Saariaho 70: Jardin Secret (Secret garden)
Concert dedicated to vocal and chamber music by Kaija Saariaho
On Thursday, 20 October at 7 p.m., you can come and listen to pieces from four decades. The concert begins with “Jardin Secret II” for harpsichord and electronics (1986). In the “Jardin Secret” pieces, the connection between the instrument and the tape is significant. Unlike the first piece of the series, in which the tape is based on synthetic sound, the composer has used her voice as the material of the tape for the second part.
Lonh, which was composed ten years later, is all about the basic themes of humanity – love, death, leaving and longing. The title means “faraway” or “distance” in the Occitan language. The piece loosely follows a poetic meter and is divided into nine parts. In the electronic part, the text will be heard in three languages and is presented by Jacques Roubaud (Provençal; Occitan), Jean-Baptiste Barrière (French) and Dawn Upshaw (English).
The song series “Saarikoski-laulut” (Saarikoski songs, 2017) represents the latest material in the concert. They are composed for Pentti Saarikoski’s texts. The songs in the series were created over a long period of time, as the first of them, “Luonnon kasvot” (The face of nature) was completed in 2013. “Jokaisella on tämänsä” (Everone has their this-one) and “Kaikki tämä” (All this) were created in 2017 and “Minussa lintu ja käärme” (Bird and snake in me) and “Sumun läpi” (Through the fog) saw the light of day in 2020. The work was premiered by Anu Komsi and Pia Värri on 7 September 2021. The texts are from the Saarikoski collection “Alue” (Region/area), and they discuss memories and different boundaries, such as the ones between human and nature, good and evil, life and death.
The concert will be concluded by the string quartet Terra Memoria from 2006, which has already achieved cult status. The work was premiered in Carnegie Hall, New York, on 17 June 2007. It is dedicated to those who have ”left” and those who are no longer with us. The memories live and develop in us, and they will change, even after many years. The two words in the title play an important role in the work: earth is the material for the work, and memory is the way it is handled.
Programme
Jardin Secret II cembalolle ja elektroniikalle (Secret garden for harpsichord and electronics, 1986) 11’
Saarikoski-laulut (Saarikoski songs, 2017) 20’
- Luonnon kasvot (The face of nature)
- Jokaisella on tämänsä (Everone has their this-one)
- Kaikki tämä (All this)
- Minussa lintu ja käärme (Bird and snake in me)
- Sumun läpi (Throught the fog)
…de la terre (1991) 15′
Lonh (1996) for soprano and electronics 20’
Terra Memoria, string quartet (2006) 20’
Saariaho 70
The concert is part of a broader Saariaho 70 event which will be organised in the Helsinki Music Centre and its vicinity in cooperation with the Helsinki Music Centre Foundation, Urut Soimaan ry and Organo Novo ry from 15 to 20 October 2022. During the week, you can experience a wide array of Saariaho’s vocal and chamber music, solo works, organ and choir music and seminars. The chamber music concert is presented by Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy.
Additional information: Minttu Hellsten, minttu.hellsten@uniarts.fi
On Thursday, 20 October at 7 p.m., you can come and listen to pieces from four decades. The concert begins with “Jardin Secret II” for harpsichord and electronics (1986). In the “Jardin Secret” pieces, the connection between the instrument and the tape is significant. Unlike the first piece of the series, in which the tape is based on synthetic sound, the composer has used her voice as the material of the tape for the second part.
Lonh, which was composed ten years later, is all about the basic themes of humanity – love, death, leaving and longing. The title means “faraway” or “distance” in the Occitan language. The piece loosely follows a poetic meter and is divided into nine parts. In the electronic part, the text will be heard in three languages and is presented by Jacques Roubaud (Provençal; Occitan), Jean-Baptiste Barrière (French) and Dawn Upshaw (English).
The song series “Saarikoski-laulut” (Saarikoski songs, 2017) represents the latest material in the concert. They are composed for Pentti Saarikoski’s texts. The songs in the series were created over a long period of time, as the first of them, “Luonnon kasvot” (The face of nature) was completed in 2013. “Jokaisella on tämänsä” (Everone has their this-one) and “Kaikki tämä” (All this) were created in 2017 and “Minussa lintu ja käärme” (Bird and snake in me) and “Sumun läpi” (Through the fog) saw the light of day in 2020. The work was premiered by Anu Komsi and Pia Värri on 7 September 2021. The texts are from the Saarikoski collection “Alue” (Region/area), and they discuss memories and different boundaries, such as the ones between human and nature, good and evil, life and death.
The concert will be concluded by the string quartet Terra Memoria from 2006, which has already achieved cult status. The work was premiered in Carnegie Hall, New York, on 17 June 2007. It is dedicated to those who have ”left” and those who are no longer with us. The memories live and develop in us, and they will change, even after many years. The two words in the title play an important role in the work: earth is the material for the work, and memory is the way it is handled.
Programme
Jardin Secret II cembalolle ja elektroniikalle (Secret garden for harpsichord and electronics, 1986) 11’
Saarikoski-laulut (Saarikoski songs, 2017) 20’
- Luonnon kasvot (The face of nature)
- Jokaisella on tämänsä (Everone has their this-one)
- Kaikki tämä (All this)
- Minussa lintu ja käärme (Bird and snake in me)
- Sumun läpi (Throught the fog)
…de la terre (1991) 15′
Lonh (1996) for soprano and electronics 20’
Terra Memoria, string quartet (2006) 20’
Saariaho 70
The concert is part of a broader Saariaho 70 event which will be organised in the Helsinki Music Centre and its vicinity in cooperation with the Helsinki Music Centre Foundation, Urut Soimaan ry and Organo Novo ry from 15 to 20 October 2022. During the week, you can experience a wide array of Saariaho’s vocal and chamber music, solo works, organ and choir music and seminars. The chamber music concert is presented by Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy.
Additional information: Minttu Hellsten, minttu.hellsten@uniarts.fi