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The third part of the triptych which began with Kinetics and Marea, Joy went through several preparatory phases before being written for an ensemble of twenty three musicians and electronics. After UR, the first piece he produced at Ircam, Lindberg entered the Institute to work for two pianos, two percussionists and electronic system. With the research project unfinished, Lindberg came back to the Institute in 1989 with the intention of producing a work for two keyboards (piano and electronic keyboard), percussion and ensemble with electronics. In the end, the soloists were done away with, but a trace of this first idea remains in the writing for keyborads and percussion. If Kinetics marked the apparition of spectral harmony and the notion of different harmonic levels in Lindberg's music, while Marea introduced the confrontation between a spectral harmony and a serial one, Joy displays the arrival of a third level: the dimension of timbre in harmony. The formal principle of Joy is based on combinations of different harmonic materials. Apart from traditional instruments, the ensemble includes a sampler (Akai S1000) and a synthesizer (Yamaha SY77). All the sampled sounds come from a single source: a recording of the demolition of a grand piano, which Lindberg had discovered in the attic of his parents summer home in Porvoo, Finland. The last gasps of this old instrument were transferred onto Vax computer at Ircam, enabling them to be transformed and processed. This processing removed the realistic sonorities and modelled them into musical material. The composer was more interested in using raw sounds, as in musique concrète, having already worked in this way on pieces such as Action - situation - signification or Faust. Joy, one of Lindberg's most mature pieces to date, was completed in Paris on 18 October 1990 and was first performed at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt in December of the same year. Its first Paris performance took place at the Centre Georges-Pompidou in February 1991. The Ensemble Intercontemporain was conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste, to whom the work is dedicated. © Risto Nieminen, 1993 translated by © Nick Le Quesne © Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993 (From Magnus Lindberg, Helsinki 1996) Troisième volet du triptyque commencé avec Kinetics et Marea, Joy eut plusieurs phases préparatoires avant d'être écrite pour un ensemble de vingt-trois musiciens et un dispositif électronique. Après UR, sa première pièce réalisée à l'Ircam, Lindberg entrait à l'institut pour travailler sur un projet de recherche qui devait aboutir à une oeuvre pour deux pianos, deux percussions et dispositif électronique. Le projet de recherche n'étant pas terminé, Lindberg revint à l'Ircam en 1989 avec l'intention de réaliser une ceuvre pour deux claviers (piano et clavier électronique), percussions et ensemble avec électronique. Finalement, les solistes furent supprimés, mais il reste une trace de cette idée première dans l'écriture pour claviers et percussions. Si Kinetics marquait l'apparition de l'harmonie spectrale dans ta musique de Lindberg et la notion des différents niveaux d'harmonies, et Marea la confrontation entre une harmonie spectrale et une harmonie sérielle, Joy témoigna de l'arrivée d'un troisième niveau: l'aspect timbral de l'harmonie. Le principe formel de Joy s'appuie sur les combinaisons des différents matériaux harmoniques. En plus des instruments traditionnels, l'ensemble intègre un échantillonneur (Akai S1000) et un synthétiseur (Yamaha SY77). Tous les sons échantillonnés proviennent d'une source unique: l'enregistrement de la démolition d'un piano à queue, que Lindberg avait déniché dans le grenier de la maison d'été de ses parents à Porvoo, en Finlande. Les derniers soupirs de ce vieil instrument étaient alors transférés à l'Ircam sur l'ordinateur Vax, qui a permis de les transformer et de les traiter. Le traitement éloignait les sonorités réalistes et les modelait en matériau musical. L'utilisation de sons bruts, façon «musique concrète», intéressait plus le compositeur, qui avait déjà travaillé ainsi des pièces comme Action-Situation-Signification ou Faust. Joy, une des pièces les plus mûres de Lindberg à ce jour, fut terminée à Paris le 18 octobre 1990 et créée à l'Alte Oper de Francfort en décembre de la même année. La création parisienne eut lieu, en février 1991, au Centre Georges-Pompidou. L'Ensemble InterContemporain était dirigé par Jukka-Pekka Saraste, à qui l'oeuvre est dédiée. © Risto Nieminen, 1993 © Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993 (From Magnus Lindberg, Ircam 1993) The late 1980s found composer Magnus Lindberg in a period of major transition. His output to date had culminated in the orchestral work Kraft (1983–85), the salient features of which were its steely timbres and massive, volcanic outbursts of sound. But Lindberg soon came to the conclusion he had reached the end of a road with Kraft. The little piano piece Twine written after a two-year hiatus in composing thus heralded the start of a new era in his production. The new ideals were first strongly manifest in his orchestral trilogy Kinetics (1988–89), Marea (1989–90) and Joy (1989–90), in which his music has become softer and fuller in sound due to his use of harmonics, his lines more sustained, his texture clearer and his