which is exactly as mad and wayward as it sounds in this in my view not altogether successful composition which nevertheless has its moments of beauty.
In-between Notes on Light and Mirage sits the purely orchestral and more conventional piece Orion, seemingly aimed at conveying a sense of the cosmic tales involving this and other figures from Greek mythology. After the great washes of dramatic sound in its first movement a beautifully tranquil episode emerges which steadily builds towards some real "sense of wonder" moments before the lively virtuoso finale kicks in. Another fine piece and another fine release in the ongoing Ondine series of Saariaho recordings.
In-between Notes on Light and Mirage sits the purely orchestral and more conventional piece Orion, seemingly aimed at conveying a sense of the cosmic tales involving this and other figures from Greek mythology. After the great washes of dramatic sound in its first movement a beautifully tranquil episode emerges which steadily builds towards some real "sense of wonder" moments before the lively virtuoso finale kicks in. Another fine piece and another fine release in the ongoing Ondine series of Saariaho recordings.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In the wonderful, creative musical melting pot in the late 60s, contemporary classical music was a rather overlooked but important factor. Bands like Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Moody Blues drawing on inspirations from the experiments of Stockhausen, John Cage and Messiaen.
This gorgous concert, recorded live in march '08 in Paris, with the orchestre de Paris is comprised of three indepedent pieces - the two of them world premieres - but actually sounding like one coherent musical statement. The music is full of beauty and her "Notes Of Light" seems really able to convey an inner feeling of the eternal light in the listener. And cellist Anssi Karttunen displays a sublime mastery of his instrument, making the complex, written music sound easy and spontaneous/improvised.
The concert "Orion" is just as cosmic as the title implies. And the mixture of the sombre, the avantgarde and the spiritual reminding of other contemporary Scandinavian composers like Per Norgaard and Leif Segerstam. The aetheric effects very reminiscent of Terje Rypdal's classical works and seemingly coming from the same deep and profound inner space.
"Mirage" is based on a poem by the shaman Maria Sabina, the woman who in 1955 introduced R. Gordon Wasson (and thereby the West at large) to the sacred mushrooms (psilocybin). And Saariaho certainly sounds - and looks - like a 'wise woman' herself. Putting a completely different kind of music to Sabina's lyrics, making for a highly interesting cross-cultural meeting.
The inspired and spiritual music of Saariaho could certainly deserve a wider audience as her music should and could appeal to fans of psychedelic/progressive rock and for lovers of the more adventurous forms of electronica and new age. As well as everyone into artists like John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce, Joe Zawinul, all three of course well versed in the classical/avantgardish tradition.
Powerful, visionary stuff.
This gorgous concert, recorded live in march '08 in Paris, with the orchestre de Paris is comprised of three indepedent pieces - the two of them world premieres - but actually sounding like one coherent musical statement. The music is full of beauty and her "Notes Of Light" seems really able to convey an inner feeling of the eternal light in the listener. And cellist Anssi Karttunen displays a sublime mastery of his instrument, making the complex, written music sound easy and spontaneous/improvised.
The concert "Orion" is just as cosmic as the title implies. And the mixture of the sombre, the avantgarde and the spiritual reminding of other contemporary Scandinavian composers like Per Norgaard and Leif Segerstam. The aetheric effects very reminiscent of Terje Rypdal's classical works and seemingly coming from the same deep and profound inner space.
"Mirage" is based on a poem by the shaman Maria Sabina, the woman who in 1955 introduced R. Gordon Wasson (and thereby the West at large) to the sacred mushrooms (psilocybin). And Saariaho certainly sounds - and looks - like a 'wise woman' herself. Putting a completely different kind of music to Sabina's lyrics, making for a highly interesting cross-cultural meeting.
The inspired and spiritual music of Saariaho could certainly deserve a wider audience as her music should and could appeal to fans of psychedelic/progressive rock and for lovers of the more adventurous forms of electronica and new age. As well as everyone into artists like John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce, Joe Zawinul, all three of course well versed in the classical/avantgardish tradition.
