Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams", Autumn Gardens / Ashkenazy

Track Listings

1. Pno Con No.3 'Gift Of Dreams': I. Tranquillo

2. Pno Con No.3 'Gift Of Dreams': II. Adagio Assai

3. Pno Con No.3 'Gift Of Dreams': III. Energico

4. Autumn Gardens: I. Poetico

5. Autumn Gardens: II. Tranquillo

6. Autumn Gardens: III. Giocoso E Leggiero

7. Einojuhani Rautavaara In Conversation W. Vladimir Ashkenazy

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Like fellow Finn Jean Sibelius, Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928) creates gorgeous music indebted to nature--works that ebb and flow rather than crescendo. But that's where the comparison ends. Rautavaara's works continue to grow and evolve, evoking spirituality, Impressionism, and nonclassical elements; the culmination of which can all be found on the Vladimir Ashkenazy-commissioned Gift of Dreams piano concerto. From its atmospheric opening to the pounding, bluesy chords that follow, Rautavaara has created something truly original here. A Rhapsody in Blue for the 21st century? You decide. Conducting from the piano, Ashkenazy leads the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra through this and Autumn Gardens, a short symphonic work evoking the melancholy beauty of fall and its many colors. This is a very special disc, the premier of two truly great works that you'll be hearing about for a very long time. Essential. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61 (Concerto for Birds and Orchestra): Suo (The Marsh)
Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61 (Concerto for Birds and Orchestra): Melankolia (Melancholy)
Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61 (Concerto for Birds and Orchestra): Joutsenet muuttavat (Swans Migrating)
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 45.: Con grandezza
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 45.: Andante (ma rubato)
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 45.: Molto vivace
Symphony No. 3, Op. 20.: Langsam, breit, ruhig
Symphony No. 3, Op. 20.: Langsam, doch nicht schleppend
Symphony No. 3, Op. 20.: Sehr schnell
Symphony No. 3, Op. 20.: Bewegt

Customer Reviews:

The essential Rautavarra disk.......2007-01-21

If you have just discovered -- or are about to discover -- the music of Finland's Einojuhani Rautavarra (one of today's better living symphonists) this is the CD you should start with to get an idea of what you're getting into.

This disk contains Rautavarra's most famous composition -- Cantus Arcticus (Concerto for Birds & Orchestra), for orchestra & taped bird songs Op. 61 -- A "concerto" in name only that is supposed to evoke the spirit of the Antarctic and other places through its bird sounds. The performance on this disk by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Hannu Lintu is not as subtle as it could be and is, therefore, not the best rendition of this music. Still, it is a worthy introduction to the composer's most accessible and important piece.

The remaining items on the disk -- Piano Concerto No.1 performed by pianist Laura Mikkola and the Brucknerian Symphony No.3, Op. 20 are more in keeping with Rautavarra's mature minimalist style.

His best composition aside from Arctus Canticus is probably the atmospheric Symphony No. 7 subtitled "Angel of Light". You can acquire this symphony on another inexpensive Naxos CD or on a higher priced BIS CD where it is grouped with Cantus Arcticus and the Flute Concerto. Either will give satisfaction.

Until then, spend some time with this recording and begin to come to grips with Finland's most important composer since Sibelius. You will find a good measure of Sibelius' Finnish desolation in Rautavarra's music, as well as some post-atonal late 20th century scoring. Rautavarra is clearly an acquired, not natural, taste and the beginnings of acquiring it are on this CD.

Entertaining music that is ultimately revealed as hollow.......2006-10-28

This Naxos CD contains three pieces by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara that may be the best introduction his work. Hannu Lintu leads the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, with pianist Laura Mikkola as soloist on the concerto.

"Cantus Arcticus" (1972), subtitled "concerto for birds and orchestra", pairs the orchestra with recordings of birds made in north Finland above the arctic circle. The orchestral writing serves provides subdued counterpoint to the birds, who in the first two movements are in the spotlight, while in the third both assert themselves toward an elegant climax. The orchestral writing includes some aleatorism, but this is not very noticeable even if one compares different recordings. This Naxos recording is especially admirable for its balance; in other recordings the birds are often too low in the mix. It's a charming piece, and it's no wonder that it has become Rautavaara's most widely performed work. Still, after hearing the piece several times, one begins to notice a lack of substance in the music, which turns out to be common to most of Rautavaara's music.

