Salmenhaara, Erkki (Olavi)

Salmenhaara, Erkki (Olavi) , Finnish composer and musicologist; b. Helsinki, March 12, 1941. He studied composition with Kokkonen at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (diploma, 1963). Following further training from Ligeti in Vienna (1963), he studied musicology with Tawaststjerna at the Univ. of Helsinki (Ph.D., 1970, with a diss. on the music of Ligeti). In 1963 he joined the faculty there, serving as prof. of musicology from 1975 until 1999. From 1963 to 1973 he was a music critic for the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. He served as chairman of the Soc. of Finnish Composers from 1974 to 1976 and of the Assn. of Finnish Sym. Orchs. from 1974 to 1978. Salmenhaara has publ. or ed. some 20 books on music theory and history, including monographs on Ligeti and the Brahms syms., and biographies of Sibelius and Madetoja. He also wrote the survey on the era from Romanticism to World War II in the 4-vol. history of Finnish music (1995–96). After a radical avant-garde period in the early 1960s, Salmenhaara turned toward a neo-tonal style of composition.

Works

DRAMATIC : Opera: Portugalin nainen (The Portuguese Woman; 1970–72; Helsinki, Feb. 4, 1976). ORCH .: 5 syms.: No. 1, Crescendi (1962; Helsinkijan. 11, 1963; rev. 1963), No. 2 (1963; Helsinki, Jan. 17, 1964; rev. 1966), No. 3 (Turku, Dec. 5, 1963; rev. 1964), No. 4, Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita (1971–72; Helsinki, Oct. 13, 1972), and No. 5, “Lintukoto” (Isle of Bliss) for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch., after Aleksis Kivi (1989; Helsinki, March 24, 1990); Le bateau livre (Helsinki, June 1, 1965; rev. 1966); Suomi—Finland (1966; Helsinki, Oct. 31, 1967); La fille en mini-jupe (1967; Helsinki, Feb. 13, 1968); Canzonetta per archi (1971; Savonlinna, July 10, 1972); Illuminations (1971); Horn Concerto (1973; Oslo, Oct. 3, 1974); Canzona per piccola orchestra (Kuopio, July 26, 1974); Poema for Violin or Viola or Cello and String Orch. (1975; Graz, May 28, 1976); Introduction and Chorale for Organ and Orch. (1978; Helsinki, Dec. 1, 1979); Lamento per orchestra d’archi (Kokkola, Aug. 26, 1979); Concerto for 2 Violins and Orch. (1980; Finnish Radio, Jan. 18, 1988); Adagio for Oboe and Strings (1981; Porvoo, June 13, 1982; also for Oboe and Piano or Organ); Adagietto (1981; Finnish Radio, Dec. 23, 1982); Cello Concerto (1983–87; Lahti, March 24, 1988); Sinfonietta per archi (1985; Kokkola, Feb. 16, 1986); Elegy V for Strings (Paris, Dec. 13, 1995). chamber:Adagio for Violin or Cello and Piano (Helsinki, May 1960; from the first Cello Sonata); 2 cello sonatas: No. 1 (Helsinki, May 1960; rev. 1969) and No. 2 (1982; Helsinki, June 26, 1986); Elegy I for 3 Flutes, 2 Trumpets, and Double Bass (1963; Finnish TV, May 23, 1964), II for 2 String Quartets (1963; Helsinki, May 8, 1964), III for Cello (1965; Helsinki, Feb. 20, 1966), and IV for Viola (Helsinki, Nov. 1, 1967); Wind Quintet (Hässelby, Sweden, Aug. 28, 1964); Prelude, Pop Tune and Fugue for Flute (1967; Stockholm, March 31, 1968); Trois scènes de nuit for Violin and Piano (Stockholm, April 11, 1970); And the Fire and the Rose are One for 2 Violins (1971; London, Jan. 17, 1972); Leggenda for Harp (1971; Helsinki, March 5, 1972); Quartet for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1971; Copenhagen, Feb. 1972); Sonatine for 2 Violins (1972; Amsterdam, Jan. 31, 1973); String Quartet No. 1 (1977; Jyväskylä, June 29, 1978); Sonatine for Flute and Guitar (1981; Helsinki, May 26, 1986); Ballade for Harp or Kantele (1981; first perf. on 2 kanteles, Helsinki, May 14, 1983); Inventio for Kantele or Harp (1981); Violin Sonata (1982; Finnish Radio, Sept. 11, 1983); Suite for Accordion (Ikaalinen, June 12, 1983); Introduction and Allegro for Clarinet or Viola, Cello, and Piano (1985; Turku, Oct. 12, 1990); 2 bagatelles: No. 1 for Flute and Harp (1989; Helsinki, Nov. 13, 1990) and No. 2 for Flute and Harp or Piano (Helsinki, Dec. 8, 1991); Sarja puhaltmille (Suite for Winds) for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1995). keyboard: Piano : 17 Small Pieces (1957–60); 4 sonatas: No. 1 (1965–66), No. 2 (Hässelby, Sweden, Sept. 30, 1973), No. 3 (1975; Helsinki, Oct. 13, 1976), and No. 4 (1980; Finnish Radio, July 13, 1982); Kocab (Helsinki, Nov. 5, 1972); Thème and variations sur le nom Erik Tawaststjerna (1976; Kuopio, Feb. 11, 1977); Sonatine (Helsinki, Oct. 22, 1979); Little Suite (1980). Organ: Toccata (Weimar, Oct. 21, 1965); Prelude—Interlude—Postlude (1969); Ricercata (1971; Lahti, Aug. 9, 1977); Introduction and Toccata (1985; Helsinki, April 9, 1986). Harpsichord: Etude (Helsinki, Feb. 16, 1969). VOCAL: 3 Japanese Songs for Voice and Piano (1960; rev. 1964; Helsinki, May 21, 1966); Lenore, song cycle for Mezzo-soprano or Baritone and Piano (1962–64; Helsinki, March 21, 1965); Kuun kasvot (The Face of the Moon), song cycle for Chorus (1964); Requiem profanum for Soprano, Alto, Baritone, Organ, Piano, and String Orch. (1968–69; Helsinki, May 24, 1969); Syyskuu Romaniassa (Autumn in Romania), song cycle for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (Helsinki, Sept. 21, 1970); Satumaisessa metsässä (In a Fairytale Forest), song cycle for Soprano and Piano (Helsinki, Oct. 27, 1974); Missa profana for Chorus (Tampere, June 3, 1977); Selene, song cycle for Baritone and Piano (1977; Finnish Radio, Oct. 25, 1978); Ruususolmu (The Rose Knot) for Chorus (1988; Joensuu, March 30, 1989); Senteniae Trimalchionis for Chorus (1991; Helsinki, May 9, 1992); Neljä Mustapään laulua (Four Songs to Words by Mustapää) for Soprano and Piano (1995; Finnish Radio, May 17, 1996); other choral pieces and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire