Tapiola Youth Symphony - Rautavaara: Lintukoto / Pohjola: Tapiolandia (CD)

Release Date: 01/01/04

Like many Finnish composers before him, Rautavaara took inspiration from the national folk epic, the Kalevala. But for t

Like many Finnish composers before him, Rautavaara took inspiration from the national folk epic, the Kalevala. But for this 1995 piece he turned to a poem by his compatriot Aleksis Kivi (1834–1872). ‘Lintukoto’ describes an imaginary island idyll thronged with migrating birds (‘Lintukoto’ literally means ‘bird home’). Rautavaara calls it a ‘haven of happiness’; Kivi calls it ‘the Isle of Bliss’. Rautavaara’s intention was not to follow the narrative of the poem but instead to reflect ‘its atmosphere, its “scent”’.Seppo Pohjola has gone through a variety of styles in his musical career. He began as a strict Modernist, progressed towards Expressionism and took on board Romantic influences before ending up in the early 2000s in (a reformed brand of) Modernism again. Osmo Tapio Räihälä describes the end result thus: “The ‘new’ Pohjola often anchors his style in a frenetic pulse through which he builds musical processes.” His output has evolved from small, concise works towards broader arcs and ensembles, including a symphony orchestra. In the 2000s, he also began to write vocal music, from choral works to chamber opera.