Einojuhani Rautavaara

Review: The vocal movements may be performed a cappella. Similarily, the Meditations may be performed as a suite for strings.

40339b | Songbook $12.95 | SSAA

Review: This Christmas carol, commissioned by the Finnish broadcasting company Yle and first performed in Helsinki by Helsinki Chamber Choir, conducted by Nils Schweckendiek, is based on three texts, two by William Shakespeare and one by George Wither. The largely homophonic textures combine with Rautavaara's characteristically rich and often chromatic harmonies to form a very effective and satisfying work, a bit different from the usual Christmas offering.

7811b | Songbook $5.50 | SAATTBB Christmas World Music Arrangements

Review: The Lorca suite is probably Rautavaara's most popular choral work. The combination of Lorca's poetry and the soaring melodic lines of the music make it a true pearl of contemporary choral literature. Rautavaara has injected each of the four movements of the suite with its own unmistakable character. Text: Federico Garcia Lorca (Spanish/Finnish), duration: 7 minutes.

Songlist: Suite de Lorca

7443b | Songbook $16.95 | SSAA Northern European Choral Arrangements

Review: The First Runo is unusual in that it is a setting of part of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, in an English translation rather than the original Finnish. Rautavaara has chosen the very first poem of the Kalevala, which describes the creation of the world according to Finnish mythology. Rautavaara uses a shimmering vocal texture to paint an image of the primeval lake. Duration: 8 minutes.

Songlist: The First Runo

7444b | Songbook $16.25 | Treble SSAA Northern European Choral Arrangements

Review:

40332b | Songbook $65.95 | SATB divisi

Review: This double CD comprises Einojuhani Rautavaara's complete music for male choir - one of the most popular genres in the Finnish cult composer's artistic output. The two featured ensembles are YL Male Voice Choir (Helsinki University Choir), one of the world's most prominent male voice choirs and the prominent commissioner and dedicatee of most of Rautavaara's (and also Jean Sibelius's) works for male choir, and the Talla Vocal Ensemble, a smaller group of 10 singers originally founded within the YL Choir. 2 CDs; booklet with liner notes in English and Finnish and the sung lyrics in the original language and in English.

Songlist: Lauluja (The Singer) (1956), Syksy virran suussa (Autumn at the Rivermouth), Two Preludes of T.S. Eliot, I. Winter Evening, II. The Morning Comes, Kaksi psalmia (Two Psalms) for male choir, 23, 130, Ave Maria, Joulun virsi (Christmas Hymn) for male choir, Elaman kirja (A Book of Life), I. Kindheit (Childhood), II. Ma boheme (My Bohemian life), III. L'Amoureuse (One in love), IV. Vanitas! Vanitatum vanitas, V. Hope is the Thing with Feathers, VI. Are You Ready?, VII. Huojuva keula (The swaying prow), VIII. Le Bain (Swimming), IX. Me emme kuole koskaan (We shall never die), X. Sa var det (So it was), XI. Song of Myself

4259c | 2 CDs $17.95 Men's Choirs CDs