Magnus Lindberg
(b.1958) www.boosey.com/composer/Magnus+Lindberg
was born in Helsinki and studied composition at the Sibelius Academy with Einojuhani
Rautavaara and Paavo Heininen. The latter encouraged his pupils to look beyond
the prevailing Finnish conservative and nationalist aesthetics and to explore
the works of the European avant-garde. 1980 saw the founding of the Ears Open
Society which aimed to encourage a greater awareness of modernism and included
members such as Lindberg, Eero Hämeeniemi, Jouni Kaipainen, Kaija Saariaho and Esa-Pekka
Salonen. In 1981, Lindberg went to Paris to study with Vinko Globokar and Gérard
Grisey. Other contacts around this time were Brian Ferneyhough, Helmut Lachenmann
and York Höller.
He made his breakthrough with two large-scale works, Action-Situation-Signification (1982) and
Kraft (1983-85) but, during the late
1980s, his music transformed itself towards a new modernist classicism in which
harmony, rhythm, counterpoint and melody received a fresh interpretation. This brought forth works such as Kinetics (1988), Marea (1989-90), Joy
(1989-90), Aura (1993-94) and Arena (1994-95).
Compositions such as Fresco (1997), Cantigas (1999),
Concerto for Orchestra (2002-3), Sculpture (2005) and Era (2012) along with concertos
for clarinet (2002), violin (2006) and two for cello (1999 and 2013) have
confirmed him as one of Finland’s finest composers.
Lindberg was Composer-in-Residence of the New York Philharmonic
between 2009 and 2012 with new works including the concert-opener EXPO
premiered to launch Alan Gilbert's tenure as the orchestra's Music Director, Al
Largo for orchestra, Souvenir for ensemble and Piano Concerto No.2 premiered by
Yefim Bronfman in 2012. He was appointed Composer in Residence with the London
Philharmonic Orchestra for three years from the 2014/15 season with commissions
including a second violin concerto for Frank Peter Zimmermann.
Three of the works
mentioned above, Al Largo, Cello Concerto No.2 and Era have been recorded by Ondine www.ondine.net with cellist
Anssi Karttunen www.karttunen.org and the
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra http://yle.fi/aihe/rso
conducted by Hannu Lintu www.hannulintu.fi
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| SACD ODE 1281-5 |
Though having no actual program, Al largo (2009-10) is an Italian phrase for being offshore. It was
premiered by Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic at New York’s Avery
Fisher Hall in 2010.
Brass open with a fanfare before the music broadens as
timpani and the rest of the orchestra add drama. Soon the strings bring a
surging passage before a piano is heard amongst lower textures of the orchestra
in a brooding section full of sustained tension. The music moves through
passages of lovely luminescence, full of terrific colours as it swirls forward.
The music often positively glows and there are moments of beautiful delicate
textures. There are passages of faster moving textures, leading to a number of
climaxes as this work brings its endless flow of creative ideas. Eventually
there is a moment of quieter calm as the strings bring a section of much beauty.
Little brass motifs rise out of the orchestral texture as
the drama returns. The piano brings a series of phrases that herald a passage
for oboe which playfully dances around a small string ensemble before the
orchestra rises to a dramatic peak pointed up by timpani. It builds through
some terrific bars, with timpani thundering out, to a climax before scurrying
strings lead to calmer waters. A little brass group bubbles up, joined by
woodwind as the translucence returns. The music builds to another climax, an
even more furious one before falling quieter as a broad theme arrives, moving
slowly through some very fine, shimmering string passages before a final outburst
rises and falls away to allow a wonderfully light textured coda.
This is a quite magnificent outpouring of ideas, fabulously
orchestrated. It is given a terrific performance by Hannu Lintu and his Finnish
players.
It was Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic that
premiered Lindberg’s Cello Concerto No.
2 (2013) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA in 2013 with
cellist Anssi Karttunen, the soloist on this recording.
I The solo cello opens
this work with a plaintive theme over a hushed orchestral layer, repeated by
various instruments as the orchestra expands the theme. The cello soon brings
rich textures over the lower strings, all the while gaining in power as the soloist
develops some very fine ideas. There are little bursts of sound from the cello,
reflected by the orchestra before rising through passages of increasing passion.
The cello finds moments of lovely textures over a rich orchestral backdrop.
There are pulses of sound from the orchestra as the cello continues to develop
the theme with moments of exquisite detail from the soloist. There are lovely harmonies
in a gorgeous moment towards the end of the movement when the soloist finds so
many fine textures and effects before moving into the second movement.
II Here the
soloist rhapsodises around the orchestra finding phrases higher in the cello’s
register to bring a feeling of great emotion. Lindberg uses brass to add a luminous
brilliance before a brilliant cadenza, no less full of fine harmonies, textures
and colours. The music increases steadily in tempo whilst finding many little
ideas before the orchestra bursts back in in a terrific moment, bubbling and
luminescent, with the cello re-joining to lead forward into the finale.
III The brass
sound out a theme, taken up by the cello, and soon find a rhythmic quality as
soloist and orchestra stride forward through passages of almost motoric force. Karttunen brings some marvellous fast and
furious phrases before falling into a broad melody, slowing as the cello takes
the melody over a lovely orchestral accompaniment, a lovely moment. The music
falls lower and richer before quizzical little rising and falling phrases for
cello lead to a peaceful coda.
Surely this fine work is one that cellists will want to take
up.
Era (2012) was
premiered by David Robertson and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at
Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw in 2013. Era refers to the period before the First
World War, this work reflecting the musical upheavals of that period.
Deep string phrases bring a dark opening before brass add
colour and the music tries to lighten. There is a feeling of intense
anticipation with fine textures and harmonies as the music tries to find a balance
between the darker drama and a brighter atmosphere. There are bursts of drama
as the music rises up, eventually finding a greater transparency of orchestral
sound. There are a myriad of instrumental ideas that scurry and flow through
the texture before another outburst of darker, forceful drama appears. The textures
lighten but the music rises powerfully again, though now with lighter textures.
Soon a rhythmic quality is found but the music continues to find variations of
the rising orchestral surges that have gone before. Later a rather romantic
version of the theme briefly surfaces through the textures of the orchestra. Tubular
bells add to the lighter textures and colours before the music finds even more
energy to rise dramatically. The rhythmic variation returns briefly with
pizzicato strings before a moment of calm arrives. However, the forward surge
cannot always be restrained, rising through further wonderful textures before a
passage of delicate beauty is found where Lindberg uses orchestral means of almost
chamber proportions. The music soon
rises up forcefully in a fine climax before flowing with a fine transparency
towards the coda. There are some stunning timpani strokes before the orchestra
finds hints of the opening darker textures and a powerful coda.
This is another remarkably fine work that brings a feeling
of tremendous organic growth.
This outstanding new release from Ondine should bring Magnus
Lindberg many new admirers. Ondine provides a very fine SACD recording from the
Helsinki Music Centre, Finland and there are excellent booklet notes by Finnish
music specialist Kimmo Korhonen.
See also:
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