In "Piano Concerto No. 1" (1969), Rautavaara wanted to restore the "grand style" of 19th-century piano writing. The expressive palm clusters of the opening movement seem like Liszt brought back to life. Only later does one notice that there are some departures from common practice tonality, though few would find this "dissonant". The third movement, "Molto vivace" is quite electic, swinging between straightforward waltz and a sense of approaching doom. In fact, it sounds like Shostakovich, another fairly lightweight composer (a second- or third-pressing of Mahler, as Boulez quipped), and for all of Rautavaara's melodramatism there's really not much here to discover on repeat listens.

The "Symphony No 3." (1959-1960) was written during Rautavaara's interest in twelve-tone serialism. His application of the method, however, is totally unlike the pointillistic music of the Darmstadt group and instead shows a Romantic exhuberence that many have compared to Bruckner. While I prefer more abstract serialism, it's neat to see someone following in Berg's footsteps in turning the dodecaphonic technique to something palatable to more sensitive listeners.

Rautavaara is an electic composer who has dabbled in all genres and schools, but one notices that his music generally feels hollow. Those wishing to know what's going on with contemporary music in Finland would do better to seek out some Saariaho or Lindberg. Listeners wanting to hear contemporary music that is tonal and gentle should seek out Norgard (his Third Symphony or "Through Thorns" harp concerto) or Julian Anderson. Rautavaara's music is entertaining enough on the first listens, and might be a good gift for classical fans to whom you'd like to present contemporary repertoire, but it lacks anything perpetually fresh.

Good account of Rautavaara's most distinctive work .......2006-03-14

Cantus Articus was the work that got me into Rautavaara's music - the second movement, Melankolia, is for me one of the most beautiful pieces of classical music produced in the past 50 years. In this unusual work, tape recordings of arctic bird song are superbly mixed in with orchestral playing. The effect can be simply magical and one can picture oneself by a lake in Northern Finland, watching the swans fly and the midges dance on an endless summer evening. This was the piece with which Rautavaara abandoned his adherence to the rigid forms of post-war atonalism and, to my mind at least, his masterpiece.

The Piano Concerto is a more angular, atonal, work with lots of clashing harmonies. However it also has a real energy and verve with some ravishing interplay between the strings and the piano, especially in the middle movement.

Finally there's the 3rd symphony, the first two movements of which are full of gorgeous broad chords on string and brass, very reminiscent of Sibelius. In the latter movements the pace picks up as the sympony heads towards a rousing finish.

The RNSO, who seem to be Naxos' specialist Rautavaara orchestra, give a good account of all of this. With this CD at such a low price there's no better introduction to this composer.

Highly recommended!.......2005-12-31

A long time ago, encouraged by positive reviews, I purchased Rautavaara's 7th Symphony. While I found it very inspired in parts, I thought it dissapointing on the whole, and I wrote the composer off for several years. Fortunately the budget label Naxos makes taking a risk quite pain-free. This is simply the best classical recording I've heard in a long, long time! The Cantus Arcticus integrates a variety of pre-recorded bird calls into the orchestral framework. At the end, both birds and orchestral burst forth in a momentus celebration. In text, it may sound like the worst possible new-agey, "mystical" silliness, but it is incredbily beautiful and moving. The Concerto is easily one of the best from the latter half of the 20th century; both overtly "modern" yet familiarily Romantic. While the symphony is a marvelous homage to Bruckner, is is superb in its own right. This is one of the few collections of "new" music that warrants repeat listenings and has true enduring power. I can't recommend this enough!

My first Rautavaara, and still my favorite. .......2005-11-17

I had no idea what to expect when I bought this CD. I don't even remember why I bought this CD. But it led me to a lot more Rautavaara CDs! It's still my favorite, though. The Cantus Articus is very accessible; the Piano Concerto #1 took me a few listenings to digest but has become one of my favorite piano concertos. ER's #2 and #3 still haven't gripped me as well as #1 did.

Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams", Autumn Gardens / Ashkenazy

Average customer rating:

Historic
Great stuff
well rats
Wonderful music.
Sounds without substance

Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams", Autumn Gardens / Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Rautavaara: Garden of Spaces; Clarinet Concerto; Cantus Arcticus
Rautavaara: On the Last Frontier
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 6; Cello Concerto
Rautavaara: Violin Concerto; Angels and Visitations; Isle of Bliss
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 8 (The Journey) / Harp Concerto

ASIN: B00004NK2O
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.3 'Gift Of Dreams': I Tranquillo
Piano Concerto No.3 'Gift Of Dreams': II Adagio assai
Piano Concerto No.3 'Gift Of Dreams': III Energico
Autumn Gardens: I Poetico
Autumn Gardens: II Tranquillo
Autumn Gardens: III Giocoso e leggiero
Einojuhani Rautavaara In Conversation With Vladimir Ashkenazy

Amazon.com

Like fellow Finn Jean Sibelius, Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928) creates gorgeous music indebted to nature--works that ebb and flow rather than crescendo. But that's where the comparison ends. Rautavaara's works continue to grow and evolve, evoking spirituality, Impressionism, and nonclassical elements; the culmination of which can all be found on the Vladimir Ashkenazy-commissioned Gift of Dreams piano concerto. From its atmospheric opening to the pounding, bluesy chords that follow, Rautavaara has created something truly original here. A Rhapsody in Blue for the 21st century? You decide. Conducting from the piano, Ashkenazy leads the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra through this and Autumn Gardens, a short symphonic work evoking the melancholy beauty of fall and its many colors. This is a very special disc, the premier of two truly great works that you'll be hearing about for a very long time. Essential. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Historic.......2007-03-10

The music of this cd is very interesting. I liked too much the conversation between pianist and composer.

Great stuff.......2002-04-24

I've listened to this concerto many times now and I'm concvinced it's one of Rautavaara's best scores. The piano writing is idiosyncratic and certainly doesn't break any new ground, but does it need to? And what should a Piano Concerto be? The form of this piece is beautifully realised, with a subtlety and ease that bears comparison to Debussy, and is its strongest feature. The initial motive, that Rautavaara explains is actually a quote from another piece, is haunting and memorable and seems to generate the whole work. And in a funny way, the spectre of Rachmaninov seems to hover over the music, which may well have something to do with Ashkenazy comissioning the piece. The concerto is in three movements. The first movement begins with soft slow-moving string chords that linger over the principle motive. The mood is broken by a propulsive, almost violent idea in the piano that rises up and gradually subsides. As the movement progresses we become aware that it is shaped in a long arch, the music taking us back to where we began. The second movement is the heart of the work; containing some of Rautavaara's most searching and poetic music. It begins like a dream, with ideas from the first movement recollected. The mood however soon becomes unsettled and the music moves through a whole range of emotions; hope, expectation, anger, despair, resignation....... The reprise of the opening, when it eventually comes, is absolutely ravishing, a magic moment indeed. The pent-up energy in the first two movements is unleashed in the third movement, the music building steadily to an intense and enigmatic conclusion. Ashkenazy explains that he wanted to be able to play and also conduct the concerto. Perhaps because of this there are a couple of moments of less-than-perfect ensemble but Ashkenazy always plays beautifully and he obviously believes very strongly in the piece.
Autumn Gardens is outwardly more descriptive music, but no less intense and poetic, and beautifully scored too. I prefer the Concerto but that's just me. Both of these pieces are wonderful and deserve to be heard. And don't be put off by the interview at the end of the disc- both these men deserve to be heard too!

well rats.......2000-06-28

I wrote another review put it appears to have been lost, nevermind, the rating should speak for itself. lovely music.

