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Cover: Einojuhani Rautavaara – Choral Works

Einojuhani Rautavaara

Choral Works

Eric-Olof Söderström
Timo Nuoranne
Leif Segerstam

ODE 1186-2Q · CD · October 2012

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Track listing

104 tracks · 276:30

CD 1

Einojuhani Rautavaara

  1. Vigilia (All-night vigil for the feast of St John the Forerunner)for mixed choir and soloists (1996) 64:14
  2. 1 Vespers 0:49
  3. 2 Vespers: Psalm 103 2:21
  4. 3 Vespers: 1st Katisma 3:03
  5. 4 Vespers: Psalm of Invocation 1:53
  6. 5 Vespers: Sticheron of Invocation 3:55
  7. 6 Vespers: Sticheron to the Mother of God 2:01
  8. 7 Vespers: Evening Hymn 2:07
  9. 8 Vespers: Ekteniya 1:17
  10. 9 Vespers: Sticheron of the Litany 2:38
  11. 10 Vespers: Ekteniya of the Litany 2:32
  12. 11 Vespers: Sticheron 1:01
  13. 12 Vespers: Troparion 2:34
  14. 13 Vespers: Troparion of the Feast 2:09
  15. 14 Vespers: Final Blessing 1:13
  16. 15 Matins 0:38
  17. 16 Matins: Troparion 1:41
  18. 17 Matins: Troparion (2nd) 1:25
  19. 18 Matins: Hymn of Praise 0:34
  20. 19 Matins: Troparion of the Resurrection 4:18
  21. 20 Matins: Antiphon 2:15
  22. 21 Matins: Prokeimenon 1:19
  23. 22 Matins: Hymn of the Resurrection 3:02
  24. 23 Matins: Canon: 1st Irmos 0:53
  25. 24 Matins: 3rd Irmos 0:42
  26. 25 Matins: 4th Irmos 0:59
  27. 26 Matins: 5th Irmos 1:50
  28. 27 Matins: 6th Irmos 1:04
  29. 28 Matins: 7th Irmos 0:47
  30. 29 Matins: 8th Irmos 0:38
  31. 30 Matins: Katabasis: Hymn of Thanksgiving of the Mother of God 6:12
  32. 31 Matins: 9th Irmos 1:11
  33. 32 Matins: Sticheron of Thanksgiving 1:31
  34. 33 Matins: Troparion of the Resurrection 2:14
  35. 34 Matins: Final Blessing 1:16

CD 2

Einojuhani Rautavaara

  1. 1 Credo (1972) 4:19
  2. 2 Canticum Mariae Virginis (1978) 7:30
  3. 3 Herran Rukous (The Lord's Prayer) (1973) 2:30
  4. Two Psalms (1968) 3:47
  5. 4 Psalm 23 2:01
  6. 5 Psalm 130 1:46
  7. Magnificat (1979) 16:04
  8. 6 I. Magnificat 4:11
  9. 7 II. Quia respexit ? Misericordia 3:49
  10. 8 III. Fecit potentiam 1:25
  11. 9 IV. Suscepit Israel 2:05
  12. 10 V. Gloria 4:33
  13. Nattvarden (Communion) (1963) 3:25
  14. 11 I. Psalm vid nattvarden I 0:39
  15. 12 II. Psalm vid nattvarden II 0:53
  16. 13 III. Kyrie 1:00
  17. 14 IV. Herdepsalm 1:03
  18. 15 Ave Maria (1957) 2:56
  19. Missa Duodecanonica (1963) 2:09
  20. 16 I. Kyrie 0:29
  21. 17 II. Sanctus per cancrizam 0:58
  22. 18 III. Agnus Dei in motu contrario 0:41
  23. 19 Rakkaus ei koskaan häviä (Charity Never Faileth) (1983) 2:30
  24. 20 Legenda (Legend) (1985) 2:42
  25. 21 Marjatan jouluvirsi (Marjatta's Christmas Hymn) (1995) 2:44
  26. 22 Joulun virsi (Christmas Hymn)for mixed choir (1953/1978/1995) 1:34
  27. 23 Psalm of Invocation (1972) 1:53
  28. 24 Ehtoohymni (Evening Hymn) (1972) 1:53
  29. Canción de nuestro tiempo (Song of Our Time) 14:49
  30. 25 I. Fragmentos de agonía 4:08
  31. 26 II. Meditación primera y última 4:17
  32. 27 III. Ciudad sin sueño (Nocturno del Sarajevo) 6:23