rhythmic thinking simpler. These features are taken furthest in the last work of the three, Joy, and Lindberg was heard to say that if he continued along the same lines he would end up in Hollywood... Joy was originally commissioned by the Ensemble InterContemporain and the Fondation Totale pour la musique. The premiere was in Frankfurt in December 1990, with Arturo Tamayo conducting the Ensemble InterContemporain. Of the three works in the trilogy, Joy is the biggest, and the problem of form therefore loomed large in the composition process. On the other hand, each of the three works derives a character of its own from the fact that they were scored for different line-ups: Kinetics for large orchestra, Marea for ‘classical’ orchestra and Joy for chamber orchestra and electronics. Joy was preceded by a sketch for a work for two pianos and percussion. Although the scoring subsequently underwent a considerable transformation, keyboards and percussion continued to play the leading role. They also contribute largely to the brighter, clearer end of the sound register. The work does, on the other hand, also have a soft, full dimension but it is still a long, safe way from the Hollywood so disdained by Lindberg. © Kimmo Korhonen, 1996 (Helsinki Festival) (translated by © Susan Sinisalo) 1980-luvun loppu näyttäytyy vahvana murroskautena Magnus Lindbergin musiikissa. Hänen siihenastinen tuotantonsa oli huipentunut orkesteriteoksessa Kraft (1983–85), jonka päällimmäisiä piirteitä ovat teräksinen sointimaailma ja valtavien sävelmassojen vulkaaniset vyörytykset. Pian Lindberg kuitenkin totesi, että Kraft merkitsi yhden tien kulkemista loppuun, ja kahden vuoden sävellystauon jälkeen valmistunut pieni pianokappale Twine (1988) avasi uuden kauden hänen tuotannossaan. Ensimmäisen vahvan ilmentymänsä uudet ihanteet saivat orkesteriteosten trilogiassa Kinetics (1988–89), Marea (1989–90) ja Joy (1989–90). Niissä Lindbergin musiikin sointimaailma on tullut yläsävelsarjan hyödyntämisen ansiosta pehmeämmäksi ja täyteläisemmäksi, kehitys pitkälinjaisemmaksi, sointikudos selkeämmäksi ja rytminen ajattelu yksinkertaisemmaksi. Pisimmälle nämä piirteet on viety viimeisenä valmistuneessa teoksessa Joy, ja Lindberg totesi sen valmistuttua, että saman linjan jatkaminen johtaisi Hollywoodiin... Joy sai alkunsa Ensemble InterContemporainin ja Fondation Totale pour la musiquen tilauksesta. Kantaesitys oli Frankfurtissa joulukuussa 1990; Ensemble InterContemporainia johti tuolloin Arturo Tamayo. Lindbergin orkesteritrilogian kolmesta teoksesta Joy on laajin, ja muodon ongelma on sen vuoksi ollut keskeisellä sijalla sen sävellystyössä. Toisaalta jokaiselle kolmesta teoksesta antaa omaa ilmettään myös se, että ne on sävelletty erilaisille kokoonpanoille: Kinetics suurelle orkesterille, Marea ns. klassiselle orkesterille ja ikamariorkesterille ja elektroniikalle. Joyn esivaiheissa työn alla oli teos kahdelle pianolle ja lyömäsoittimille. Vaikka kokoonpano sitten muuttui melkoisesti, jäivät teokseen merkittävät osuudet kosketin-ja lyömäsoittimille. Niillä on tärkeä rooli varsinkin teoksen sointiasteikon kirkkaammassa ja heleämmässä päässä. Toisaalta teoksessa on myös pehmeää täyteläisyyttä – mutta niin että Lindbergin kammoksuma Hollywood jää turvallisen matkan päähän. © Kimmo Korhonen, 1996 (Helsingin Juhlaviikot) Slutet av 1980-talet var en våldsam brytningsperiod i Magnus Lindbergs musik. Hans produktion hade kulminerat med orkesterverket Kraft (1983–85) med sin metalliska klangvärld och sina vällande eruptiva tonmassor. Lindberg konstaterade emellertid snart, att han i och med Kraft hade löpt linan ut. Efter en paus på två år kom det lilla pianostycket Twine (1988), som utgjorde inledningen på en ny utvecklingsperiod i hans musik. Sin första starka manifestation fick hans nya ideal i orkestertrilogin Kinetics (1988-89), Marea (1989–90) och Joy (1989–90). Tack vare bruket av en övertonsserie har Lindbergs klangvärld blivit mjukare och fylligare. Utvecklingen har fått längre spännvidd, den harmoniska strukturen blivit klarare och rytmiken enklare. I det sista stycket Joy i trilogin har dessa egenskaper utvecklats längst och Lindberg har konstaterat, att om man följde denna väg till slut, skulle den leda till Hollywood... Joy kom till på beställning av Ensemble InterContemporain och Fondation Totale pour la musique. Uruppförandet ägde rum i Frankfurt i december 1990. Ensemble InterContemporain leddes då av Arturo Tamayo. Av de tre verken i orkestertrilogin är Joy det mest omfattande och därför har också formproblematiken där haft en central plats i kompositionsarbetet. Vart och ett av styckena har naturligtvis också en helt egen karaktär, eftersom de skrivits för olika besättning: Kinetics för stor orkester, Marea för s.k. klassisk orkester och Joy för kammarorkester och elektronik. I början av arbetet på Joy hade Lindberg en komposition för två pianon och slagverk i tankarna. Trots att besättningen sedan ändrades avsevärt, bibehöll tangentinstrumenten och slagverken en viktig roll, särskilt i klangskalans klara och ljusa ända. Å andra sidan har verket också en mjuk fyllighet – dock så att Hollywood (som Lindberg fasar för) hålls på betryggande avstånd. © Kimmo Korhonen, 1996 (Helsingfors Festspel) (övers.: © Jan Granberg)

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Movements

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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