Category: music composition

What a concert! What a night!

Last night the Academic Male Voice Choir Akademen together with their conductor Elisa Huovinen gave an outstanding world premiere to my piece Hav, which they had commissioned. Due to a movement in the piece, where the choir is required to clap and stomp, the choir sang the whole 17 minute accapella piece by heart! This in a time when covid-19 has made regular choir practises impossible for over 2 years! I was so impressed!

The whole concert took place in a former steam power plant Kattilahalli, which felt like a industrial cathedral (to borrow the music criticque Mats Liljeroos words).

Hav was one of three commissions by the choir around the theme renewable energies interwoven by preludes and interludes by soundartist Joel James Ward and the whole concert was visually orchestrated by light artist Alexander Salvesen. After Ward’s opening soundscape, Andrea Eklund’s meditative piece Aeon Breath to a poem by James Gilbank filled the domelike hall while the smoke lay heavy and the light scape was hazy. During Ward’s water-inspired interlude soundscape, while the choir re-essembled in the dark.

Out of the dim light and haze the intimate beginning of my Hav began to rise, while Salvesen made spectacular visual landscapes through enormous water projections of light upon the ceiling. Hav consists of a total of ten movements which are sung attack after each other. The first movement in Swedish is meditative and describes the sea and how tremendous it is while the second very energetic movement in English discusses the possibilities of wave power plants. Example of the lyrics of the second movement:

There is an enormous energy potential 

that is available around the clock and free of charge. 

A potential, that if fully exploited, 

could satisfy 40% of the world wide demand for power. 

This equals the output of 700-800 nuclear power stations. 

This would mean no high-level radio active vaste 

of seven hundred to eight hundred nuclear power stations. 

KRAFT 2022 Akademen Photo by Melinda Schultz

As mentioned, Salvesen had arranged a water basin of about two times 20 meters, with a small motor spinning a pedal that produced fantastic waves that all was reflected on the ceiling, so the energy potential of waves was literally projected on the ceiling and walls.

In the middle of the piece the choir sings partly in unison and partly in three part harmony with a happy melody in major with vibes from Finnish folk music, accompanied by claps and stomps, the following text in Finnish from the Finnish “Economist” (Taloussanomat), here translated:

Only the demand for renewable energy 

will grow this year, 

predicts the International Energy Agency IEA.

The global energy market and emissions

 from energy production 

will see a historic drop this year 

as a result of the coronary virus pandemic, 

the International Energy Agency IEA predicts.

The prognosis says  

that the energy demand 

is going to fall 

the most it has done in 70 years – 

Emissions could fall 

by as much as eight percent, 

the International Energy Agency IEA predicts.

KRAFT 2022 Akademen Photo by Melinda Schultz

After this lighter segment the choir is split up so that soloist came to stand between the choir and the water pool, each with an own lightbulb in front of them. While the choir breathes in and out at a rising tempo like a dying planet, the soloists recite a text about how Finnish firms developing Wave-power haven’t received the needed funding from the state (which somehow just seems incredible to me, and so sad). The ever growing crescendo and accelerando is interrupted by a foghorn, which is followed by some beautiful huge chords by the choir and a lamenting solo sung by one of the first tenors. The choir get’s to whistle and sing overtones as well. The piece ends with my words (in Swedish)

Today wave energy costs 

about twice as much per megawatt hour, 

than electricity produced by wind or nuclear power.

But what is the price for the survival of mankind, 

for the continued existence of our planet? I

magine if you were to invest as much i

n renewable energies as in Olkiluoto 3, almost nine billion. 

What would happen? Where can it take us?

Sea

Oceans

Energy potential

Sea

KRAFT 2022 Akademen Photo by Melinda Schultz

After my piece the hall went almost dark again and while Salvesen made an impressive visualsation of red radar lights moving around the space, Ward filled the space with a morse code telling about the piece and presenting the artists. During this time the choir could collect their note stands and sheet music for the final piece.

It felt like Alex Freeman’s A Field of Sunlight picked up where I had left, and the piece began with an amazing chord with overtone singing, which was absolutely stunning. The piece composed to Galileo Galilei’s poetical texts about the sun, was an all time changing mass of sound. 

