I feel like my words are inadequate means of praising this man's work. Im a colossal fan of 20th century music and I thought I'd listened to all the greats....and then I discovered Rautavaara *~*
Probably the best harp concerto I have ever heard. Massive orchestra which harp works I own don't seem to have. Great composer and I ordered the disc set of twelve of his concertos. I am new to him so thank RUclips for having many. I see this could possibly be transcribed as a guitar concerto.
Intensely mystical, a journey that is eerie and yet also serene, a masterpiece. I am very grateful I had the opportunity to hear. it. When I listen, I hear something profound about our human experience, something transcendent that only music can communicate.
I loved the very first sounds of this opus so I went on listening. It retains the beauty of the harp while mixes it with grave disturbing elements of modern music. A miraculous blend and a great performance as well.
Do you know any other harp concerto like Ginastera's? I love that style of writing for the harp. Love the sinister quality in Rautavaara too. I hate all those angelic sounding harp concertos
A lot of composers imitate Ginastera, but usually its more defective aspects. And few conductors grasp its classical linearity, it's need for balance, and make it sound like a percussion concerto.
Thank you for posting the movements and current mvmt playing. Never seen this before on YT. Great idea. The piece is fabulous. I know quite a few ER compositions, but this is a wonderful discovery. I appreciate your sharing it.
I'm not too familiar with Harp music but this concerto is hauntingly beautiful! I stumbled across it after listening to Rautavaara's first piano concerto. Awesome performance!
+vincent stuart It's a concerto by any definition. Just because it doesn't follow 18th or 19th century conventions of form does not mean it is not a 'concerto.'
Kiitos, ystävä tästä kauniista lahjasta. Thank you, my friend for this precious gift. And as a matter of fact... congratulations composer Rautavaara. PALJON ONNEA SYNTTÄRIN JOHDOSTA, säveltäjä Rautavaara !
A concerto isn't necessarily, by definition, fast-slow-fast, or slow-fast-slow, or any tempo indication whatsoever. If the composer so chooses, the concerto can have three slow movements. The definitions of words like "concerto" and "symphony" have been blurred considerably since the classical era. So long as the basic principle of the concerto remains -- instrument with orchestra (to condense it as much as I possibly can) -- the possibilities in today's music world are practically endless.
A very impressive score. One of the themes is similar to the famous 'Tristan' theme. In the final movement, the harp is doubled by harps i_n the orchestra for a better rendering.
He is one of the most underrated composers of our times. Boulez and the entire "avantgarde" and "post-avantgarde" school can hide in shame listening to his music.
@@xbqchm Sigh...why are there under youtube recording of every modern tonal composer a ton of people that feel the need to shame composer writing in a more chromatic and avantgarde language in order to praise the more tonal composers? You probably don't know this. But Rautavaara wrote quite a bit of serial music (gasp!), and he is also very good friend of Erik Bergman, a Finnish serial composer (whose work Rautavaara immensely respects) that wrote a shit ton of very atonal stuff. In short, Rautavaara himself would be saddened to see such shallowness in people appreciating his music.
@Zane Xiao Because it takes no knowlegde nor talent nor effort to write such ugly music. Yet, those composers are praised like gods by the snobs of the mainstream public, who are either too ignorant or too afraid to believe their own ears. THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!
What skill does it take to "compose" music consisting of nothing but incoherent sounds or noises? (For clarity, being called "Maestro" by a bunch of snobs is not a skill.)
I think this work might best be understood as "pure music" - no literary or dramatic subtext. Sibelius once remarked that most European orchestral music, excepting his own works and some of the Brahms symphonies, were to some degree programmatic. This concerto seems to fall into the same pure music genre.
But even as I say this, the rhapsodic strain in the midst of the Adagietto 2nd movement recalls for me a near-death experience I underwent several years ago. So much for my analytical abilities!