CD 3

Einojuhani Rautavaara

  1. Halavan himmeän alla (In the Shade of the Willow) (1998) 10:57
  2. 1 I. Ikävyys 4:27
  3. 2 II. Laulu oravasta 2:38
  4. 3 III. Sydämeni laulu 3:51
  5. 4 Lähtö (Departure) 1:41
  6. 5 Morsian (The Bride) 2:53
  7. Praktisch Deutsch 6:11
  8. 6 Hotel 1:36
  9. 7 Kaufläden 1:47
  10. 8 Beim Schneider 1:31
  11. 9 Gesellschaften 1:18
  12. 10 Och glädjen den dansar (With the Joy We Go Dancing) 2:54
  13. 11 Sommarnatten (Summer Night) 3:13
  14. 12 Katedralen (The Cathedral) 16:50
  15. Lorca Suite (1973) 5:31
  16. 13 Ratsulaulu 1:00
  17. 14 Huuto 1:40
  18. 15 Kuu nousee 1:41
  19. 16 Malagueña 1:09
  20. Ludus verbalis 3:24
  21. 17 Personalia 0:34
  22. 18 Temporalia 1:38
  23. 19 Qualitativa 0:32
  24. 20 Quantitativa 0:40
  25. 21 Nirvana Dharma 8:30
  26. 22 Die erste Elegie (The First Elegy) 9:01

CD 4

Einojuhani Rautavaara

  1. 1 On the Last Frontier 24:01
  2. True & False Unicorn 46:41
  3. 2 I. Before the Arras - 1. The Unicorn questions the nature of the chase 1:40
  4. 3 2. The Lion, reading 3:28
  5. 4 3. Sigmund of Vienna 3:24
  6. 5 4. The Unicorn 2:07
  7. 6 II. Horn and Hounds - 5. Entering the wilderness the Unicorn is beset by voices 1:32
  8. 7 6. Young Sagittarius 1:30
  9. 8 7. A Virgin, waiting 2:36
  10. 9 8. The Empress of Byzantium 1:12
  11. 10 9. Queen Victoria 2:28
  12. 11 10. His Honor the Mayor 1:10
  13. 12 11. Big Black Sambo 2:40
  14. 13 III. Snare and Delusion - 12. In the heart of the desert the silence is pearcing 3:02
  15. 14 13. The Unicorn, wounded 5:04
  16. 15 IV. ?Mon Seul Désir? - 14. The Unicorn reaches a temple in a clearing 1:53
  17. 16 15. Sigmund of Vienna 1:41
  18. 17 16. The Lion 2:57
  19. 18 17. The Unicorn 1:51
  20. 19 18. Tom Fool 0:44
  21. 20 19. The Virgin?s Lullaby 1:48
  22. 21 20. The Unicorn 3:44

About this recording

"The unicorn, I believe, is an ideal personification of the artist. It stands for irony and a paradoxical ambivalence, but it also enfleshes a tender stance on the human being, the world and on life in general." - Einojuhani Rautavaara

This edition of choral works by Einojuhani Rautavaara follows on the great success of the releases of his twelve concertos and eight symphonies, in a collectors' box set.

Featuring sacred as well as secular works, this release shows the diversity in terms of style, expression and content in the choral works Einojuhani Rautavaara has composed. They have brought him the status of the most significant living composer of choral music in Finland. Starting with first choral compositions in the 1950s, this is nowadays the most extensive category in his output. Rautavaara is since Sibelius perhaps the most internationally known living composer, with numeral international awards.

These recordings were produced in collaboration with the composer between 1995 and 2002 and have been previously released to international popular and critical acclaim. They feature the two mostly acclaimed Finnish mixed choirs, the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir and the Finnish Philharmonic Chorus, as well as the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and conductors Timo Nuoranne, Eric-Olof Söderström and Leif Segerstam.

This compilation does not include the more recent Missa a capella, that will be released on a later recording in spring 2013.

Features

Boxed set of 4 CDs; booklet with liner notes in English and Finnish and the sung texts in the original language and in English

The artists

Eric-Olof Söderström

Eric-Olof Söderström (b. 1957) graduated from the Sibelius Academy with diplomas in choral conducting (1985) and orchestral conducting (1988). He was chorus master for the Savonlinna Opera Festival from 1987-1991. After 1990 he conducted the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir for most of its concerts and recordings, and from 1992 to 1996 he acted as the choir's Artistic Director. In the 1995-96 season he was the visiting chorus master of the Finnish National Opera.

Full biography

Timo Nuoranne

Timo Nuoranne was Artistic Director of the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir between 1997 and 2004, when the ensemble became the Helsinki Chamber Choir. A graduate in choral conducting and piano playing from the Sibelius Academy, he at present teaches choral conducting on Academy's degree programme in church music and acts as Artistic Director of the Tampere Philharmonic Choir.

Full biography

Leif Segerstam

Leif Segerstam (1944-2024) received diplomas from the Sibelius Academy in violin and conducting. He won the Maj Lind Piano Competition in 1962 and gave his first violin recital in 1963. He rounded off his studies at the Juilliard School in New York, where he was awarded a conducting diploma in 1964.

Full biography

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