Kalevi Aho, one of Finland's leading contemporary composers, studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and in Boris Blacher's composition class in West Berlin.
Composer's Artistic Vision
For his Chinese Songs, Aho was drawn to ancient Chinese love poems that combine 'joie de vivre' with the transitory nature of life, profound solitude, and a tinge of depression.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Aho's early symphonies, like the First Symphony, show a dramatic progression from 'existing reality' to a 'pseudo-baroque style,' eventually confronting 'true reality'.
Composition History
Kalevi Aho's Chinese Songs were commissioned by his hometown of Forssa to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
Performer Biography
The Lahti Symphony Orchestra has received numerous international awards, including the Gramophone Award, for its recordings of Sibelius's original versions of works.
Compositional Technique
The Fourth Symphony is built around a single theme, presented as a fugue at the beginning, which reappears throughout the work in various transformations.
Performer Biography
Osmo Vänskä, the conductor, began his professional musical career as a respected clarinetist in the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra before becoming a conductor.
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