Music Finland Core

* Title

Additional title

Description

Only few people ever experience the Ferguson reflex, and they 
are all women. But those who do are sure to remember its magical 
strength for ever. I described that enormous surge to my husband as the 
rapids of life I had to shoot – as a precipice over which I was pushed; 
and in the process I realised how little I knew about the strength of 
the human body. This physical command, also known as the foetal ejection
 reflex and performed without conscious thought, shot our son out of my 
womb and into our arms in the space of two minutes. The Rapids of Life
 is a work about that paramount moment, about a female’s instinctive 
birth-giving and a little child of nature who opens his eyes for the 
first time. The form of the work imitates the physiological delivery and
 its different stages, carried along by the ever-shifting waves.While I was composing the piece, the news reached me of the death of <a href="https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/composer/1350/Kaija-Saariaho/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kaija Saariaho</a>,
 a great composer and a person who was very important to me. The 
composition began to reflect her as a person; a little flash of her 
cello concerto slipped into the cello solo at the beginning, and many of
 the instruments that meant a lot to her appeared to bear the flame of 
life along. The piece ends with birth and a great new beginning. This 
latter is reinforced by the reference in the low brass on the final 
stages of the score to the first bar of Sibelius’s fourth symphony.The Rapids of Life is dedicated to the memory of Kaija Saariaho.- Outi Tarkiainen

Year of composing

Arranger

Movements

Availability

Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin