Kaija Saariaho: True Fire, Ciel d'hiver & Trans (Live)

Three world premiere recordings of recent works by acclaimed Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho feature on this Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra album conducted by Hannu Lintu. True Fire was written in 2014 for baritone Gerald Finley, who sings on this recording; its six disparate texts interrogate our relationship with nature. Ciel d'hiver (2013) is an arrangement for smaller orchestra of the central movement of her triptych Orion. Her harp concerto Trans was co-commissioned by this orchestra, and premiered by Xavier de Maistre, the soloist here, in 2016.

Featuring

Hannu Lintu
Gerald Finley
Xavier de Maistre
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Kaija Saariaho

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Compositional Technique

For her Harp Concerto Trans, Kaija Saariaho scored the work for a relatively small orchestra and used a translucent writing style to ensure the solo harp remains audible.

Compositional Technique

Kaija Saariaho's music is characterized by its focus on richness and color of sound, which is evident across her diverse output, from solo to major orchestral works.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Kaija Saariaho views writing a concerto as an opportunity to delve deep into the 'soul of the instrument and music,' rather than focusing solely on traditional virtuosity.

Composition History

The song cycle True Fire was commissioned by several orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, for baritone Gerald Finley.

Composition History

The album features three distinct orchestral genres by Kaija Saariaho: a purely orchestral work (Ciel d'hiver), a concerto (Harp Concerto Trans), and an orchestral song cycle (True Fire).

Composer Biography

Kaija Saariaho, born in 1952, is known for her operas, with her first, L'amour de loin (Salzburg 2000), being one of the most acclaimed contemporary operas.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Composer Kaija Saariaho draws inspiration from diverse sources, including nature, visual arts, literature, dreams, and philosophy, which then evolve into musical works.