Music Finland Core

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About the title:I composed Music for "Old Europe" during an intensive work period between January-April 2003. The title reflects the issues that occupied my mind during the time of that compositional process. When I was not writing music, I would switch tv or radio on and witness the cynical and profound preparation of a massive war operation for the sake of securing financial benefits of some of the world's riches countries. As the concepts of "old and new Europe" were introduced to public debate, I wanted to name my piece as a comment to that debate. As my home country politically neither represents "old" nor "new" Europe, I could choose my side without presumptions. The choice was, however, obvious and clear. Premiered at the very heart of Europe (Austria, Klangspuren Schwaz 2003 Festival), the piece serves as a homage for "Old Europe" and it values, which have made it possible for contemporary, creative arts to exist as independent form of expression. That's something worth naming a piece for, wouldn't it?About the music:Music for "Old Europe" is a piece for a 24-piece wind orchestra, supplied with a glockenspiel. The compositional approach for a wind orchestra is chamber musical. Every instrument has an independent part and there is a relatively small amount of dubblings involved in the writing - most of the time each instrument plays its independent part. This results a flow of music where gradual changes of harmony play an essential part. In this sense, the piece is counter pointal all the way through. Harmonically, the piece consists of two completely different kinds of "Satz" types; the first one belonging to modernistic, atonal, tradition and the second being modal in its nature. Creating a way to have a smooth transitions between these two totally different Satz types was the main structural concern in composing this piece. This was realized by using roughly a structure of A-B-A, where "A" refers to atonal harmonic climate and "B" to modal harmony. In the modal passage the bassoon's and english horn's beautiful duet is accompanied by stable harmony from the rest of the ensemble. The duet, placed in the middle of the piece, utilizes and develops melodic motives introduced in the beginning. As the modal harmony is gradually changed back towards atonal texture, the melodic motives are treated in the boarder scale and used in counter pointal way. The finale is in a passacaglia form, the intensity being grown to the point where ending a piece becomes an obvious conclusion.© Olli Virtaperko

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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