KRAFT Alexander Salvesen Photo by Melinda Schultz

During this piece the amazing circular projections of water (projected by old overhead projectors) began to fill up with colours and turn blood red in the front (stage) part of the hall while they turned green and blue in the back part of the hall. A total of 8 overhead projectors were projecting different coloured orbs on to the ceiling and walls, while Salvesen walked calmly between them and adjusting the colours in them. The whole piece ended in semi-darkness with the feeling of rotating stars moving around the room. This was achieved by two simple disco balls placed relatively far behind in the room, a simple but genius work of art by Salvesen.

KRAFT 2022 Akademen Photo by Melinda Schultz

After the last tones of Freeman’s piece had rung out the audience was allowed to clap for the first time in 75 minutes, and clap they did! They audience gave the concert a standing ovation for about 10 minutes. This was an absolutely unforgettable experience, and its with mixed feelings I say: a once in a life time experience. Of course it would be amazing if this whole concert would be put up again, in for instance a festival! But there is also something very beautiful and special in being part of something so huge and visceral.

Joel Ward, Cecilia Damström, Alex Freeman, Andrea Eklund, Alexander Salvesen and Elisa Huovinen after the concert KRAFT 7th of May 2022 at Kattilahalli, Helsinki.

I have been so overwhelmed the past week since winning the Teosto Prize* from all the positive responses and wonderful greetings!

Also a big congratulations to the other three winners, Yona , Linda Fredriksson and Evil Stöö as well as to all the other amazing nominated composers!

Cecilia Damström with conductor Dalia Stasevska after ICE winning the Teosto Prize 2022

I would also like to give a huge thanks to my family and friends who have been there for me and have supported my choice to become a composer, in both good times and bad. Never once did my parents question my decision to become a composer, on the contrary: it was my mother who suggested I’d study composition in the first place, so an extra huge thank you to my dear mother, who suggested this path that has felt right ever since.

Teosto Prize Winners 2022. Photo Jussi Helttunen.

I’m very honoured, happy and proud to be the first woman within classical music to win the Teosto Prize (which has been handed out since 2003). However I would like to draw attention to the fact that I’m by no means the first woman who could have won the prize. I would like to thank all the amazing women within history who have composed amazing music and have been part of the slow transformation toward a more diverse cultural field. A special big shoutout to Kaija Saariaho who has inspired the whole world through her personal music. Looking forward to an even more diverse future within culture as well as in general!

*Teosto is the Finnish copyright organisation for music creators, composers, and publishers. The Teosto Prize is awarded since 2003 to “bold, original and innovative musical works” and it is one of the biggest art awards in the Nordic countries.

Biola Symphony Orchestra plays Beethoven pieces as well as a composition by interim conductor Elliott Bark.

The orchestra began to trickle onstage, taking their seats, and within moments arose the faint warm-up tunes of the strings, the brasses, the woodwinds and percussionists. It mixed with the murmurs of the audience, a quivering of excitement and anticipation in the air. The lights dimmed. The conductor, Dr. Elliott Bark, interim director of Biola Symphony Orchestra and adjunct professor of composition and conducting, took to the stage — and Beethoven’s music filled the air.

BEETHOVEN AND “REMINISCENCE”

Biola Symphony Orchestra performed three songs: Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture, Op. 84;” “Reminiscence,” by Dr. Bark himself; and “Symphony no. 7” by Beethoven. 

“Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is the most joyful and not too tricky,”  Bark said. “It is a very exciting and energetic [piece].” For Beethoven’s Overture, he said, “It’s a little bit different from [the] 7th Symphony … it has a lot of political [ideas] going on … it has a bit of a different story.”

With the energetic and fast-paced nature of Beethoven’s songs, Bark wondered how the orchestra would manage. Coming in as an interim conductor, he did not know what to expect. But Bark was very pleased to see how quickly the musicians progressed and could attain the liveliness of Beethoven’s pieces. 

“We focused a lot on the tempo,” Bark said. “The tempo we took [is almost] the same as Berlin or New York [Philharmonic] — it’s a very fast tempo, especially the fourth movement.”

Despite the initial challenges in rehearsal, Bark and Biola Symphony Orchestra achieved that spirited tempo performed at that night’s concert.