Wonderful music........2000-06-27

This music is difficult to describe. I will throw a few cliched words at you: beautiful, contemplative, but with energy and direction while seeming to wander... confusing? I suppose so, but Rautavaara's voice is unique and artistic. The music is full of light unlike many other nordic composers, and lyricism of a very sophisticated nature. This is music which did not follow Stravinsky's rhythmic innovations, instead daring to weave super-complex melody and line submerged in spare, taught harmony. The color is often monochromatic but the texture is very deep.

I enjoyed this CD on my first listening and continue to enjoy the music as it is not all flash and pattern.

Now, if only my local Orchestra (Portland Symphonic) would get off their a$$es and play some contemporary music... sheesh this CD is proof there can be meaningful music that challenges the listener without frightening away the old batty matrons of the board of directors who think Beetoven is a riot and enfent terrible.

Sounds without substance.......2000-05-28

After repeated listening to both the concerto and the Autumn Gardens, my personal response is I wish there were more music in the music. In the recorded interview, Ashkenazy sounds like a polite but clearly disappointed buyer trying to glean any bit of insight the composer might give to this empty effort. But, Rautavaara talks around it and attempts to cloak the lack of musical substance in some sort of spiritual argument. Good try at a save, but the sales pitch quickly dissipates when you go back to the music and just listen to what was written. I don't begrudge a composer making a good living, but I hope that Mr. Ashkenazy didn't pay a great deal for this concerto.

Rautavaara: Complete Works for String Orchestra

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It all started with his 3rd Symphony and "Cantus Arcticus."

Rautavaara: Complete Works for String Orchestra

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Rautavaara: On the Last Frontier
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 6; Cello Concerto
Rautavaara: Garden of Spaces; Clarinet Concerto; Cantus Arcticus
Rautavaara: Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams", Autumn Gardens / Ashkenazy
Rautavaara: Violin Concerto; Angels and Visitations; Isle of Bliss

ASIN: B00005BIJ7
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Tracks:

Pelimannit-Fiddlers, Op. 1: Narbolaisten braa speli
Pelimannit-Fiddlers, Op. 1: Kopsin Jonas
Pelimannit-Fiddlers, Op. 1: Klocker Samuel Dikstrom
Pelimannit-Fiddlers, Op. 1: Pirun polska
Pelimannit-Fiddlers, Op. 1: Hypyt
Divertimento: Allegro
Divertimento: Adagio
Divertimento: Allegretto ma energico
Suite For Strings: Presto
Suite For Strings: Andante
Suite For Strings: Vivace assai (Alla giga)
Hommage a Liszt Ferenc
An Epitaph For Bela Bartok (Prelude and Fugue)
Hommage a Kodaly Zoltan

Tracks:

Canto I
Canto II
Canto III
Canto IV
Ballad for Harp and Strings
A Finnish Myth
Ostrobothnian Polska

Amazon.com

The music of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928) is a wily mix of regional Romanticism and many of the European trends in atonality that began in the 1950s. Yet Rautavaara's music is both endurable by and accessible to the first-time listener. This two-CD set of works for string orchestra appeared on two Ondine discs, both released in 1995. It offers a wide range of works that highlight Rautavaara's compositional strengths and musical interests. Disc one contains his tone poems, works that tend toward the Romanticism of Sibelius, especially Pelimannit--The Fiddlers (1952) and the gorgeous Divertimento (1953). Disc two contains the more acerbic compositions of the latter part of the 20th century. Best here are Ballad for Harp and Strings (1973/1981) and Canto IV (1992). If you missed the original releases of this music, then track this one down. It's a must for Rautavaara fans. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

It all started with his 3rd Symphony and "Cantus Arcticus.".......2001-10-24

It started innocently enough. Approximately a year and a half ago, I had barely - if that - a subliminal awareness of Einojuhani Rautavaara as a "contemporary" composer, one of a large number of present-day Finnish composers. (There is something weirdly wonderful about such a small country having such a large number of active - and recognized - composers, but that is a whole 'nother story.)

