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Rautavaara: Summer Thoughts / Kuusisto, Jumppanen
Ondine

Rautavaara: Summer Thoughts / Kuusisto, Jumppanen

$18.99

Details

Composer
RAUTAVAARA, EINOJUHANI
Artist
Kuusisto, Jumppanen
Format
CD
Label
Ondine
Released
Jun 28, 2011
Catalog #
ODE 1177-2
UPC
761195117729

About

Let's start with the "filler", because it's a very interesting one. Rautavaara's The Fiddlers originally was composed as a piano suite, as played here, and later arranged for string orchestra. For this performance, a fine one by Paavali Jumppanen, Pekka Kuusisto offers solo violin versions of the original folk tunes that Rautavaara selected for his suite. The result is fascinating; the tunes are about what you'd expect--robust, folk-fiddle melodies--but Rautavaara extracts a vast amount of variety and emotional nuance from them, using the basic material in often surprising ways. Check out the second tune, Kopsin Jonas, for example, as it enters evocatively in the bass over a swirling treble ostinato. Great stuff!

Rautavaara has composed very little for violin and piano, or (in the case of Variétude) for solo violin. There are mostly occasional works, but they are no less finely crafted for that. The excitingly brief Dithyrambos and Notturno e danza deliver what their titles suggest, while the other pieces are all nostalgic mood-pieces, often very beautiful. The major work here is Lost Landscapes, a four-movement violin sonata in all but name, with each movement offering a portrait of one of the composer's youthful haunts: Tanglewood, Ascona, Rainergasse 11, Vienna, and West 23rd Street, NY.

Kuusisto, as we have every reason to expect, plays very well, with plenty of color in his tone; and as already suggested, Jumppanen also does an excellent job, whether as accompanist or taking over the spotlight. The sonics are generally excellent, well balanced, and perhaps just a bit bright in the violin's upper register. Ondine's Rautavaara recordings really are major additions to the contemporary music scene. This one is no exception.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 22 tracks

  1. 1 I. Tanglewood 05:58
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Tanglewood
    Duration
    05:58
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  2. 2 II. Ascona 06:18
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Ascona
    Duration
    06:18
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  3. 3 III. Rainergasse 11, Vienna 05:22
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Rainergasse 11, Vienna
    Duration
    05:22
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  4. 4 IV. West 23rd Street, NY 02:55
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. West 23rd Street, NY
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  5. 5 Summer Thoughts 04:28
    Track
    5
    Title
    Summer Thoughts
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  6. 6 April Lines 08:55
    Track
    6
    Title
    April Lines
    Duration
    08:55
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  7. 7 Notturno 05:15
    Track
    7
    Title
    Notturno
    Duration
    05:15
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  8. 8 Danza 02:03
    Track
    8
    Title
    Danza
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  9. 9 Varietude 06:01
    Track
    9
    Title
    Varietude
    Duration
    06:01
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  10. 10 Dithyrambos (version for violin and piano) 02:22
    Track
    10
    Title
    Dithyrambos (version for violin and piano)
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto, Paavali Jumppanen
  11. 11 Narbolaisten braa speli 01:50
    Track
    11
    Title
    Narbolaisten braa speli
    Duration
    01:50
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  12. 12 I. Narbolaisten Braa Speli 01:30
    Track
    12
    Title
    I. Narbolaisten Braa Speli
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Paavali Jumppanen
  13. 13 Kopsin Jonas 02:38
    Track
    13
    Title
    Kopsin Jonas
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  14. 14 II. Kopsin Jonas 01:43
    Track
    14
    Title
    II. Kopsin Jonas
    Duration
    01:43
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Paavali Jumppanen
  15. 15 Jacob Konni 01:40
    Track
    15
    Title
    Jacob Konni
    Duration
    01:40
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  16. 16 III. Jacob Konni 01:30
    Track
    16
    Title
    III. Jacob Konni
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Paavali Jumppanen
  17. 17 Klockar Samuel Dikstrom 02:24
    Track
    17
    Title
    Klockar Samuel Dikstrom
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  18. 18 IV. Klockar Samuel Dikstrom 01:06
    Track
    18
    Title
    IV. Klockar Samuel Dikstrom
    Duration
    01:06
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Paavali Jumppanen
  19. 19 Pirun polska 02:12
    Track
    19
    Title
    Pirun polska
    Duration
    02:12
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  20. 20 V. Pirun Polska 01:32
    Track
    20
    Title
    V. Pirun Polska
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Paavali Jumppanen
  21. 21 Hypyt 00:55
    Track
    21
    Title
    Hypyt
    Duration
    00:55
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Pekka Kuusisto
  22. 22 VI. Hypyt 00:55
    Track
    22
    Title
    VI. Hypyt
    Duration
    00:55
    Composer
    Einojuhani Rautavaara
    Performer
    Paavali Jumppanen