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The starting point for the Tenth Symphony came with a concert given by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in February 1996, on the programme of which was Mozart’s Symphony no. 39. I noticed that in my own recent works I had not used a corresponding string texture, and I decided to write a symphonic work in which the violins would have plenty of opportunity to sing. I was further inspired by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, this time especially by its string sections, which I found to be in exceptional form.When starting work on a new composition, I always try to find a specific atmosphere that can serve as the point of departure for the music. The Tenth Symphony’s initial impulse was the warm mood of the fullness of life. This four-movement work begins with a cantabile melody which starts from the first three notes of Mozart’s Symphony no. 39. This theme is repeated on numerous occasions in the first movement (Allegro). The melody from the second trumpet, which moves within the span of a fifth, leads us towards more dramatic, conflict-ridden music. The first situation of tension is released in an oboe cadenza. The fairy-tale-like, jingling music takes the movement to a powerful climax, which is again resolved in a virtuoso cadenza for two clarinets. At the end of the movement we hear a slowed-down development of the main theme.The second movement (Prestissimo) is virtuosic, very fast and dramatic. In the middle of the movement, the wild progress is interrupted for a movement by a dreamy, romantic cello melody; and the unruly music once again calms down at the end in preparation for the third movement.In the broad third movement (Adagio) we find the dramatic nucleus of the Tenth Symphony. This movement too begins with a rather short, inexact quotation, from the middle of the third movement of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony. It is in the Adagio that the ‘decisive battle’ of the Tenth Symphony takes place; the content of the movement could be described as a very difficult but finally succesful ascent to the summit of a mountain. In the third movement, the solo trumpet player occasionally changes instrument to the treble trombone, and throughout the movement the first trombone player performs on an alto trombone.The symphony’s vivid finale (Vivacissimo) concludes this 46-minute work in an extrovert, thrilling manner. The finale also summarizes the most important musical material of the previous movements. The basic mood of the movement is thus bipartite: behind all the hustle and bustle one also perceives a conciousness of the transitory nature of life.© Kalevi Aho, 199610. sinfonian lähtökohtaidea syntyi eräässä Lahden kaupunginorkesterin konsertissa helmikuussa 1996, jossa ohjelmassa oli Mozartin 39. sinfonia. Huomasin, etten ollut omissa teoksissani käyttänyt vähään aikaan vastaavanlaista jousitekstuuria, ja päätin luoda sinfonisen teoksen, jossa viulut saisivat paljon laulaa. Lisää innoitusta sain Lahden kaupunginorkesterilta, tällä kertaa etenkin sen jousistolta, jonka tiedostin olevan erinomaisessa kunnossa.Uutta sävellystä aloittaessani etsin aina tiettyä tunnelmaa, joka voisi toimia sävellyksen lähtökohtana. 10. sinfoniassa tällaisena alkuvirikkeenä oli elämäntäyteyden lämmin tunnelma. Neliosainen teos alkaa laulavalla melodialla, joka lähtee liikkeelle Mozartin 39. sinfonian kolmesta ensimmäisestä sävelestä. Teema toistuu 1. osassa (Allegro) myöhemmin useaan otteeseen. 2. trumpetin melodia, joka liikkuu vain kvintin alueella, johdattaa kohti dramaattisempia, ristiriitaisempia tilanteita. Ensimmäinen konfliktitilanne laukeaa oboen kadenssiin. Sadunomaisesti helisevä musiikki johtaa osan väkevään huippukohtaan, joka laukeaa taas kahden klarinetin virtuoosiseen kadenssiin. Osan lopussa soi pääteeman kehitelmä vielä hidastettuna.Toinen osa (Prestissimo) on virtuoosinen, hyvin nopea ja dramaattinen. Osan keskivaiheilla hurja meno keskeytyy hetkeksi unelmoivaan, romanttiseen sellojen melodiaan, ja uudestaan villiintyvä musiikki rauhoittuu lopussa toisen kerran valmistellakseen motiivisesti 3. osaa.Laajassa kolmannessa osassa (Adagio) ollaan 10. sinfonian dramaattisessa ytimessä. Tämäkin osa alkaa aivan lyhyellä, epätarkalla sitaatilla, joka on peräisin Brucknerin 9. sinfonian 3. osan keskeltä. Adagiossa tapahtuu 10. sinfonian ’ratkaiseva taistelu’, osan sisältöä voisi kuvata hyvin vaikeaksi, mutta lopulta voitolliseksi nousuksi vuoren huipulle. Soolotrumpetisti vaihtaa 3. osassa instrumenttinsa paikoin sopraanopasuunaksi, ja ykköspasunisti soittaa koko tämän osan ajan alttopasuunaa.Sinfonian vauhdikas finaali (Vivacissimo) päättää 46 minuuttia kestävän teoksen ulospäin suuntautuneella, repäisevällä tavalla. Finaalissa luodaan samalla yhteenvetoa aikaisempien osien keskeisimmistä musiikillisista materiaaleista. Osan perustunnelma on silti kaksinainen – kaiken humun taustalla soi samalla tietoisuus elämän katoavaisuudesta.Olen omistanut 10. sinfonian vanhemmilleni.© Kalevi Aho, 1996

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

Symphony No. 10