In the intervening 18 months, that initial hearing of Rautavaara's music (on a Naxos release which I review elsewhere at Amazon.com) led me to become pretty much a Rautavaara "compleatist." As I write this, there are very few holes in my library of his music, and I figure that those holes will be plugged rather quickly. He's had that kind of effect on me.

This double-CD album of Rautavaara's complete works for string orchestra is the latest release by Ondine, the Finnish label which has an exclusive contract for first recorded performances of his works. The compositional period covered almost matches Rautavaara's career, in that dates for the various works cover the period 1952 - 1993. The album provides, as a result, an excellent overview of how his style has changed throughout his career, from Stravinsky-like neoClassicism in the earlier works to his mature evocative "Angels" style of his later works.

The album begins - logically enough - with his Op. 1, Pelimannit ("The Fiddlers" [1952]), a whacky riot of fun with its occasional off-tune fiddling. The next two works (Divertimento [1953] and Suite for Strings [1952]) clearly suggest the neoClassicism of Stravinsky (an early idol of Rautavaara's), but it is also possible to read into these works the sound worlds of both Britten and Respighi in the ways that they evoked earlier styles. Taken together, these three youthful works capture Rautavaara's early style, which goes down very easily in its accessibility.

The next set of three works - homages to the three most famous Hungarian composers (Liszt, Bartók and Kodály) - may not have been intentionally meant to suggest the Ugric ties between the languages of these two countries (Finland and Hungary). These three pieces do capture, however obliquely, various aspects of the three composers' styles, with the Hommage à Kodály Zoltán being the most "Hungarian-sounding." A somewhat more challenging triptych than the first three works, but not at all inaccessible.

The four Cantos opening the second CD show how, over time, Rautavaara developed a post-modernist "late period" style that synthesized many of his earlier styles (including serial, or twelve-tone, efforts). The two earlier Cantos begin to show his unique approach to serialism that was more fully realized in his echt-Bruckner 3rd Symphony; they put the lie to twelve-tone music being "unlistenable." The two later Cantos show Rautavaara's evocatively rhapsodic "Angels" style in full bloom, as do the following two pieces (Ballad for Harp and Strings, and A Finnish Myth).

The album comes full-circle with the final work, Ostrobothnian Polksa, more good cheer in the vein of the Op. 1 opening work. I think that opening work will hook you, and that the balance of this comprehensive album will be equally enjoyable. I may be a Rautavaara compleatist, but this album will be immensely appealing to all who hear it. And do check out that Naxos album I mention at the outset of these comments. That's a great one as well.

Bob Zeidler

Rautavaara: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3

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Exploring the Rautavarra Piano Concertos
More Naxos Rautavaara

Rautavaara: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Rautavaara: Cantus Articus; Piano Concerto
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Works for Piano
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light"
Rautavaara: Violin Concerto; Angels and Visitations; Isle of Bliss
Rautavaara: Symphony No. 8 (The Journey) / Harp Concerto

ASIN: B0000BX5KG
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Isle Of Bliss
Tranquillo
Adagio Assai
Energico
In Viaggio
Sognando E Libero
Uccelli Sulle Passioni

Album Description

The early compositions of the internationally renowned Finnish composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara, draw on the Nordic classicism of Sibelius and Nielsen, as well as the influences of Bartók, Shostakovich and folk music. Although, during the 1960s, Rautavaara experimented with avant-garde compositional techniques, the First Piano Concerto, written in 1969 (on 8.554147), marked another significant turning point as the composer sought, in his own words, to evoke "the entire rich grandeur of the instrument." In the Second Piano Concerto of 1989, Rautavaara finds an intriguing accommodation between traditional and more radical elements. His Third Piano Concerto, written in 1998 for Vladimir Ashkenazy, is reminiscent of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3 in its austere beauty, while the orchestral fantasia Isle of Bliss was inspired by a poem by the Finnish national poet Aleksis Kivi, depicting the mythical concept of the island paradise.

Customer Reviews:

Exploring the Rautavarra Piano Concertos.......2005-06-29

I was fascinated by the recording of Einohuhani Rautavaara's (b. 1928) first piano concerto on Naxos and was eager to hear this recording of the second and third piano concertos. The pianist, Laura Mikkola, also was featured in the first concerto, and she performs these difficult scores beautifully. She is accompanied on this CD by the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eri Klas.