To me the concerto feels very dramatic! A journey, from the mysterious and brooding first movement, to the warm, ethereal second movement, and reaching a desperate, violent climax in the third movement... that last part makes me think of someone screaming in despair sometimes. Yet on the other hand, the way the second theme from the second movement reasserts itself, this time backed by the bell almost feels triumphant to me! The concerto is so full of strange, alluring emotions, like another world. Does "pure music" really exist at all?
the only composer I like more is Miley Cyrus. particularly her riveting melodies on "Party in The U.S.A" But second to her work, I would have to say Rautavaara is my favorite. His use of tonal theory is almost as sophisticated as the profound depth of "Wrecking Ball". I hate to keep comparing them... but it keeps me up at night, who is the greater artist: Cyrus, or Rautavaara?
Joonas Kokkonen, Cello concerto. Kokkonen is another amazing finnish composer. He's opera Last temptations (Viimeiset kiusaukset) is most famous of his works, but third symphony and concerto I mentioned above are something you might like. Kaija Saariaho and Sebastian Fagerlund are also great (at least I think so). Greetings from Finland, you lovely people! 😄
This concerto is quite typical of rautavaara's style, perhaéps more than his symphonies which sometimes give the feeling that the initial material lacks interesting developements, leaing the listener somehow dsapointed. Here, the material is fully exploited, the orchestra is gorgeous (a quite difficult exercice when a harp is facing a whole orchestra - in the third moivement, the harp is strenthened by other garps inside the orchestra itself).
Ecouter la musique de Rautavaara c'est abolir le déferlement de bruits et d'images du quotidien pour entrouvrir l'espace d'un ailleurs où la contingence et la représentation cèdent la place à l'immatérialité du sensible. Une fois refermée la porte sur l'agitation du monde, un silence sous-jacent s'installe, une lenteur saisit, préludes à une dilatation de la perception et de la conscience. Dans le courant de l'art abstrait dont Rautavaara marque la vitalité et l'intérêt toujours renouvelés, le pouvoir expressif de l'architecture sonore rompt avec toute forme de transcription du réel pour s'attacher à l'expression d'un univers impalpable. Couleurs, composition, rythme, constituent un langage qui donne souffle à l'exaltation !
Mais arrêtez, enfin ! :o Si cela est sensible, cela ne peut être immatériel. On ne peut en disconvenir qu'en sacrifiant l'idée que les mots ont pour fonction de signifier. Aussi vous souhaité-je bien du plaisir à ouvrir les espaces et refermer les portes, n'en reste pas moins que vos souffles exaltés n'expriment pas grand-chose. Ni sur la musique de Rautavaara, ni même sur la réalité de vos sentiments. Je ne juge pas, remarquez. Il nous arrive à tous d'écrire des phrases prétentieuses. Mais s'il y a dans ce commentaire une once de sens avec lequel on puisse être "d'accord" ou non, j'apprécierai de l'apprendre. Si c'était du lyrisme gratuit, pardonnez, je vous prie, la satire.
Above way over my head and wordy in English. I don't understand French despite my ancestor through my mother and grandfather was a French Huguenot who emigrated to fight in the American revolution. I just simply feel this may be the very best and largest harp concerto I have heard. Most harp concertos seem to have small orchestras and this one is not small. very beautiful.
@@izellets7361 la foi, toute immatérielle qu'elle est, reste sensible .. Par ailleurs, il est vrai que je me laisse parfois emporter par la magie des mots, comme lorsque l'on s'abreuve à une source. Cerise sur le gâteau, je suis aussi un musicien inspiré 🎇
Without seeing the score I am not sure, but it sounds to me like (at least) some of the winds, certainly the flutes, are “flutter-tonguing” - a trilled tongue movement that affects the pitch and sounds like an extreme vibrato - maybe doubled by some of the strings, who themselves might be doing something funky as well. There are also maybe a lot of minor seconds or other dissonant intervals, giving a very complex harmony. Later there is a whoop-whoop rising glissando-like figure on an instrument which I cannot identify, either low strings such as cello are some kind of percussion (or is it the harp?). Anyone know what *that* is?
@@BlindObedienceBrutal There is flutter-tonguing by the flutes, and I'm pretty sure that the other sounds are from harps within the orchestra, not the soloist themselves. I'm fairly certain they achieve that sound by plucking a string using a tuning fork(?) as a similar method was used in Rautavaara's Sixth Symphony, and in addition I think the vibraphone player is doing something similarly weird. As for the whoop-whoop glissando figure that you mentioned, that is a Flexatone. Flexatones are most famous for the goofy cartoon sound effects they are capable of making.
