FMQ - FMQ Autumn/2016 Articles

Centenary Celebration

Einar Englund’s Violin Concerto of 1981 is one of the major violin concertos of the past century – and not just from Finland.

Martin Anderson

October 10, 2016

Reviews

Head-spinning – mind-clearing

Oh yes! One of the best releases this year is the gilt-edged calling card of accordionist-composer Veli Kujala that simultaneously slakes a thirst for something new and strikes a nostalgic chord.

Jaani Länsiö

October 9, 2016

Reviews

Brilliant and flowing Palmgren

On Alba’s new recording, Henri Sigfridsson makes the most of Palmgren’s brilliant solo parts in The River (Piano Concerto no. 2) and Metamorphoses (no. 3) without reducing them to shallow virtuoso vehicles.

Mats Liljeroos

October 9, 2016

Reviews

Text-sensitive tone-painting

The aesthetic pluralism represented here is remarkable; Bergman pushes the envelope of musical expression. Matti Hyökki, with a group of professional singers, masters even the trickiest passages with aplomb.

Mats Liljeroos

October 9, 2016

Reviews

Obit Einojuhani

For all the passion at the climax of the Balada and the lusty drama of the last of the Four Songs, the music here sings Rautavaara to rest in the rich autumnal tones that are unmistakably his.

Martin Anderson

October 9, 2016

Features

The North in Music

How does the latitude of Finland affect creativity among musicians, aesthetically and politically? Andrew Mellor asked some Finns, non-Finns and almost-Finns…

Andrew Mellor

October 7, 2016

Features

Beyond genre

Olavi Louhivuori splashed on to the scene in 2002 as drummer of Ilmiliekki Quartet, which scooped up Finnish and Nordic jazz awards. Since then, this restless multi-instrumentalist has played with the genre-shattering Oddarrang and many other groups in Europe and the US – while at the same time composing for orchestras and electronic solo albums.

Wif Stenger

October 7, 2016

Features

Spaces and pigeonholes

Susanna Mälkki began her three-year term as Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra this autumn. We asked her about the themes of her first HPO year and her thoughts about links between music and the cultural environment.

Hanna Isolammi

October 7, 2016

Columns

Aural landscapes, sonic mindscapes – Editorial from FMQ Autumn/2016

In this issue we explore the relationship between music and environment, both natural and cultural. What traces, influences and meanings of the environment do the people who create, consume and study music find in it today?

Anu Ahola

October 7, 2016

Features

Radiopuhelimet - Natural born preachers

Radiopuhelimet has been performing “rural rock music” in Finnish for three decades. The visions embraced by the band are realistic, sometimes repellently so. Vocalist J.A. Mäki remarks that, even though humankind deserves it, nature does not take revenge. Nature merely is.

Janne Flinkkilä

October 7, 2016

Features

Music for cows and wolves

Cut off a piece of willow, construct a whistle and blow through it – this is as close as it gets to a perfect combination of the roles of musician and instrument maker. Although this kind of playing has not always been considered as music, folk wind instruments have gradually taken their place among contemporary folk music instruments.

Tove Djupsjöbacka

October 7, 2016

Features

10 Finnish songs about and inspired by nature

Ten Finnish songs about or inspired by nature selected by Matti Nives.

Matti Nives

October 7, 2016

Features

Collective resonance

“If you look far enough back in any culture, music is born out of many different aspects and influences, including the physical environment that you live in. This is the key for me, finding your own points of connection with your culture, whatever that might be,” says widely travelled multi-instrumentalist Nathan Riki Thomson.

Merja Hottinen

October 7, 2016

Columns

Taking Note Autumn 2016: Naturally good music

“Music’s close relationship to nature can be seen precisely in the ways it alters and affects our relationship to the diversity of our surrounding world – and not only to itself or myself.”

Juha Torvinen

October 7, 2016

Features

Music in our nature

Music is known to have a physical and psychological – and not just aesthetic and emotional – effect on us. But why is this so? This is one of the key questions in genetic and brain research on music.

Hanna Isolammi

October 7, 2016

Features

Nature’s concert halls

In Finland, dozens of music events with strong connections to nature are organised each summer. Nature itself seems to form an integral part of a successful festival experience at these events. We discussed with music researchers Merja Hottinen and Juha Torvinen the relationships between nature, the environment, music and listening experiences.

Heidi Horila

October 7, 2016

Features

Conquering the tradition

In the heart of folk music is an idea of equality: professionals and amateurs playing the same repertoire, each at their own skill level, as valued members of the community. There is a natural curiosity about different cultures and any form of exclusion is discouraged. However, gender equality is an issue that still seems to need some fine tuning. What is the status of female folk musicians in the Finland of 2016?

Amanda Kauranne

July 10, 2016

Columns

FMQ Autumn 2016 Notes & Letters: From second class citizenship to the conductor’s podium

Baroque violinist and conductor Kreeta-Maria Kentala writes about how attitudes towards baroque music and female conductors have changed during her career.

Kreeta-Maria Kentala

July 10, 2016

Features

Are we really still talking about this?

In 2016 women are still under-represented in classical concert repertoire, never mind the canon. At contemporary music concerts, however, women appear as composers with increasing frequency. How should we address the issue of a composer’s (female) gender in this day and age? Are we really still talking about this, in Finland?

Anna Pulkkis

July 10, 2016

Columns

FMQ Autumn 2016 Guest Column: About art and money and the “special relationship Finns have with nature”

My feeling is that socially active art may be both in-your-face and more subtly influencing; it may mix up meanings in brutal ways, mashing them up, exploring impossible worlds and shaking us up from unheard-of angles.