After composing his first piano concerto in 1969, Rautavaara said that he wished to capture "the entire rich grandeur of the instrument." He has done that indeed. These two concertos feature beautiful and varied writing which reveal the soul of the piano. There are lengthy passages of delicate bird-like filigree in the upper register, cascading arpeggios, passages up and down the instrument in thirds and sixths, long exciting runs, cello-like themes in the lower register of the instrument, and beautiful accompaniment to many combinations of strings, winds, brass, and percussion in the orchestra. These are outstanding contemporary pianistic works.

The second piano concerto, composed in 1989, is the more challenging of the two. Rautavarra here combines his early serialistic technique with the unique romantic voice he developed in the 1970s. His combination of serialism and romanticism reminds me of the late American composer George Rochberg. Rautavarra's music, however, is more sinuous, sensual, and mystical that Rochberg's "hard romanticism". The second concerto is in three connected movements focusing on a lengthy middle movement The work opens with piano filigree and gradually grows in intensity to include swirling runs and angry chords. The middle movement opens with a slow, blusey piano solo, followed by a deliberate walking passage for the instrument. The movement again deepens as it progresses and features percussion and trumpet calls accompaning passionate runs and chords in the piano. The finale recalls the opening movement as it begins with filigree, proceeds to a passage featuring piano clusters and runs, and then fades away. This is a challenging and rewarding work.

Rautavaara wrote his third piano concerto in 1999 for Vladimir Ashkenazy. It is a much more melodic, accessible piece with little in the way of serialism. The piano writing again predominates as the music alternates moments of quiet shimmering reflection with sections of virtuosity and passion. This work is also in three movements with a climactic and extended middle movement. The work opens with a slow theme in the lower strings. The piano part varies from big chords, to running figures accompaning the orchestra, to lyrical melodic lines. The second movement opens with the piano playing chords against a growling background in the lower strings. The music assumes a singing character followed by a more dramatic section. The finale, marked "Energico" opens with a percussive passage for the piano followed by a reflective passage with long runs for the soloist and a return of the energetic section with huge chords for the piano before a fade-away close. This work, nicknamed the "Gift of Dreams" will have an immediate appeal even to listeners who may have hesitations about passages of serialism in the second concerto.

The CD also includes a short orchestral work, "Isle of Bliss" (1996) inspired by the work of Finnish poet Alexis Kivi (1834-1872). Sibelius also set the work of Kivi and Rautavaara has composed an opera based on his life. This is a sensuous swaying work in which a lyrical opening is succeed by a variety of dramatic passages for wind soloists and percussion before the idylic opening material returns. This is a romantic, luscious score.

This CD offers the opportunity to hear unique music by a composer who has rightfully become regarded as a modern master.

More Naxos Rautavaara.......2003-12-07

If you like Rautavaara's style, it's hard to dislike any of his compositions. Each one is so distinctly his own, announced from the very first notes or the orchestral coloration. That certainly holds up here, even though the works span a few decades. The pieces are recorded and played beautifully, and this is a wonderful disc to stumble across--I don't know of any other recording of Piano Concertos No.1 & 2 still in print.

The highlight here, to me, is The Isle of Bliss, which is also available in an Ondine recording. It's a beautiful, haunting piece written at the peak of inspiration--it creates an entire world in a very short space. The piano concertos are both great, though I find them, as a whole, slightly less compelling than some of his best work--even the First Piano Concerto. The Second is a rambunctious, volatile work, full of percussion and dissonance (yet not without deeply affecting moments). It's similar in style to his Violin Concerto and Sixth Symphony. Somewhat more tame is his Third, which is a glowing, reflective piece. Like the title, it has an "autumnal" sound, and seems closer to the sound world of his Harp Concerto and Eighth Symphony.

