Music Finland Core

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Floof is music charged with rhythmic energy and punch made dizzy by its own speed. Salonen was inspired to write this virtuosic and bustling work on reading the book The Cyberiad by the Polish sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem. What particularly interested him in the story was the attempt by the inventor Trurl to develop a poetry machine. Salonen has said of his work: "Songs of a Homeostatic Homer is the story of a machine that learns to be a poet: the onomatopoetic becomes poetic. The machine coughs and hawks and splutters, and once set in motion, it never works for long without getting all mixed up - a good kick helps the electrotroubadour just like any other domestic appliance."© Brochure of the International Rostrum of Composerts 1992Chargé d’énergie rythmique et spirituelle, Floof évolue avec émerveillement. Pour écrire cette oeuvre de virtuosité et extrêmement vivante, Salonen s’est inspiré du livre de science-fiction de l’écrivain polonais Stanislaw Lem, Le Cybériade, et en particulier d’un ses personnages, Trurl, qui s’emploie à inventer une machine à poèmes. “Chants d’un Homère homéostatique est l’histoire d’une machine qui devient poète”, note Salonen à propos de son oeuvre. “L’onomatopée se transforme en poésie. La machine toussote et crachote, et une fois mise en marche, ne fonctionne jamais longtemps sans cafouiller - un bon coup de pied fait repartir ce troubadour électronique de la même manière qui n’importe quel robot ménager.”© Brochure of the International Rostrum of Composerts 1992The dearest contrast to suave elegance in Salonen's music is broad humour. One of its most irresistible and striking manifestations is Floof (Songs of a Homeostatic Homer, 1988) for soprano and chamber ensemble. The distinguished annual UNESCO composer rostrum in Paris voted it the winning work in 1992. The text is from The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem.Floof is rhythmic and energetic, often brittle and consciously coarse, with none of the elegance of, say, Mimo II. The soprano soloist must be not just a virtuoso but also wild enough - and perhaps slightly insane enough - to plunge into the absurd world of the work. [...]© Kimmo Korhonen 1999(tranlated by © Jaakko Mäntyjärvi)(From Finlandia CD 3984-23409-2, 1999)Hioutuneen eleganssin selkein vastapaino Salosen musiikissa on räväkkä huumori, ja yksi tämän huumorin vastustamattomimmista ja iskevimmistä ilmentymistä on sopraanolle ja kamariyhtyeelle sävelletty Floof (Songs of a Homeostatic Homer) (1988). UNESCOn arvostettu vuosittainen säveltäjärostrum Pariisissa valitsi sen äänestysvoittajakseen vuonna 1992. Tekstin Salonen on valinnut Stanislaw Lemin kirjasta The Cyberiad.Floof on rytmisesti energistä ja usein sointiasultaan särmikästä ja tietoisen karkeata musiikkia, josta on turha etsiä esimerkiksi Mimo II:n eleganssia. Sopraanosolistilta vaaditaan paitsi virtuoosisuutta myös hurjuutta - ja ehkä ripaus hulluuttakin - heittäytyä teoksen absurdiin maailmaan. Salonen on kommentoinut teosta seuraavasti: “Homeostaattisen Homeroksen lauluja on tarina koneesta, joka oppii runoilijaksi: onomatopoetiikasta tulee poetikkaa. Kone yskii, rykii ja räkii eikä ikinä käynnistyttyään toimi kauaa sekoamatta - napakka potku auttaa elektrotrubaduuriin siinä missä muihinkin kodinkoneisiin."© Kimmo Korhonen 1999(From Finlandia CD 3984-23409-2, 1999)

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