Music Finland Core

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Centralia is a town in Pennsylvania that is known for its coal mines and anthracite coal production. The city is situated on top of old abandoned coal mines and between many operating coal mines. In 1962 a fire broke out in a mine nearby. Little by little, the fire spread through to the labyrinth of mines just underneath the city. Toxic smoke began seeping through holes in the ground.People began feeling ill because of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide seeping to their homes. Monitors were installed to prevent people from suffocating in their sleep. A total of 41.7 million dollars of federal and state funds were spent to extinguish the fire and repair the situation, with no results but relocating all residents 22 years later in 1984. The fire continues to burn an estimated 200-250 years.Since the burning mine cannot be entered (the coal burning as high as 720°C) I could not get footage from inside. However, I managed to get field recordings from inside four coal mines just next to Centralia: Water droplets echoing in the mine, standing waves (a kind of humming sound), sounds from a machine called The Breaker (abrading coal to various sizes), footsteps in the mine, and excavator hydraulics (up and down bending sounds). I also obtained footage of local coal burning in a stove (snapping and making hissing sounds). The recordings were from the Blashak Coal Mine, Black Diamond Mine, Pioneer Tunnel Mine and the Reading Coal Mine, that all surround Centralia (on a 40km radius).I examined the sounds carefully with sound analysis software and started making musical material out of them. Reflecting the idea of underground, I wrote a piece where the drama is always happening underneath the ground level, never breaking out to daylight. Like an ominous cloud, hovering just between the orchestral players. Deep in the orchestral mine, the surrounding works faintly echo: I implemented microscopic clues from Bartok’s third Piano Concerto to the beginning and from Debussy’s La Mer to the ending. Like they had plunged to the depths from the edges of my work.

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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

Black cloud, under ground