Music Finland Core

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Oculus aquilae was my first major work for organ. The instrumental viewpoint was based on the idea of three virtuoso performers, each of which could in turn play any role from a cast of several characters — trio writing without much stability in the registration or motivic contents of each layer. The coloristic aspect, as well as further instrumental interest, was secondary — as so often in my work of that period — with the exception of some interplay with different colours meeting at the unison, or melodies with high overtone registration, where the unity of line will be split so that the overtones continue their melodic figure while the basic pitch remains on aholding note.The form does not really operate with, but shows reflection or refractions of, traditional polyphonic or variation types. The triptych has much in common with my later piano sonata Poesia squillante ed incandescente: the general structure and characterization of three panels, the density (= often rather massive), the time scale (= often rather long, slow climaxes into these massive corner stones); the sonata with its 40 minutes is still longer than the triptych.And what has the piece to do with St Thomas of Aquin? Honestly, nothing; it was only several years after composition that the pale title of Trittico was replaced with Oculus aquilae. But this title is not dishonest either. After reading Chesterton on St Thomas, I planned a vocal work on Aquinas fragments, com-bined with quotations from men of our time to repeat what the mo-dern man can learn from St Thomas; the whole to parallel the form of ordinarium missae. So, the music in itself is true, as is my self-identification with the motto quotations. Unfortunately, to claim that I do not admit any closer psychological parallelism between musical and verbal form, is not equally true — see my vocal work. (By the way, exactly the same thing passed in the case of my next set of organ pieces and their mottoes — from Rilke.)© Paavo Heininen, ca. 1974

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