Music Finland Core

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Prisma is a voyage of discovery in the music of today through the works of the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. It is one of the first CD-ROMs devoted to contemporary music, throwing light on the way the works came to be composed from the perspective of both the musician and the listener. It is simultaneously innovative, entertaining and educational, and it gives even the listener with no previous acquaintance with music a greater insight into the process of composition.

Prisma gives the individual user a deep insight into the distinctive world of Kaija Saariaho. Like a spectrum, it is divided into different-coloured sections, in each of which the user can listen to her music, read about her and her works, learn about her use of the computer in music and her computer-aided analysis of sound. This is the pedagogical aspect. Also included is a gallery of works such as paintings, films and poems that have influenced the composer. The most interactive section of the CD-ROM is a composition game.

Prisma is a mixture of cognitive and empirical elements, an entertaining journey and an intellectual challenge. The content was planned by composer Jean-Baptiste Barrière and the visual environment by Raija Malka. The flautist Camilla Hoitenga and cellist Anssi Karttunen also took an active part in its production and perform on the disc.

The CD-ROM is further accompanied by a separate disc of music by Saariaho performed by Dawn Upshaw, Camilla Hoitenga, Florent Jodelet and Anssi Karttunen. Prisma is available in English and French versions and was produced as an international joint venture that received funds from the EU Kaleidoscope programme in 1996.

Prisma was produced by the Finnish Music Information Centre (Helsinki), IRCAM (Paris) and Chester Music Ltd. (London) and published by WSOY.

© Pekka Hako, 1999
© translated by Susan Sinisalo
(press release, December 20, 1999)

Prisma on matka aikamme musiikkiin Kaija Saariahon sävellysten kautta. Se on yksi ensimmäisistä aikamme musiikille omistetuista cd-romeista, joka selvittää sävellysten syntyprosessia yhtä hyvin muusikon kuin kuuntelijan näkökulmasta. Prisma on yhtä aikaa luova, leikkisä ja pedagoginen, ja se antaa mahdollisuuden rikastaa luomisprosessin ymmärtämistä ilman aikaisempaa musiikin tuntemusta.

Prisma on spektrin tavoin jaettu erivärisiin lohkoihin, joissa voi kuunnella Saariahon musiikkia, tutustua teosten taustoihin ja säveltäjän henkilöhistoriaan, syventyä tietokoneen käyttöön Saariahon musiikissa ja säveltäjän tapaan analysoida tietokoneavusteisesti ääntä. Osana cd-romia on "galleria", jossa on kokoelma Saariahoon vaikuttaneita muiden taiteenalojen teoksia (maalauksia, filmejä, runoja). Prisman interaktiivisin osio on sävellyspeli.

Prismassa yhdistyvät vahva tiedollinen puoli ja elämyksellisyys. Se on käyttäjälle yhtä aikaa viihdyttävä matka ja älyllinen haaste.

Prisman sisällön on suunnitellut säveltäjä Jean-Baptiste Barrière ja visuaalisen maailman taiteilija Raija Malka. Prisman tekemiseen ovat aktiivisesti osallistuneet myös huilisti Camilla Hoitenga ja sellisti Anssi Karttunen, jotka myös esiintyvät Prismassa.

Prisma sisältää myös erillisen cd-levyn, jolla Dawn Upshaw, Camilla Hoitenga, Florent Jodelet ja Anssi Karttunen esittävät Saariahon musiikkia.

Prisma julkaistaan sekä englannin- että ranskankielisenä versiona. Prisma on toteutettu kansainvälisenä yhteistyönä, ja se sai tukea EU:n Kaleidoskooppi-ohjelmasta vuonna 1996.

Julkaisijat: Suomalaisen musiikin tiedotuskeskus (Helsinki), Ircam (Pariisi), Chester Music Ltd. (Lontoo)
Kustantaja: WSOY

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