Get a free album when you join our newsletter. Sign up
Cover: Kaija Saariaho – Touches - Complete Works for Piano and Harpsichord

Kaija Saariaho

Touches - Complete Works for Piano and Harpsichord

Tuija Hakkila, piano & harpsichord
Anssi Karttunen, cello

ODE 1469-2 · CD · June 2025

Buy / listen

Track listing

8 tracks · 55:45

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

Kaija Saariaho

  1. 1 Prélude (2006) 7:28
  2. 2 Arabesques et adages (2016) 6:57
  3. 3 Fall (1991/1995) 7:10
  4. 4 Delicato (2007/2015) 3:13
  5. 5 Im Traume (1980) 10:18
  6. 6 Ballade (2005) 5:49
  7. 7 Monkey Fingers, Velvet Hands (1991) 3:44
  8. 8 Jardin secret II (1984–86) 11:06

About this recording

Pianist Tuija Hakkila enjoyed a close friendship with composer Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) that lasted for over 40 years until the composer’s death in 2023. Tuija Hakkila played a pivotal role in Saariaho’s creations for the solo piano and harpsichord. Although Kaija Saariaho wrote several compositions featuring the piano, the composer felt that writing music for solo piano was particularly challenging due to the restrictions of the instrument. Although few in number, Saariaho’s piano works are 21st century gems continuing the path set by Debussy’s late works and Messiaen.

Tuija Hakkila holds a senior position in piano music at the Sibelius Academy and earned a Doctor of Music degree in 2005. She also taught at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen from 2005 through 2008. In 2014 she was appointed Professor of Piano Music at the Sibelius Academy. Her repertoire ranges from Bach to contemporary music: She has developed her interest in period instrument performance, presenting classical and romantic programmes on period pianos. She works with a number of today’s composers and is invited to give world premiere performances of new works. Hakkila’s solo discography includes the complete cycle of Mozart keyboard sonatas, a compilation of Jean Sibelius’ piano works, a recital of 20th century piano music and a world premiere recording of the early 19th century Finnish Lithander brothers’ music. A recording with Kaija Saariaho’s chamber music for trio ensembles came out in fall 2012. In addition to this, she has recorded Niccoló Castiglioni’s chamber music, Haydn flute trios and Byström sonatas for piano and violin. Her discography also includes Brahms’ violin sonatas, Gabriel Fauré’s cello works and all Beethoven’s works for cello and piano.

Features

World première recordings of Fall (track 3) and Delicato (track 4)

Sleeve notes in English, French and Finnish

The artists

Tuija Hakkila

Tuija Hakkila studied at the Sibelius Academy with Liisa Pohjola and Eero Heinonen, and continued her studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Jacques Rouvier and Theodor Paraschivesco. She studied 20th century music with Claude Helffer in Paris and classical performance practices with Malcolm Bilson in the United States. Other influential teachers have included György Sebök, William Pleeth and Dmitri Bashkirov. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University in New York in 1985/86. Since 1987 she holds a senior position in piano music at the Sibelius Academy and earned a Doctor of Music degree in 2005. She also taught at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen from 2005 through 2008. In 2014 she was appointed Professor of Piano Music at the Sibelius Academy.

Full biography

Anssi Karttunen

The Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen is one of the most renowned and versatile musicians in the classical music world today and enjoys a busy career as a soloist and chamber music player. He performs on modern cello, classical and baroque cellos and on violoncello piccolo. Anssi Karttunen performs all the standard cello works, but has also discovered many forgotten masterpieces and arranged a number of pieces for cello. He is a passionate advocate of contemporary music and his collaboration with composers has led him to give over 50 world premieres of works by composers such as Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho (including Notes on Light in 2007, which he recorded; ODE 1130-2), Rolf Wallin, Luca Francesconi and Tan Dun.

Full biography

Also recommended