Music Finland Core

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In good rhetorical fashion one could ask whether Magnus Lindberg (b. 1958) has ever written a single traditional ‘melody’. The conventional order of melody, rhythm, and harmony does not seem to offer much of an entry into his composing technique or an understanding of his musical thinking. Perhaps it would be more suitable to borrow from another sphere the familiar trinity of ‘point, line, and field’, or even ‘Action—Situation—Signification’, which happens to be the title of a work he wrote for the Toimii Ensemble in 1982. For instance the concept of harmony can be applied to Lindberg’s music only if we understand it sufficiently broadly and include in it the qualities of a sounded mass: its graininess, density, and mobility. In Lindberg’s music harmony has been by and large given only a supporting role in the realizing of timbre-related aims.Ritratto for 18 instruments was finally completed in 1983, the product of a rather eventful composition process. The basis for the work was a 30' chamber concerto finished in 1980, which shrank to less than half its former length during the following three years. The working-up process involved shifting what was a sequence of consecutive events into a superimposed series of overlays. Condensing the material in this way changed the character of the piece, increasing the speed with which it proceeds. But the personal nature of the individual sections has here too been realized clearly and crisply. The overall shape of the work is phrased in unambiguous fashion.In Ritratto one can sense the same ideas which the composer has developed further and implemented in such later triumphant musical boulders as Sculpture II or Kraft.Magnus Lindberg has doubtless been conscious of the latent danger in titles for works (Ritratto means ‘portrait’). Is there something in this young composer’s chameleon of a work, which energertically dashes from one expressive extreme to the other and in places moves ahead like a turbocharged steamroller — is there something there that could make the listener wonder: self-portrait?© Lauri Otonkoski, 1988(From Finlandia Records FACD 365, 1988)Retoriseen tapaan voisi kysyä, onko Magnus Lindberg (s. 1958) koskaan kirjoittanut yhtään perinteistä ”melodiaa”. Melodian, rytmin ja harmonian kolmijako ei näytä antavan avaimia hänen sävellystekniikkansa ja musiikillisen ajattelunsa ymmärtämiseen. Paremmin tuntuisi sopivan muistakin yhteyksistä tuttu kolmikko ”piste–viiva–kenttä” tai ehkä jopa ”toiminta–merkitys” (vuonna 1982 valmistui Toimii-yhtyeelle tehty teos Action–Situation–Signification). Esimerkiksi harmonian käsite soveltuu Lindbergin musiikin yhteyteen vain jos ymmärrämme sen tarpeeksi laajasti ja sisällytämme siihen soivan massan kvaliteetin: sen rakeisuuden, tiheyden ja liikkuvuuden. Lindbergin musiikissa harmoniaa on alistettu pitkälti toteuttamaan sointiväriin liittyviä tavoitteita.Ritratto 18 soittimelle valmistui lopullisesti vuonna 1983 vaiherikkaan sävellysprosessin tuloksena. Teoksen pohjana on 1980 valmistunut kamarikonsertto, joka muokkausvaiheessa lyheni noin puoleen alkuperäisestä. Muokkaus merkitsikin asioiden kerrostamista. Materiaalin tiivistäminen muutti teoksen ilmeen nopeammin eteneväksi. Mutta taitteiden persoonallinen luonne on myös Ritrattossa toteutunut selkeästi. Teoksen kokonaismuoto jaksottuu yksiselitteiseen tapaan.Ritrattossa voi aistia samoja ideoita, joita säveltäjä on kehitellyt ja toteuttanut sellaisissa myöhemmissä voittoisissa järkäleissä kuin Sculpture II tai Kraft.Magnus Lindberg on epäilemättä tiedostanut teosotsikossa piilevän vaaran (Ritratto merkitsee muotokuvaa). Onko tässä ilmaisullisesta ääripisteestä toiseen energisesti kiiruhtavassa kameleontissa ja paikoin höyryjyrän vimmalla etenevässä nuoren säveltäjän luomuksessa jotakin, mikä oikeuttaa kuulijan aprikoimaan: omakuvako?© Lauri Otonkoski, 1988(Lähde: Finlandia Records FACD 365, 1988)To complete his diploma at the Sibelius Academy, Lindberg had composed a chamber concerto for 18 musicians. This thirty minute piece in six movements has never been performed, apart from one attempt by a provincial orchestra in Finland. Unkonwn until 1982, it reappeared during a series of concerts in Milan, Musica del nostro tempo. Lindberg reworked his concerto, condensing the material into thirteen minutes by superimposing the various sequences an rechristening the result Ritratto (Self-portrait), in one movement. Ritratto was the first of Lindberg's pieces to be played by the Ensemble Intercontemporain (on 27 Fabruary 1984, at the Théâtre du Rond-Point). The score, first published by Ricordi in Milan, was bought by the Finnish publisher Fazer Music [now Fennica Gehrman] in the early 90's.© Risto Nieminen, 1993translated by © Nick Le Quesne© Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993(From Magnus Lindberg, Helsinki 1996)Pour compléter son diplôme à l'académie Sibelius, Lindberg avait composé un concerto de chambre pour 18 musiciens. Cette pièce d'une demi-heure en six mouvements, écrite à deux reprises, n'a jamais été exécutée, si l'on excepte la tentative d'un orchestre provincial de Finlande. Délaissée jusqu'en 1982, elle réapparaît alors à l'occasion de la série de concerts milanais, Musica nel nostro tempo. Lindberg reprend son concerto, il condense le matériau en treize minutes par superposition des diverses séquences et rebaptise le résultat Ritratto (Autoportrait), en un mouvement. Ritratto fut la première pièce de Lindberg jouée par l'Ensemble InterContemporain (le 27 février 1984, au Théâtre du Rond-Point). La partition, d'abord publiée par Ricordi à Milan, fut rachetée par l'éditeur finlandais Fazer Music au début des années 90.© Risto Nieminen, 1993© Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993(From Magnus Lindberg, Ircam 1993)

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Movements

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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