Martyn Brabbins, a British conductor, commissioned a new set of "Enigma Variations" for his 60th birthday, inspired by Edward Elgar's original work.
Compositional Technique
A central theme in Jaakko Kuusisto's Symphony is an ascending tritone, similar to its use in Sibelius's Fourth Symphony, which was also overshadowed by serious illness.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Jaakko Kuusisto incorporated elements of his life, including the knocking sound of MRI scans and a memory of radiation therapy, into his Symphony.
Composer Biography
Jaakko Kuusisto, a Finnish composer, conductor, and violinist, had a career launched by successes in international violin competitions in the 1990s.
Composition History
Jaakko Kuusisto's Symphony, Op. 39, was unfinished at the time of his death and was completed by his brother Pekka Kuusisto and music engraver Jari Eskola.
Compositional Technique
The theme for "Pictured Within" was written by the venerable composer 'Anon' and shares a tentative, introspective kinship with Elgar's "Enigma Theme."
Composition History
Unlike Elgar's original, where one composer wrote variations about friends, Martyn Brabbins's "Pictured Within" features multiple composers writing variations for him.
