Description

Corrente is a piece originally written to celebrate the Swedish Literary Society of Finland on the occasion of its 127th year. This may have influenced the composer to bring out a certain sense of “festivas” to the work. Corrente is Italian and refers to the baroque dance, “courant” in French, and the baroque ingredients can be shown as the top of an iceberg.

“Corrente” also bears meaning of “running, and “steam”. The material of the piece is based on rhythmic loops of different size that superposed produce caleidoscopic textures. This rather minimalistic approach is mostly deformed by changing the patterns in an irregular way. Also narrative aspects of the material is enhanced by giving the musical characters different roles as they affect each others during the piece.

Corrente is scored for a small orchestra with a maximum of different instruments, one of each, allowing a rich variety of timbral possibilities.

© Chester Music Ltd.

If Piano Concerto is a first step towards a new stylistic phase, Corrente is clearly its fulfilment. Lindberg abandons the articulation of music via instrumental gestures, and turns towards continuums. Commissioned by the Swedish Literature Society of Finland for its annual festival and mainly written in Helsinki during the autumn of 1991, Corrente, for sixteen instruments, was first performed at the University of Helsinki in February 1992. The Italian title refers to a baroque dance, the courante. This reference is due to the short harmonic sequence in the middle of the piece, which comes from Funeral Music for Queen Mary by Purcell.

Another version of Corrente was performed at the Toimii ensemble's concert at the Kulturhuset in Stokcholm, in September 1992, with the title Decorrente. Its material was afterwards enlarged into an orchestral symphony in Corrente II.

© Risto Nieminen, 1993

translated by © Nick Le Quesne

© Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993

(From Magnus Lindberg, Helsinki 1996)

Si Piano Concerto no l était un essai vers une nouvelle phase stylistique, Corrente en est clairement la réalisation. Magnus Lindberg abandonne l’articulation de la musique par des gestes instrumentaux et s’oriente vers les continuums. Commandée par l’associateion suédoise de la littérature en Finlande pour sa fête annuelle et écrite en grande partie pendant l’automne 1991 à Helsinki, Corrente, pour seize instrumentistes, fut créée à l'université d’Helsinki en février 1992. Le titre en italien se réfère à la danse baroque, “courante” en français. Cette allusion est due à la courte succession harmonique au milieu de la pièce, provenant de la Musique funèbre pour la reine Mary de Purcell.

Une autre version de Corrente fut réalisée au concert de l’ensemble Toimii au Kulturhuset à Stockholm, en septembre 1992, sous le titre Decorrente. Par la suite, son matériau fut développé aux dimensions d’un orchestre symphonique dans Corrente II.

© Risto Nieminen, 1993

© Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993

(From Magnus Lindberg, France 1993)

Corrente valmistui Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finlandin tilauksesta vuonna 1992. Vielä samana vuonna Lindberg laati teoksesta uuden, laajentuneen version Corrente II sinfoniaorkesterille. Correntessa keskeisenä materiaalina ovat ostinatomaisesti toistuvat rytmikuviot, jotka kuitenkin luovat alati eläviä, tihentyviä ja harvenevia liikehahmoja mm. rytmiyksiköiden erilaisten alajakojen avulla. Teoksen nimi viittaa barokin ajan tanssimuotoon couranteen, ja musiikkiin sisältyy ohimenevä viittaus Purcellin teokseen Funeral Music for Queen Mary. Toisaalta otsikko tarkoittaa myös ”virtaamista”, ja teos muodostaakin eloisasti eteenpäin soljuvan kokonaisuuden. Lyhyen suvantovaiheen jälkeen musiikki kiinteytyy minimalistissävyiseen tanssikohtaukseen, jossa myös Stravinskyn haamu tuntuu kummittelevan.

© Kimmo Korhonen, 1997

(Ondine ODE 882-2, 1997)

Instrumentation

1111 2110 01 1, pno, 2vln, vla, vlc, db [fl+afl, ob+ehn.]

Category

Works for Orchestra or Large Ensemble

Premiere

Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, cond. Sakari Oramo, Helsinki, February 5, 1992. See also: Decorrente; "China Version".

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by the Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland (the Swedish Literary Society in Finland).

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