In addition to performing Beethoven’s dramatically energetic pieces, the orchestra also performed one of Bark’s own compositions titled “Reminiscence.” The gently-stirring and slow-moving song, a contrast to Beethoven’s pieces, was written during Bark’s days of studying composition. 

“Everybody was expected to write very complicated music, [and] more intellectual than emotional,” Bark said. “So I was writing something like that … but then I was tired of it.” He talked with his professor, relating his need to write something more emotionally driven. “He said ‘yeah, go for it,’” — and from his heart poured out “Reminiscence.” 

The song first premiered at Indiana University (where he attended) and later was performed in Finland, Brazil, Korea and several other locations worldwide.

THE JOY OF MUSIC

Magic flowed in the movements of the conductor. Energetic and spirited, mystical and enigmatic; his gestures pushed, pulled, swayed the music, like a current he could tug and release with supernatural power. A wild and frenzied rhythm lay in his left hand, and in his right he conjured with sweeping motion vigorous surges of power, turning and capturing the flow of music, transforming it to his will.

One of Bark’s greatest joys in his musical journey lies in performing at concerts with Christian musicians.

“An amazing conductor [can] come to New York Phil, and they can make, like, super amazing music, maybe the best music I’ve ever heard,” Bark said. “But will Christ be happy with that? I don’t know, I can’t tell … But then, when I work with the Biola Symphony [and] with the Christian youth orchestras, I can feel [that] God is glorified through it. It doesn’t matter what piece is played, whether it is Tchaikovsky or Beethoven. We’re doing everything for Christ’s glory.”

FUTURE TUNES

In the future, the orchestra plans to play some cheery, festive music for Biola’s Christmas concert in December, and next year they will perform with Biola Theater for the spring musical. Bark also hopes for the Biola Symphony Orchestra to perform some romantic-era pieces for the final concert of the year in April 2023.

The sound of clapping resounded in the auditorium after Biola Symphony Orchestra strung the final note. With a standing ovation, the audience applauded the orchestra and Dr. Elliott Bark, echoes following him as he bowed and exited the stage.

Within the canon of classical-music misfits, a formidable lineage including scruffy luminaries like Harry Partch, John Cage, and Lou Harrison, it’s possible no one has ever not belonged as fiercely, as pointedly—or, at this point, as famously—as Julius Eastman. A Black gay man with an astonishing array of musical gifts as a composer, singer, dancer, and pianist, Eastman gained admission to the prestigious Curtis Institute in 1959, five years before the passage of the Civil Rights Act and only nine years after Nina Simone herself had been rejected due to her race. Eastman spent the rest of his short, eventful life surfing turbulent sociopolitical cross-currents, earning a Grammy nomination in 1974 for his stunning vocal work on Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King while also performing his music at gay pride festivals, playing in jazz combos, and fighting against perpetual economic precarity. It was the kind of tortured duality out of which grand allegories are fashioned and dynamite biopics are made, but which mostly felt, for Eastman, like constant struggle: As anyone who knows Eastman’s name by now knows, he died homeless and alone at age 49 in a New York hospital.

Over the last decade or so, there has been a slow-dawning recognition of the singularity of Eastman’s voice, catalyzed by the restoration work done by composer Mary Jane Leach, without whom it’s conceivable Eastman’s music would still be forever lost, as well as committed patrons like Jace Clayton, aka DJ /rupture. In 2013, Clayton released a tribute album that concluded with a piece, called “Callback From the American Society of Eastman Supporters,” daring to imagine a world in which Eastman’s acolytes had grown so numerous they had to be turned away via a polite outgoing message (voiced, as it happens, by Arooj Aftab). It is both a testament to the efforts of people like Clayton and a bittersweet irony that, nearly a decade later, the world envisioned by “Callback” has been slowly taking shape, in the form of multi-part public radio tributes, studies, countless articles, and, most importantly, a fervent new crop of musicians, performers, and artists who found themselves enraptured by the spirit of Eastman’s music.

One such performer is Loraine James, a London-based experimental electronic musician and relative newcomer to Eastman’s music, a fact she writes about in a poignant Guardian editorial: “When the label Phantom Limb got in touch about me creating music inspired by the late New York avant garde composer and pianist Julius Eastman, I had barely heard of him,” she admits, noting that even with a modern-day syllabus that touched on his peers, “it felt like there was effort made to leave him out.”