Powerful, visionary stuff.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The foremost thing about this disc is that it is of the most electrifying live performance. Too often live performance recordings are an excuse for patchy response ranges and flat or rattling acoustics. However, on this disc you can positivly hear the background silence sparkling and the dropped jaws of the audience. This is unstintingly modernist music and in other hands it might be difficult music, but the performance carries such hard conviction and shear elan that you can hear the audience being entirely won over.
Notes on light is essentially a five movement cello concerto. This might be the most accomplished cello playing, by Ansii Kartunnen, I've ever heard. Every possible means of getting musical sounds out of a cello, and a few more besides, are called for by what must be a most formidable score, such that the soloist is walking a tightrope from beginning to end. But Kartunnen never falls off, and what could so easily have become in exercise in technical accomplishment actually comes off sounding like a new and unknown instrument from another world. The cello operates against various backgrounds of strange orchestral sonorities. Sometimes massive and beautiful slowly evolving chords, at others more rapid linear constructions, though never with anything as obvious as a tune.
Orion, as it's name might suggest, is evocative of deep cosmic spaces. The music is vast and irresistible, for the most part in an eerie timeless sense but there are some wonderful and rather violent climaxes in there as well.
The final work is an eleven minute piece for soprano and cello soloist called Mirage. The premise is described in other reviews. The music is again marvellous but this piece is, to my mind anyway, verly slightly let down in a couple of places by the shoe-horning of the text to fit the music. There are some awkward repetitions. Also, it is quite a demanding suspension of disbelief to imagine a modern concert soprano as a Mexican shaman lady, though once she get's going, Karita Matilla does start to sound appropriately wild and crazed to an almost spine chilling extent. In truth, this is probably a very demanding part for a singer, requiring them to get into a character role that is probably hard to settle into in a brief eleven minutes.
There is an intensely spiritual and contemplative quality to Saarahio. It is as though her music is filled with vast and whirling structures that are like some primum mobile rotating around a calm centre of cosmic stillness, into which the attentive listener may climb.
In summary then, a magnificent disc and my scratching of the surface of the extraordinary world of modern Finnish music continues to be a compelling success.
Notes on light is essentially a five movement cello concerto. This might be the most accomplished cello playing, by Ansii Kartunnen, I've ever heard. Every possible means of getting musical sounds out of a cello, and a few more besides, are called for by what must be a most formidable score, such that the soloist is walking a tightrope from beginning to end. But Kartunnen never falls off, and what could so easily have become in exercise in technical accomplishment actually comes off sounding like a new and unknown instrument from another world. The cello operates against various backgrounds of strange orchestral sonorities. Sometimes massive and beautiful slowly evolving chords, at others more rapid linear constructions, though never with anything as obvious as a tune.
Orion, as it's name might suggest, is evocative of deep cosmic spaces. The music is vast and irresistible, for the most part in an eerie timeless sense but there are some wonderful and rather violent climaxes in there as well.
The final work is an eleven minute piece for soprano and cello soloist called Mirage. The premise is described in other reviews. The music is again marvellous but this piece is, to my mind anyway, verly slightly let down in a couple of places by the shoe-horning of the text to fit the music. There are some awkward repetitions. Also, it is quite a demanding suspension of disbelief to imagine a modern concert soprano as a Mexican shaman lady, though once she get's going, Karita Matilla does start to sound appropriately wild and crazed to an almost spine chilling extent. In truth, this is probably a very demanding part for a singer, requiring them to get into a character role that is probably hard to settle into in a brief eleven minutes.
There is an intensely spiritual and contemplative quality to Saarahio. It is as though her music is filled with vast and whirling structures that are like some primum mobile rotating around a calm centre of cosmic stillness, into which the attentive listener may climb.
In summary then, a magnificent disc and my scratching of the surface of the extraordinary world of modern Finnish music continues to be a compelling success.
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