This is a beautiful work, especially the 'adagietto', but also an elusive one. It seems to be missing something, but I confess I don't know what. Rautavaara's "broad brush strokes" seem to blur the focus of the music, to the extent that I tired of it, although I did find the last movement the most interesting.
Because in the twenty-first century, we still adhere to nineteenth century thinking about the concerto? An analysis of the work reveals enough formal evidence to suggest a ternary whole, so the three-ballad idea seems odd.
I am a bit sceptic about this work as a "concerto". This is a pack of three ballads, put together in a single work. There is no concertante brilliancy, no dramatic contrasts, no agile moments. Melodic invention is beautiful, though and harmonies are oppulent.
i know its been 8 years but it sounds very much like you are someone who took first year music appreciation class and learnt about the term "concerto", decided to come here and show your very limited knowledge The definition of "concerto"/"symphony"/"sonata" have blurred so much ever since the 20th century, and you really dont have an argument here I hope 8 years later now you are cringing at yourself
The importance of the title still exists, even if it's 21th century. I would rather call this composition "Three ballads" for harp and orchestra or anything else. 23 minutes of relatively slow music does not justify the title "Concerto". The formal approach does not matter.
Rautavaara's harmonic language and ethereal orchestrations make for a perfect marriage with the harp.
R.I.P. Einojuhahi Rautavaara. Kiitos siitä, mitä jätit jälkipolville!
Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ!
wtf?@@MelanieJermeleWhite
@@MelanieJermeleWhite WTF??
I feel like my words are inadequate means of praising this man's work. Im a colossal fan of 20th century music and I thought I'd listened to all the greats....and then I discovered Rautavaara *~*
Have you heard Imants Kalnins?
Same here. I stand astonished.
@@PaulSmith-qs1es Fun, but plays in a different league.
Indescribably charming, soulful yet minus maudlinity. Fearless.
Probably the best harp concerto I have ever heard. Massive orchestra which harp works I own don't seem to have. Great composer and I ordered the disc set of twelve of his concertos. I am new to him so thank RUclips for having many. I see this could possibly be transcribed as a guitar concerto.
Would be sick guitar concerto!
What a gorgeous piece.
JJay Berbbbb
I can really hear his influence on your work, cool seeing some of the stuff you listen to
Oh my goodness, that third movement. Such lush orchestration...reminds me of the Impressionists.
This composition is lovely with considerable musical depth. Rautavaara is a very fine composer indeed,
awsom!
Splendida musica.
Intensely mystical, a journey that is eerie and yet also serene, a masterpiece. I am very grateful I had the opportunity to hear. it. When I listen, I hear something profound about our human experience, something transcendent that only music can communicate.
The simple and clear tone of the harp is wonderful
One of my favorite composers. Beautiful.
The altered jazz chords played by the strings is Hmmmmm ..Good.
Rautavaara's Violin Concerto is one of my favourite pieces, and I never knew about this harp one. Thanks so much for posting it!
His violin concerto is so amazing!
I loved the very first sounds of this opus so I went on listening. It retains the beauty of the harp while mixes it with grave disturbing elements of modern music. A miraculous blend and a great performance as well.
listen to Ginastera's Harp Concerto, different and powerful.
Do you know any other harp concerto like Ginastera's? I love that style of writing for the harp. Love the sinister quality in Rautavaara too. I hate all those angelic sounding harp concertos
A lot of composers imitate Ginastera, but usually its more defective aspects. And few conductors grasp its classical linearity, it's need for balance, and make it sound like a percussion concerto.
Powerful. Didn't want it to end
Rautavaara was a fine modern neo romantic He was good very good
Wow! What piece of music! Such powerful strings and percussion. Thick and lush with wonderful harp.
i'm so happy you posted this. It is one of my favorites!
What can you say? It's just gorgeous. Great upload.
Thank you for posting the movements and current mvmt playing. Never seen this before on YT. Great idea. The piece is fabulous. I know quite a few ER compositions, but this is a wonderful discovery. I appreciate your sharing it.
I've never heard this beautiful work before. Thank you for uploading it.
I'm not too familiar with Harp music but this concerto is hauntingly beautiful! I stumbled across it after listening to Rautavaara's first piano concerto. Awesome performance!
a concerto in name only. beautiful none the less ,plenty of soul
+vincent stuart It's a concerto by any definition. Just because it doesn't follow 18th or 19th century conventions of form does not mean it is not a 'concerto.'
+7777Scion tru
I hope this is available on CD. I really like this composition and how he was able to expand the expressive scope/potential of the harp.
It´s a really beautiful piece, the last movement have a lot of things in common with his first Piano Etude "Thirds"
and his piano etude "Seconds"
Shout out to Ondine for continually providing quality music for the people. Hats off.
Kiitos, ystävä tästä kauniista lahjasta. Thank you, my friend for this precious gift. And as a matter of fact... congratulations composer Rautavaara. PALJON ONNEA SYNTTÄRIN JOHDOSTA, säveltäjä Rautavaara !
I am buying this CD!! What "awesomeness"!!!
A concerto isn't necessarily, by definition, fast-slow-fast, or slow-fast-slow, or any tempo indication whatsoever. If the composer so chooses, the concerto can have three slow movements. The definitions of words like "concerto" and "symphony" have been blurred considerably since the classical era. So long as the basic principle of the concerto remains -- instrument with orchestra (to condense it as much as I possibly can) -- the possibilities in today's music world are practically endless.
Thanks for the tip🙄
▪ a n d
▪ h e r e
▪ i
▪ t h o u g h t
▪ i t
▪ w a s
▪ i m p o s s i b l e
▪ t o
▪ m a k e
▪ a
▪ h a r p
▪ s o u n d
▪ l u g u b r i o u s .
HELSINSKI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, LEIF SEGERSTAM Conductor, MARIELLE NORDMANN Harp.
Thank you very much Rautavaara..
A truly phenomenal work. Rest in peace.
A real beautiful work.
A very impressive score. One of the themes is similar to the famous 'Tristan' theme. In the final movement, the harp is doubled by harps i_n the orchestra for a better rendering.
I would like to thank the person who posted this fine music. After listening to Boulez and his followers This is a much needed tonic
He is one of the most underrated composers of our times. Boulez and the entire "avantgarde" and "post-avantgarde" school can hide in shame listening to his music.
@@xbqchm Sigh...why are there under youtube recording of every modern tonal composer a ton of people that feel the need to shame composer writing in a more chromatic and avantgarde language in order to praise the more tonal composers?
You probably don't know this. But Rautavaara wrote quite a bit of serial music (gasp!), and he is also very good friend of Erik Bergman, a Finnish serial composer (whose work Rautavaara immensely respects) that wrote a shit ton of very atonal stuff.
In short, Rautavaara himself would be saddened to see such shallowness in people appreciating his music.
@Zane Xiao Because it takes no knowlegde nor talent nor effort to write such ugly music. Yet, those composers are praised like gods by the snobs of the mainstream public, who are either too ignorant or too afraid to believe their own ears. THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!
@@xbqchm So spoke the god of music. The only one to make an accurate judgement as to what is allowed to be liked and what isn't.
Hah.
What skill does it take to "compose" music consisting of nothing but incoherent sounds or noises? (For clarity, being called "Maestro" by a bunch of snobs is not a skill.)
I think this work might best be understood as "pure music" - no literary or dramatic subtext. Sibelius once remarked that most European orchestral music, excepting his own works and some of the Brahms symphonies, were to some degree programmatic. This concerto seems to fall into the same pure music genre.
But even as I say this, the rhapsodic strain in the midst of the Adagietto 2nd movement recalls for me a near-death experience I underwent several years ago. So much for my analytical abilities!
To me the concerto feels very dramatic! A journey, from the mysterious and brooding first movement, to the warm, ethereal second movement, and reaching a desperate, violent climax in the third movement... that last part makes me think of someone screaming in despair sometimes. Yet on the other hand, the way the second theme from the second movement reasserts itself, this time backed by the bell almost feels triumphant to me! The concerto is so full of strange, alluring emotions, like another world. Does "pure music" really exist at all?