Taina Riikonen

July 9, 2016

Features

The voice of freedom

Growing up in roughly beautiful Lapland has affected Outi Tarkiainen’s personality and her voice as a composer. For her, music is almost like a force of nature, which can change people and their destinies. Andrew Mellor met Tarkiainen in Rovaniemi, just as she had finished her song-cycle The Earth, Spring’s Daughter.

Andrew Mellor

July 9, 2016

Reviews

Gratifying solo piano

Toivanen is an adept writer and a logical improviser with his own individual voice, who balances his output masterfully between natural-sounding harmonic beauty and bold melodic statements.

Jan-Erik Holmberg

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Vocal folk hop it is

Tuuletar is a quite recent addition to the high life of Finnish a cappella groups that has already been successful in international vocal group competitions. The genre headline they use is “vocal folk hop”, which is actually quite suitable for their music.

Tove Djupsjöbacka

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Celestial psychedelia, pt. 2

Amen 2 is the second instalment of Mikko Joensuu’s magnum opus, the triptych Amen 1–3.

Jean Ramsay

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Poignant, witty, thoughtful

Poignant, witty, agile, mischievous, thoughtful, beautiful: this is Timo Alakotila and his piano, alone at last.

Fiona Talkington

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Four good ’uns

Jukka Eskola’s 10-inch EP is not only the debut for the trumpeter’s trio (Mikko Helevä, organ; Teppo Mäkynen, drums), but also the dawn of a new label.

Jan-Erik Holmberg

June 10, 2016

Reviews

The way outside of the box

A jack of many trades, Sid Hille has reimagined himself as a pianist many times before, but this disc may prove to be a pinnacle in his career.

Petri Silas

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Tantalising tales

Finnish instrumental rock band Siinai and Canadian singer-keyboardist Spencer “Moonface” Krug share a taste for melodrama and heroics.

Wif Stenger

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Reconstructing the classics

There are perhaps more excellent trumpeters today than ever in Finland. Kalevi Louhivuori certainly belongs to this bunch.

Jan-Erik Holmberg

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Folk music concertante

The second album of Karuna, a trio of accordion, piano and nyckelharpa, is even more stylish and secure than their debut. The musicians are all superb: Teija Niku (acc), Juha Kujanpää (pf) and Esko Järvelä (nyckelharpa).

Tove Djupsjöbacka

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Favourite English Strings

The Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra is now working up even more steam with a view to enhancing its international reputation.

Jaani Länsiö

June 10, 2016

Reviews

The sweet swing of Americana

The album is bursting with swinging Americana, lush road-trip music and romancing the radio.

Sini Mononen

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Flowing flute virtuosity

The performance of Rautavaara's Flute Concerto with Sharon Bezaly, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and Dima Slobodeniouk is enjoyable in its richness of instrumental colours.

Anna Pulkkis

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Trance in trancelation

Crossover has been like a red rag to a bull for many a serious-minded contemporary music buff. Nevertheless, the crossover products of the present decade speak of a respect for difference, and of the multidimensional aspect of both the present day and ourselves.

Merja Hottinen

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Songs in the Helsinki lingo

This is a brilliant recording made up of scraps of information, gems from the archives and the contributions of contemporary speakers of the Helsinki lingo.

Amanda Kauranne

June 10, 2016

Reviews

A true sound garden

Sometimes a record gives you the impression of sneaking into a secret place, in this case maybe a small house in the forest with a light scent of smoke in the walls.

Tove Djupsjöbacka

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Another world

There’s a real sense of narrative in the music as Kastinen moves between the different instruments in her improvisations, and combines different playing techniques with bows and plucking, slides, sticks and mutes as well as using her own breath.

Fiona Talkington

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Trip-hop potential

The album shows great potential in songwriting, singing and production – watch this space.

Wif Stenger

June 10, 2016

Reviews

A Finnish wedding night

A delightfully fresh debut disc of originals in the spirit of trad plus new takes on folk music, both instrumental and with vocal seasoning.

Amanda Kauranne

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Pillar of the Finnish folk music community

Tallari succeeds in transforming into whatever it wishes, something always remains – the fundamental lilt and the soulful playing.

Amanda Kauranne

June 10, 2016

Reviews

How to strike gold

Ante Lucem, a four-piece suite for jazz quintet and symphony orchestra, is not only one of Iro Haarla’s brightest artistic statements so far, but also a waypost in Finnish jazz.

Petri Silas

June 10, 2016

Reviews

Exquisite beauty and fun

Have the legendary Värttinä produced their best ever album after over 30 years together? Viena, their thirteenth studio album, marks a return to their roots which grew out of the excitement of visits back to Karelia to hear, and be inspired by the last surviving runo singers.

Fiona Talkington

May 10, 2016

Reviews

Expressive versatility

Bram van Sambeek presents two valuable additions to the bassoon repertoire. Kalevi Aho wrote his concerto for Bence Bogányi in 2004, while Sebastian Fagerlund’s concerto Mana (2014) was tailor-made for Sambeek himself.

Mats Liljeroos

May 10, 2016

Reviews

Simply the super trio?

Pianist Iiro Rantala's new trio has already been called the Super Trio, and with stateside dweller Peter Erskine on drums, in addition to Swede Lars Danielsson on bass, the claim seems reasonable.

Jan-Erik Holmberg

May 10, 2016

Reviews

Sounds that invade your dreams

For those interested in labelling, Oddarrang could easily be lumped in with so-called post-jazz bands if only they relied solely on meandering and moody soundscapes. Oddarang haunts the listener for a long time.

Petri Silas

May 10, 2016

Reviews

Bach gets air under his wings

Baroque violinist Kreeta-Maria Kentala combines on her recording her two strong areas of expertise, baroque and folk music, in a most innovative and fruitful way.

Anna Pulkkis

March 10, 2016