Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016)
Lost Landscapes
Fantasia for violin and orchestra (2015)
In the Beginning for orchestra (2015)
Deux Sérénades for violin and orchestra, completed by Kalevi Aho (2016/2018)
Lost Landscapes, version for violin and orchestra (2005/15)
Simone Lamsma (violin), Malmö Symphony Orchestra/Robert Trevino
rec. 2021, Malmö Live Konserthus, Malmö, Sweden
ONDINE ODE1405-2 [58]
Over the years the Ondine label has done the Finnish composer Rautavaara proud, with issues covering the whole range of his works. Latterly, they have started gathering them in boxes: the symphonies, concertos and choral works have all been collected in this way, and we await one for his other orchestral works. Meanwhile, we have this new disc, of some of his last works.
In 2004 Rautavaara suffered an aortic dissection and was in intensive care for nearly six months. He did recover and was able to resume composing, but all the works written after then count as belonging to his late period, and this applies to everything on this disc. Three are them are violin concertante works, and all of these can be seen as pendants to Rautavaara’s Violin Concerto of 1977. In a parallel which would not have been lost on him, Sibelius’ shorter violin concertante works, which also include two Serenades, are pendants to his violin concerto.
The Fantasia was his response to a commission from the American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who asked for a work lasting about fifteen minutes. It is in Rautavaara’s neoromantic idiom, predominantly meditative with some darker notes. The composer was very pleased with it and said ‘Wow, did I write some beautiful, beautiful music.’ So indeed he did.
Before the other violin concertante works we have In the Beginning, which was written as a concert opener. This is a brooding and powerful work, rather Sibelian in character and somewhat reminiscent of Tapiola, though not as sinister as that work. It was Rautavaara’s last completed work and it ends abruptly, as if to tantalize the listener as to what might have come next. This is its first recording.
The Deux Sérénades (I don’t know why Rautavaara gave the title in French) were a commission from Hilary Hahn. Both pieces use material from earlier works and even without knowing this they seem drenched in nostalgia. Rautavaara did not live to complete the orchestration of the second serenade, and this was done by Kalevi Aho, who had been a pupil of his.
Lost landscapes also looks back to Rautavaara’s earlier life, specifically to four places where he studied. This work was originally written for violin and piano, and has been recorded in this form (review). Rautavaara orchestrated it for violin and strings and it here receives its first recording in this version. There are four movements. The first and third are lush and romantic, the second more incisive and the short finale is fast.
All these violin concertante works are attractive, but they are also all rather similar, and there is a preponderance of slow music. So they are best not listened to all at the same time. In the Beginning is different: it shows another side of the composer and perhaps has the best music on the disc.
We have a cosmopolitan team here. The soloist, Simone Lamsma is Dutch, has performed widely and already made a number of recordings. Robert Trevino is American and is a rising star. The Malmö Symphony Orchestra is one of Sweden’s leading orchestras. They all provide assured performances. The recording is sympathetic and the booklet informative. The Fantasia and Deux Sérénades have each been recorded by their commissioners but coupled with different composers, so the Rautavaara fan will find this the most convenient way to collect these works.
Stephen Barber