The third part sounds like Bernard Herrmann music.;; FANTASTIC !!!
Wonderful Piece
Quibble, quibble, quibble - this is beautiful music whatever you want to call it.
RIP Mo. Einojuhahi Rautavaara ~
Rest in peace Mr Rautavaara
The melodies of the third movement sounds a lot like those of his etudes.
His etudes on thirds is a definite quotation. I'm still listening to the rest of the moment. I just started hearing the fourths etude.
The middle section of the third movement is an obvious quotation to his seconds etude
Ok
Transcend Life, that's the goal 🌌✨️
17:35 Is this a part of his first etude ???
the only composer I like more is Miley Cyrus. particularly her riveting melodies on "Party in The U.S.A" But second to her work, I would have to say Rautavaara is my favorite. His use of tonal theory is almost as sophisticated as the profound depth of "Wrecking Ball". I hate to keep comparing them... but it keeps me up at night, who is the greater artist: Cyrus, or Rautavaara?
Heh heh. You're a funny guy.
this comment I- 💀
I think Cyrus is a little bit more advanced in her compositions; Rautavaara still hasn't made a classic album like Miley's "Bangerz".
Party in the USA is actually a good song tho
Joonas Kokkonen, Cello concerto. Kokkonen is another amazing finnish composer. He's opera Last temptations (Viimeiset kiusaukset) is most famous of his works, but third symphony and concerto I mentioned above are something you might like. Kaija Saariaho and Sebastian Fagerlund are also great (at least I think so). Greetings from Finland, you lovely people! 😄
If The Last Temptations is the most famous of his works, why can't I find it on this site?
ruclips.net/p/OLAK5uy_nURJvOc8JKjL8d393JQEkDAKNW8tZsZ9E&si=w4kMBpLXqzwD6W10
Einojuhani Rautavaara is a very welcome exception to the rule amazingly born in the same year as Karlheinz Stockhausen.
This concerto is quite typical of rautavaara's style, perhaéps more than his symphonies which sometimes give the feeling that the initial material lacks interesting developements, leaing the listener somehow dsapointed. Here, the material is fully exploited, the orchestra is gorgeous (a quite difficult exercice when a harp is facing a whole orchestra - in the third moivement, the harp is strenthened by other garps inside the orchestra itself).
I mostly agree with you ,except int he case of his 7th symphony ,which I find a work of great beauty, also in terms of development of material.
LOVE THIS!
This is insane. I mean that in the most insane way.
from PERSIA with Passion
OMG - WHOA!!! and thanks
Ecouter la musique de Rautavaara c'est abolir le déferlement de bruits et d'images du quotidien pour entrouvrir l'espace d'un ailleurs où la contingence et la représentation cèdent la place à l'immatérialité du sensible. Une fois refermée la porte sur l'agitation du monde, un silence sous-jacent s'installe, une lenteur saisit, préludes à une dilatation de la perception et de la conscience. Dans le courant de l'art abstrait dont Rautavaara marque la vitalité et l'intérêt toujours renouvelés, le pouvoir expressif de l'architecture sonore rompt avec toute forme de transcription du réel pour s'attacher à l'expression d'un univers impalpable. Couleurs, composition, rythme, constituent un langage qui donne souffle à l'exaltation !
oui, d'accord!
***** Merci
Mais arrêtez, enfin ! :o
Si cela est sensible, cela ne peut être immatériel. On ne peut en disconvenir qu'en sacrifiant l'idée que les mots ont pour fonction de signifier. Aussi vous souhaité-je bien du plaisir à ouvrir les espaces et refermer les portes, n'en reste pas moins que vos souffles exaltés n'expriment pas grand-chose. Ni sur la musique de Rautavaara, ni même sur la réalité de vos sentiments.
Je ne juge pas, remarquez. Il nous arrive à tous d'écrire des phrases prétentieuses. Mais s'il y a dans ce commentaire une once de sens avec lequel on puisse être "d'accord" ou non, j'apprécierai de l'apprendre.
Si c'était du lyrisme gratuit, pardonnez, je vous prie, la satire.
