2007/07/23

Kaija Saariaho - Chamber Music


Thanks again to the endlessly illuminating Aporia6 for this amazing and commercially unavailable recording. from the very first listen, it has also become my favorite of all the beautiful albums by this Finnish composer. the earlier work was more uncompromising and abrasive, and later condensed into somewhat of a "signature style" associated with elongated, icy tones forming other-worldly arcs above subtle, alien soundscapes, often involving flutes, electronics, and voice. many of the pieces which comprise this recording, to my ears is the best possible synthesis of the complex dynamics of the earlier period and the alien beauty of the later, impeccably realized by the Wolpe Trio.

Kaija Saariaho: Chamber Music
Wolpe Trio / Andreas Boettger / Thomas Neuhaus
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaija Saariaho (*1952) :

01: Cendres (1998) for alto flute, violoncellocello and piano [9:02] ,
02: Noa Noa (1992) for flute and electronics [8:21] ,
03: Mirrors (orig. version 1997) for flute and violoncello [3:31] ,
04: Spins and Spells (1996) for violoncello solo [5:58] ,
05: Monkey Fingers, Velvet Hand (1991) for piano solo [2:59] ,
06: Petals (1988) for violoncello (electronics ad libitum) [8:53] ,
07: Mirrors (version L. Olson 1998) for flute and violoncello [3:30] ,
08: Laconisme de l'aile (1982) for solo flute with optional electronics [10:23] ,
Six Japanese Gardens (1993/1995) for percussion and electronics [18:33]
09: Tenju-an Garden of Nanzen-ji Temple [3:08]
10: Many pleasures (Garden of Kinkaku-ji) [1:37]
11: Dry Mountain Stream [3:23]
12: Rock Garden of Ryoan-ji [3:56]
13: Moss Garden of Saiho-ji [2:48]
14: Stone Bridges [3:43]

Wolpe Trio:
Lesley Olson, flute
Scott Roller, violoncello
Susanne Achilles, piano

Thomas Neuhaus, live-electronics - (2, 6, 8)
Andreas Boettger, percussion and live electronics (9-14)

KAIROS 0012412KAI - Total Time: 72:12

please do enjoy.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Fantastic

Anonymous said...

Estamos ansiosos de escuchar esa musica!

greattime said...

Thanks for this and previous upload albums!
I'm sorry that I post my request here. Can you upload again this Morton Feldman CD's: "All Piano", "Patterns in a Chromatic Field" (de Saram, Schroeder), "For Christian Wolff", please?
Maybe I can upload something in exchange?

Anonymous said...

Thank you zhao / aporia! How nice to hear a fresh perspective.

Anonymous said...

that just cleansed and lightened my day

thank you for sharing that...

Paxjorge said...

Hey man, I'm really impressed with all the great material you keep on posting. I've been out of this blogging stuff for about six months now (new job, met a girl and all that) and I've got all this catching up to do!

Idem about the "For Christian Wolff' album and I'm really, really sorry to hear about that ridiculous violence thing in L.A.. Life can be strange, indeed...

All the best, Zhao.

grasprelease said...

Finally got round to spinning this the other night and booyah-hey-presto: MAGICK. Kaaija drops the chronic plates. Everyone so needs this.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if it has already been performed or written, but the New York Philharmonic commissioned her, so I'm looking forward to hearing that.

Enrique said...

Thanks thanks thanks! I was just reading about her thanks to last.fm "similar artists" list on Scelsi's page, it's always a pleasure visiting your fine blog, cheers from Mexico Zhao!

Anonymous said...

link doesn´t work ...

Anonymous said...

link doesn´t work

Chad said...

This is cool!