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Cover: Aulis Sallinen – Chamber Music I - VIII

Aulis Sallinen

Chamber Music I - VIII

Jyväskylä Sinfonia
Arto Noras, cello
Alexis Roman, alto flute
Meta4
Jyväskylä Sinfonia Wind Quintet
Ralf Gothoni, piano & kapellimestari
Ville Matvejeff, piano & kapellimestari

ODE 1256-2D · 2 CDs · June 2015

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Track listing

13 tracks · 156:17

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

CD 1

Aulis Sallinen

  1. 1 Chamber Music I, Op. 38 for string orchestra (1975) 12:20
  2. 2 Chamber Music III, Op. 58 The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote for solo cello and string orchestra (1985?86) 19:30
  3. 3 Chamber Music V, Op. 80a Barabbas Variations (2005) realised for solo piano and string orchestra by Ralf Gothóni from the original work for solo accordion and string orchestra (2000) 22:15
  4. 4 Chamber Music VII, Op. 93 Cruselliana for solo wind quintet and string orchestra (2007?08) 24:07

CD 2

Aulis Sallinen

  1. 1 Chamber Music II, Op. 41 for alto flute and string orchestra (1976) 14:58
  2. Chamber Music IV, Op. 79 (2000) Metamorphoses of the Elegy for Sebastian Knight (1964)for piano and string orchestra 18:26
  3. 2 I Allegro - 4:28
  4. 3 II Passagaglia (Tempo più tranquillo) 5:48
  5. 4 III Lento Moderato 3:12
  6. 5 IV Rondo interrotto 5:10
  7. Chamber Music VI, Op. 88 invitations au voyage for solo string quartet and string orchestra (2005?06) 24:33
  8. 6 I 10:51
  9. 7 II A Charles 7:54
  10. 8 III 6:02
  11. 9 Chamber Music VIII, Op. 94 (2008?09) The Trees, All Their Green (To the memory of Paavo Haavikko)for cello and string orchestra 19:42

About this recording

One of the internationally most well-known Finnish composers, Aulis Sallinen (b. 1935) celebrates his 80th birthday in 2015. As a tribute, Ondine is releasing the complete Chamber Music (I-VIII) series by the composer.

The 2 CD set includes virtuosic chamber works performed by, among others, the award-winning Meta4 String Quartet, Jyväskylä Sinfonia, cellist Arto Noras and conductors Ville Matvejeff and Ralf Gothóni, who are also both appearing here as soloists.

Sallinen is well-known as a composer of large scale works, including six operas and eight symphonies. The Chamber Music series written between
1975 and 2009 are fascinating character pieces full of passion, and often written after the completion of larger opera projects. They contain dance-like elements, elements of humour and memorable melodies. They are also revealing Sallinen's stylistic development in the last four decades. Chamber Music III (The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote) is among the most popular works by Sallinen and often described as a ‘cello concerto' by various commentators.

Chamber Music VI and VII receive their world premiere recordings, as well as Ralf Gothóni's adaption of the Chamber Music V for piano and strings (originally for accordion and string orchestra).

Ralf Gothóni has created a worldwide career as a pianist and a conductor. He served as the Chief Conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra during 2000-2009, and has recorded some 100 titles for various international record labels. This new release is the Ondine debut for the young and versatile Ville Matvejeff who enjoys a rapid success as conductor, composer and pianist throughout Europe as well as the USA, China, Japan and Mexico. Matvejeff assumed the position of Chief Conductor of the Jyväskylä Sinfonia in January 2014. The orchestra, founded in 1955, is known for its versatile repertoire, which includes works from the classica and romantic eras as well as contemporary music.

Features

Sleeve notes in English and Finnish

Press

Assured playing by the Jyväskylä Sinfonia, with soloists such as the cellist Arto Noras and pianist Ralf Gothóni, and a fine commemoration of Sallinen's 80th birthday.

Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone, Awards issue 2015

The artists

Jyväskylä Sinfonia

Jyväskylä Sinfonia was founded in 1955 and is a versatile Finnish orchestra.

Full biography

Meta4

Antti Tikkanen, violin

Full biography

Ville Matvejeff

Ville Matvejeff (b. 1986 in Finland) has established himself as an exceptionally wideranging musician, enjoying success as a conductor, composer and pianist. He studied at the Espoo Music Institute and completed a M.Mus. degree at the Sibelius Academy, and he has performed throughout Europe and in the USA, China, Japan and Mexico. Matvejeff’s conducting career is progressing rapidly. In 2014, he became the Chief Conductor of Jyväskylä Sinfonia until the end of 2019. Since 2014, he has also been the Principal Guest Conductor and Music Advisor of the Croatian National Theatre HNK Zajc in Rijeka. Matvejeff was recently appointed Artistic Director of the Turku Music Festival, the oldest continuously run classical music festival in Finland. He is the founder and Artistic Director of New Generation Opera, presenting ambitious and technologically innovative performances. He made his opera début at the Pori Opera in September 2011 and has held positions at the Malmö Opera and the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm as well as working as an assistant with conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen and Leif Segerstam. He made his début as a concert pianist at the age of 18 and has since toured the world giving recitals with soprano Karita Mattila, with appearances at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Salle Pleyel and Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London and the Zurich Opera. As a composer, he has recently received commissions by the Finnish Chamber Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, for whom he wrote his Violin Concerto to celebrate the inauguration of Helsinki Music Centre in September 2011.

Full biography

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