Above way over my head and wordy in English. I don't understand French despite my ancestor through my mother and grandfather was a French Huguenot who emigrated to fight in the American revolution. I just simply feel this may be the very best and largest harp concerto I have heard. Most harp concertos seem to have small orchestras and this one is not small. very beautiful.
@@izellets7361 la foi, toute immatérielle qu'elle est, reste sensible .. Par ailleurs, il est vrai que je me laisse parfois emporter par la magie des mots, comme lorsque l'on s'abreuve à une source. Cerise sur le gâteau, je suis aussi un musicien inspiré 🎇
What's the instrumentation around the 19 min 30 sec point? I've never heard that sound from an orchestra ever. Freaky and amazing.
Without seeing the score I am not sure, but it sounds to me like (at least) some of the winds, certainly the flutes, are “flutter-tonguing” - a trilled tongue movement that affects the pitch and sounds like an extreme vibrato - maybe doubled by some of the strings, who themselves might be doing something funky as well. There are also maybe a lot of minor seconds or other dissonant intervals, giving a very complex harmony. Later there is a whoop-whoop rising glissando-like figure on an instrument which I cannot identify, either low strings such as cello are some kind of percussion (or is it the harp?). Anyone know what *that* is?
@@BlindObedienceBrutal There is flutter-tonguing by the flutes, and I'm pretty sure that the other sounds are from harps within the orchestra, not the soloist themselves. I'm fairly certain they achieve that sound by plucking a string using a tuning fork(?) as a similar method was used in Rautavaara's Sixth Symphony, and in addition I think the vibraphone player is doing something similarly weird. As for the whoop-whoop glissando figure that you mentioned, that is a Flexatone. Flexatones are most famous for the goofy cartoon sound effects they are capable of making.
otherworldly... wow
This is a beautiful work, especially the 'adagietto', but also an elusive one. It seems to be missing something, but I confess I don't know what. Rautavaara's "broad brush strokes" seem to blur the focus of the music, to the extent that I tired of it, although I did find the last movement the most interesting.
This Adagietto just recall me the chinese ancient music.
An apt comment! The sensibility is truly Chinese.
I totally agree with you
Gorgeous music. Do you by chance know anything about the cover painting?
Because in the twenty-first century, we still adhere to nineteenth century thinking about the concerto? An analysis of the work reveals enough formal evidence to suggest a ternary whole, so the three-ballad idea seems odd.
Einojuhani Rautavaara is a very welcome exception to the rule amazingly born in year as Karlheinz Stockhausen.
What a bloody end!!!
nice
Awesome
🎶🎵🎼🎶🎼🎵🎶
Por la tarde, tranqui, bucólico.
So much in common with Duttileux
Wow...
What is the year of composition?
2000
You upload Rautavaara and your name is zipper man...
Interesting
?
oooooo...
Η ΑΡΠΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΟΣ.
RIP !
......DISCOVERED JUST 2 YEARS AGO .......
I'm the like number 666, oh no!
dutilleux is mor viseral, and has more influence from composers like messiaen,
I am a bit sceptic about this work as a "concerto". This is a pack of three ballads, put together in a single work. There is no concertante brilliancy, no dramatic contrasts, no agile moments. Melodic invention is beautiful, though and harmonies are oppulent.
No one seems to understand how to compose for harp anymore, let alone a concerto.
i know its been 8 years but it sounds very much like you are someone who took first year music appreciation class and learnt about the term "concerto", decided to come here and show your very limited knowledge
The definition of "concerto"/"symphony"/"sonata" have blurred so much ever since the 20th century, and you really dont have an argument here
I hope 8 years later now you are cringing at yourself
My opinion about this composition hasn't changed at all throughout these 8 years.
@@sojarvoglarcrt4602 are you even the person who left the original comment?
Don't doubt in my sincerity and sanity, please. Thx.
I think this piece could be more beautiful again with a 432 Hz diapason !
Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ!
no
no, harps better!
The importance of the title still exists, even if it's 21th century. I would rather call this composition "Three ballads" for harp and orchestra or anything else. 23 minutes of relatively slow music does not justify the title "Concerto". The formal approach does not matter.