Kaija Saariaho: Cinq Reflets de L'Amour de Loin; Nymphea Reflection; Oltra Mar
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Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 2005-01-25
Music Label: Ondine
Soundtracks:
- I. Two Shores
- II. Dream
- III. O Distant Love
- IV. If Death Could Wait
- V. Towards You So Far Away
- I. Sostenuto
- II. Feroce
- III. Dolcissimo
- IV. Lento Espressivo
- V. Furioso
- VI. Misterioso
- I. Departure
- II. Love
- III. Waves
- IV. Time
- V. Memory Of The Waves
- VI. Death
- VII. Arrival
Free Music Notes for Kaija Saariaho: Cinq Reflets de L'Amour de Loin; Nymphea Reflection; Oltra Mar
Free Music Review: Not really sure what's going on with Saariaho
Hit: 3 Stars
This Ondine disc collects three relatively recent works by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, performed by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Jukka-Pekka Saraste with other talented musicians. Saariaho's earlier work was characterized by a focus on timbre and the use of electronics, but she seems to have moved on to an interest in melody and eschews electronics.
"Cinq reflets" for soprano, baritone, and orchestra is an arrangement of five scenes from her 2000 opera "L'amour de loin", concerning the consuming love of the 12th century troubadour for the countess of Tripoli, whom he never met. Here Pia Freud performs the part of the countess and Gabriel Suovanen the part of Rudel. This doesn't stack up to Saariaho's earlier work, but is entertaining enough listening.
"Nymphea Reflection" for string orchestra (2001) is a reworking of her "Nymphea" for string quartet and electronics. Originally Saariaho intended to merely replace the electronics with additional strings, but found that they were not capable of the same subtleties, hence the extensive rewriting. The result is certainly less thrilling than the quartet, but still very interesting in its textures. Certainly the best of the pieces here.
"Oltra mar" (1998-1999) is a set of seven preludes for the new millenium for orchestra and choir, which last part is here the Tapiola Chamber Choir. Going from "Depart" to "Arrivee" (in that order), only three of these preludes have texts, by an Arab poet and African pygmies, while the rest have mere vocalizations. The sixth, "Mort" is in memory of Gerard Grisey, the spectralist composer who influenced Saariaho significantly. Some of the material here later found its way into the opera; the first movement is used for the pilgrim's journey at the beginning of the fourth act. I must admit, I don't enjoy "Oltra mar" at all. It is almost reminiscent of the vacuity of ideas found in the works of the "holy minimalists" like most of 1980s Arvo Part.
Saariaho's earlier work is simply stunning. The beauty of pieces like "Amers" and "Du cristal ...a la fumee" defies description, and part of their success is the focus on timbre and the possibilities electronics bring. Now that Saariaho is writing melodies and electronics are nowhere to be found, I feel that her work has lessened. The first two pieces here are still entertaining, but it doesn't match what came before.
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