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Five Words of Calvino (2008-2010) is a double concerto in five movements for cello, accordeon and symphony orhcestra. The concerto reflects the book Six Memos for the Next Millennium by Italo Calvino (1923-1985). Originally intended as a series of lectures for Charles Eliot Norton Lecures at Harvard, Six Memos deals with the values of literature Calvino considered essential to be conveyed to the 21th century. However, during the phase of preparing the lectures Calvino unexpectedly died, leaving the sixth lecture unfinished. However, first five lectures were completed and their titles – Lightness, Quickness, Exactitude, Visibility and Multiplicity – gave inspiration to the concerto by the means of providing titles to individual movements, as well as offering a fundamental concept to the entire work.A repetative theme in Calvino’s thinking throughout his whole career was the concept of lightness. Twelve years before his death Calvino wrote: "My working method has more often than not involved the subtraction of weight. I have tried to remove weight, sometimes from people, sometimes from heavenly bodies, sometimes from cities; above all I have tried to remove weight from the structure of stories and from language." In Six Memos Calvino continues exploring the topic – in fact, the book largely concentrates on poundering the contradiction between lightness and weight. This Calvino’s leitmotive also serves as a conceptual starting point for my composition. In the concerto the concept of lightness is highlited by the characteristical usage of natural harmonics in the cello solo part, as well as in the whole orchestral string section. The dicotomy lightness-weight is most faithfully presented in the fourth movement Lightness, in which the abundance of natural harmonics sublimes and rises solo cello to ethereal, weightless heights while static and heavy accordeon chords prevents the floating cello from escaping to the immateriality of musical infinity.A bit more than half-an-hour-long double concerto is divided in two major structural continuums. The first movement, Visibility, starts as a quiet duet for cello and accordeon, gradually growing into virtuotic and rich concerto texture that utilizes full orcherstral resourcs of the accompanying instruments. Seguing attacca to a swift second movement Quickness, the first half of the concerto ends with a furious climax. The spectral and strictly to natural-harmonics-scale-committed third movement Exacitude opens the latter part of the concerto. Through previously mentioned fourth monement – Lightness – the concerto reaches its final Multiplicity, in which both solo instruments are provided with separate solo cadenzas. After the last orchestral forte the music transfigures towards silence by the means of the soloists rising to their very highest register. Eventually, a soft bell-like low C from celesta and vibraphone closes the concerto to its end.Five Words of Calvino was commissioned by accordionist and composer Veli Kujala with the support from Finnish Arts Council and Sibelius Foundation of Finnish Society of Composers. The concerto was premiered by Timo-Veikko Valve (vc solo), Veli Kujala (acc solo) and Sinfonia Lahti (under Ari Rasilainen) at Sibelius Hall in Lahti, Finland, on 6 December 2011.Olli Virtaperko, May 2011

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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

Calvinon viisi sanaa