Tracks:

Suo (The Marsh) - Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Approach Of Autumn - English Northern Philharmonia
Adagio - Maggini String Quartet
Violin Concerto: II - Adele Anthony
Romance: Andante Tranquillo - Robert Plane
Valse Triste, Op.44 No.1 - Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Om Manga Ar - Niklas Sivelov
Andantino - Andrew Penny
Des Pas Sur La Neige - Francois-Joel Thiollier
The Night - Petri Alanko
Mazurka, Op.50 No.3 - Martin Roscoe
Ludus - Rebecca Hirsch
Landscape: Lento - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Song For Athene - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
Sancta Maria - Thomas Bloch

Tracks:

Adagio Assai - Francois-Joel Thiollier
Prelude For Strings - David Lloyd-Jones
Sospiri, Op.70 - English Northern Philharmonia
The Blue Bird, Op.119 No.3 - Oxford Camerata
Kyrie - Noel Edison
Chelsea Reach - John Lenehan
Des Abends - Benjamin Frith
Felicissima Quest'Alma - Olga Pasichnyk
Adagio - Capella Istropolitana
Adagio - German Wind Soloists
Romance - Okko Kamu
Sheperd's Boy - Richard Edlinger
Andante Assai - Tedi Papavrami
The Lord's Prayer - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge

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The Essential Rautavaara

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005MIXY
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Cantus Arcticus: I The Bog - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
Cantus Arcticus: II Melancholy - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
Cantus Arcticus: III Swans Migrating - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
A Requiem In Our Time: I Hymnus - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
A Requiem In Our Time: II Dredo Et Dubito - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
A Requiem In Our Time: III Dies Irae - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
A Requiem In Our Time: IV Lacrymosa - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Narbolaisten Braa Speli - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Kopsin Jonas - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Klockar Samuel Dikstrom - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Pirun Polska - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Hypyt - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
Isle Of Bliss/Lintukoto - Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam
Sym No.7, 3rd Movt: 'Angel Of Light' (Come Un Sogno) - Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam
Pno Con No.1: I Con Grandezza - Ralf Gothoni
Pno Con No.1: II Andante - Ralf Gothoni
Pno Con No.1: III Molto Vivace - Ralf Gothoni

Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus for birds Op61; String quartet No2

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Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus for birds Op61; String quartet No2

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000027HW9
Release Date: 2001-07-03

Tracks:

Cantus Arcticus Op.61: I. The Bog - Klemetti Institute SO/Pertti Pekkanen
Cantus Arcticus Op.61: II. Melancholy - Klemetti Institute SO/Pertti Pekkanen
Cantus Arcticus Op.61: III. Swans Migrating - Klemetti Institute SO/Pertti Pekkanen
Angel Of Dusk: I. His First Appearance - Olli Kosonen
Angel Of Dusk: II. His Monologue - Olli Kosonen
Angel Of Dusk: III. His Last Appearance - Olli Kosonen
St Qt: I. Moderato - Jean Sibelius Qt
St Qt: II. Allegro - Jean Sibelius Qt
St Qt: III. Adagio - Jean Sibelius Qt
St Qt: IV. Animato - Jean Sibelius Qt

Tracks:

Cantos I-III: I. Canto I. - Tapiola Sinfonietta/Juhani Lamminmaki
Cantos I-III: II. Canto II. - Tapiola Sinfonietta/Juhani Lamminmaki
Cantos I-III: III. Canto III. - Tapiola Sinfonietta/Juhani Lamminmaki
Epitaph - The Helsinki Strs/Csaba & Geza Szilvay
Hommage A Zoltan Kodaly - The Helsinki Strs/Csaba & Geza Szilvay
Hommage A Ferenc Liszt - The Helsinki Strs/Csaba & Geza Szilvay
A Requiem in Our Time: I. Hymnus - Helsinki PO/Jorma Panula
A Requiem in Our Time: II. Credo Et Dubito - Helsinki PO/Jorma Panula
A Requiem in Our Time: III. Dies Irae - Helsinki PO/Jorma Panula
A Requiem in Our Time: IV. Lacrymosa - Helsinki PO/Jorma Panula
Sonetto - Kullervo Kojo/Juhani Lagerspetz

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