Rautavaara, E.: Sonnets of Shakespeare / 5 Sonette an Orpheus / Die Liebenden / God's Way / 3 Songs From the Opera Aleksis Kivi

Featuring

Leif Segerstam
Gabriel Suovanen
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Einojuhani Rautavaara

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Performer Biography

Gabriel Suovanen, the baritone on this recording, won the first Karita Mattila Award in 2001 and was named 'Soloist of the year' by Swedish National Radio in 1997-98.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Rautavaara's interest in literature, poetry, and writing naturally led him to begin his composition efforts with solo songs.

Composer Biography

Einojuhani Rautavaara's family background was full of singing, with both his father and cousin Aulikki Rautawaara being singers.

Compositional Technique

Rautavaara's early works, like the Three Sonnets of Shakespeare, show a postmodern mix of modern and archaic features, including continuous polyharmonic streams in the piano and 'recitativo di camera' settings.

Compositional Technique

When applying dodecaphonic technique to solo songs, Rautavaara returned to Rilke, using tone rows to generate a polyphonic texture with a 'free' solo voice part that uses pitches from the harmony.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Rautavaara's encounter with Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry at an early stage led to a permanent relationship with a life philosophy he identified as his own.

Compositional Technique

The cycle Guds väg (God's Way) by Rautavaara, based on poems by Bo Setterlind, uses symmetrical scales in songs like 'Guds väg' and 'Barnet' to create a characteristic color in harmony and melody.