George Harrison and his bandmates in The Beatles couldn’t read or write music. That might surprise some, considering the group is famous for musical masterpieces like “A Day In The Life” and “Something.” However, they just didn’t learn how to play their instruments by reading and writing notes. John Lennon, whose first instrument was the banjo, didn’t even know that a guitar had six strings when he first met George.

George didn’t think he needed to know music composition. When a tune popped into his head, he had to record it quickly, and he didn’t mind that process.

Paul McCartney on why The Beatles didn’t know how to read or write music

During a 2018 interview on 60 Minutes (per Global News), Paul McCartney explained that he didn’t know how to read or write music.

“I don’t see music as dots on a page,” Paul said. “It’s something in my head that goes on. None of us did in the Beatles. We did some good stuff though. But none of it was written down by us. It’s basically notation. That’s the bit I can’t do.”

The Beatles only had to worry about their lyrics. They wrote a song anywhere, any time. Then they brought their songs into the studio, where the band was ready to put some music behind the lyrics. So, it makes sense that George, Paul, John, and Ringo didn’t need to know how to write or read music.

RELATED: George Harrison Said His Ego Would Rather Have Eric Clapton Play on ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’

George Harrison said he had to keep music in his head because he couldn’t write it down

George had a simple songwriting process. If he came up with a melody or lyrics for a song, he stored it all in his head until he got to a recording studio.

During a 1971 interview on The Dick Cavett Show (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), Dick Cavett asked George if he could read and write music. He said he didn’t.

The host asked, “Then, when you say write, if you have a tune that hits you how do you get it down?” George replied, “Just keep it in your head, you know. Just work it out on the piano or on the guitar.”

Cavett asked, “But then do you tape it, or what preserves it?” George explained, “Sometimes, sometimes put it on tape but usually you can remember it in your head, if you don’t. I wrote the words down and remember the tune in my head.”

George was OK with waiting until he could record or play something on an instrument.

RELATED: George Harrison Released ‘My Sweet Lord’ Because He Was Sick of ‘Young People Just Boogying Around, Wasting Their Lives’

George didn’t wish he’d studied music composition

For George, reading and writing music wasn’t necessary. Cavett asked the “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” singer, “Do you wish you had studied composition?” He replied, “No.”

Then, he admitted it might be cheaper. “Well, maybe, maybe it would help somewhere,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t have to pay a copyist.” Cavett asked if George missed it. He replied no again.

“Because it’s not really sort of music you know,” George explained. “It’s like, uh—I mean, there’s a difference between people who write music, and classical things, and big arrangements, to the sort of thing I do. It’s just really, it’s very simple.”

Whatever George’s process was, we still got hit after hit.

RELATED: George Harrison Thought Eric Clapton Looked Lonely When They Met at a Lovin’ Spoonful Show, but Clapton Thinks George Envied Him

THE North East of Victoria is home to a plethora of highly creative people who have showcased their art, stories or music locally, across Australia and all over the world.

Talented composer and classically trained pianist Emili Rackemann is one such artist who has nine albums and more than 140 compositions to her credit.

Emili grew up on a 25,000 acre cattle property in central Queensland, but has now called Bright home for a little over a decade.

“The cattle property was near Marlborough although I moved to South East Queensland upon being accepted into the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University in Southbank (Brisbane),” Emili said.

“I studied a Bachelor of Music in classical performance at the Conservatorium after finishing my Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) grades in classical piano.”

Having grown up in a rural environment, Emili finds being surrounded by the natural world inspiring.

“It allows me the space to be creative and, given I am quite sensitive to energy, I enjoy a lot of solitude along with the natural surroundings that this valley offers.

“Nature always provides space for the imagination which I absolutely love.”

Emili’s musical career opportunities brought her (much) further south to Melbourne before she and her husband relocated to Bright in 2011 where she continues to compose her own music, study and teach.

“I teach piano and music composition privately to 32 students and in 2018 I decided to return to university to study Music Technology to expand my skills in music production,” Emili said.

“Once I have completed that course, I will continue on to study a PhD in Music Composition through the University of New England.”

Emili also has a strong interest in vibrational therapy and recently completed a Diploma in Sound Therapy.

