Jan Lehtola, the organist on this album, is a successful Finnish organist who has performed with leading orchestras and at international festivals, and is dedicated to promoting new music.
Composition History
Kalevi Aho completed the unfinished final fugue, Contrapunctus XIV, from J.S. Bach's 'Die Kunst der Fuge' for organist Jan Lehtola's concerts.
Compositional Technique
When composing Ludus solemnis for a new organ, Kalevi Aho imagined string-like, woodwind-like, and brass-like nuances, and was advised not to write too precisely for specific registers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Kalevi Aho found the organ problematic due to its inability to control sound strength or create dynamic melodic phrases, and its equal temperament which prevents pure intervals.
Composition History
Kalevi Aho's first organ pieces, Wedding March I and II, were premiered at his sister Kaija's wedding in 1976, though Wedding March I was originally a gift for another couple.
Composer Biography
Kalevi Aho, the composer, began studying violin and composing at the age of ten, later studying composition under Einojuhani Rautavaara at the Sibelius Academy.
