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Max Savikangas: Lands of Treasure, concert version for vocal sextet and ensemble (2022) Animated art film Lands of Treasure by artists group IC-98, for which I composed the music, was on display for the first time at the Serlachius Museum Gösta, Mänttä, Finland from September 25th 2021 until March 6th 2022.The short musical motifs I composed were recorded in the studio by conductor Nils Schweckendiek and the vocal sextet of The Helsinki Chamber Choir: Tove Djupsjöbacka, Veera Kuusirati, Eira Karlson, Susanna Sippola, Martti Anttila and Jussi Linnanmäki.The motifs were divided into four categories: 1) main music 2) solos with accompaniment 3) spectral and more dissonant chord materials, which took the form of both harmonic progression, musical ambience, polyrhythmic textures and declarative chord accents 4) speech choir segments (wind imitations, spoken asemantic syllbabic and concsonant textures), which created an interface toward sound design.I composed the finished music from these motifs on a digital audio workstation, utilizing a modular composition technique i.e., by arranging the motifs sequentially, overlapping, stacking, etc. At some points six singers are realistically heard, at others a multiple. The music was quite extensive in duration, inevitably progressing, rugged, sculptural and mostly gloomy. In the beginning there were long episodes that invited the listener to step into the work to experience the space, and to feel the false spectral melodies produced by slowly sung diphthongs, which each listener would experience individually; the overlapping vocal slides created an aurora-borealis-like flickering spectral veil over the sung pitches.There was no given semantic text in the music, as requested by IC-98. My solution was to have the choir sing with asemantic vowels and slow diphthongs which I composed into the music. The formant slides served both rhythmic, coloring and mentioned false melody function.Also, as a byproduct, at certain moments in the music, where I had superimposed the polyrhythmic chord texture sung with different vowels and the consonant utterance speech choir texture, one might have imagined listening to a language that may had been, would be, or existed in some parallel reality.The soundtrack was in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound format and the loudspeaker system was installed accordingly. Indeed, the music took advantage of the placement of its many different elements around the listener and their movement around the listener. For me as a composer, the immersion of sound in this case was one equal means of expression alongside melody, vocal expression, harmony, rhythm and tone of voice. Many thanks to sound designer Toni Ilo (Finnvox Cinepost), who not only made all the other sounds in the soundtrack and was responsible for the whole, but also realized the spatial dimension of the music in the studio according to my wishes!My composition being premiered on November 27th 2022, Lands of Treasure for vocal sextet and ensemble (2022), is based on this soundtrack. The duration of the piece is ca 20 minutes and it is composed for six singers (SSAATB) and 7-members ensemble ((fl/picc/afl, cl/bcl, perc, vl, vla, sopr.sax/ten.sax, db). Since I composed the soundtrack using the mentioned modular technique, the linearly progressing concert version had to be composed all the way through. In addition, the music of the ensemble had to be composed from the very beginning.For me the instrumentation of this concert version allows for a colorful tonal palette, and in addition, the singers get to take the voices from the ensemble (the material to be sung is not exactly easy, but of course such that it can be realised by professional singers). More polyphonic situations than just a six-voice vocal sextet also became possible. The composition is suitable for the echoing large hall of the Hyvinkää Art Museum, the venue of the first performance; sounding big when required, but not too loud.I incorporated also some of the sound design materials of the original art animation (such as the hum of the wind, crackling of the trees, rustling of wings, tinkling of bells and mining sounds) for the ensemble, applying extended playing techniques.I would like to warmly thank the Hyvinkää Orchestra and its general manager Charlotta Kivistö for the composition commission.I hope you enjoy the music!Max Savikangas 2022

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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

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