“I find this modality is complimentary to composition and performance, in that it enables me to fulfil my interest in the wellness industry while also working with sound in a very unique and powerful way,” she said.

In 2021, Emili was a Top 10 Finalist in the Cum Laude Music Awards (Spain) for solo piano composition and received an Honourable mention out of 94 Australian composers for her original classical piano composition ‘Dance of Telestas’ in Composing the Future, which was part of the Sydney International Piano Competition.

In May this year, the world premiere of Emili’s harp solo composition ‘Solstice in Spain’ was performed during the International Composers Festival (UK) by Huw Boucher, a student at the Royal Academy of Music in London who also studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama department.

Although Emili is classically trained as a pianist, she works with a vast selection of instruments and programs, particularly when composing film music.

“I am currently composing my new classical piano album although over the last 18 months I worked on the release of my recent album called Meraki.

“In addition to composition, I’ve also been working on producing an electronic music album under the name Persia Grey which has been a great outlet for songwriting.

“While I love classical, I equally love electronic and dance music.

“Musical genres are all interconnected in many ways, despite ‘sounding’ worlds apart.”

Emili said she doesn’t have a particular favourite piece she has written given that each composition tells its own story.

“I appreciate them all, but that said, perhaps the favourite of the month is ‘Dance Of Telestas’, given the time and creative energy it took to compose and record.”

“It’s very classical which I love.”

Dance Of Telestas is more than nine minutes long and is an excellent example of a classical piece starting off at a joyous pace with expertly quick finger work before slowing as though leading you into the calm before the storm; with melodic and gentle toning.

As the deep notes combine perfectly with higher ones, you will feel them squarely in your chest or stomach; a sense of sorrow or reflection making you stop and really listen, think and wonder at where your emotions will be taken next.

With the almost frantic return of pace, dancing up and down the scales, it is hard to catch your breath, although Emili brings you to the end of the journey with a wish that there was another nine minutes of wonder to enjoy.

While Emili’s focus over the next 18 months will be on her upcoming album releases and expanding her catalogues ready for when opportunities arise in film, she will be holding a number of recitals in the North East later in 2023.

“Given a lot of time goes into composition, teaching and studies, I will mainly be focused on those things, however I do plan to do another regional tour in 2024 after the recitals late next year.”

To keep up to date with the recitals, tour and what else Emili is up to, you can visit her website at www.emilirackemann.com or follow her on social media at @emilirackemann on Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud.

Additionally, you can view the Solstice in Spain performance at youtube.com/watch?v=aGxGhVDNMvw, listen to Meraki on Spotify at open.spotify.com/album/5GnYlH9ZrIxaH6pFZTEHXO or listen to Dance Of Telestas at soundcloud.com/emilirackemann/dance–of–telestas.

Just spent 25 hours in Kesälahti at the music festival Latosoitot! The 25 hours included three concerts (one this morning at 7AM!), swimming in a lake (three times!), sauna (two different kinds!) and the world premiere of Cura by the one and only Pekka Kuusisto and Tiina Karakorpi! Thank you to Anna-Liina Lindeberg for an amazing festival and to all her family for superb food, historical tours and heartwarming hospitality! These are moments when you know you are alive!

peter vaskThe piano from 1910 which works with a piano roll. Almost like a “disc clavier” but completely without electricity, but with the power of feet.

A still of the piano on which Cura was premiered.

One of the first bibles in Finland!

With two of my favourite musicians.

Selling amazing porridge and coffee at 7AM at Latosoitot. (The porridge was included in the ticket price! And it was one of the best porridges I have ever eaten!)

All the musicians who performed at 7:00 AM at Latosoitot.

Pekka and Tiina performing Clara Schumann at Latosoitot.

Markus Hohti performing at 7:00 AM some Peteris Vasks and Anna Meredith at the barn of Latosoitot on the 10th of July 2022

With Leena and Antti Ihamuotila after the premiere of Cura 9.7.2022.

Pekka and Tiina giving the world premiere of Cura at Mäntyniemen kartano 9.7.2022

Pekka and Tiina giving the world premiere of Cura 9 July 2022

Talking about Cura to a sold out audience before the premiere 9 July 2022.