maisema, muistuma, enne
by Leevi Räsänen
String Quartet No. 3
Description
String Quartet "Maisema, muistuma, enne" is music for the work Jousikvartetto – String Quartet by Anne Naukkarinen & Leevi Räsänen. String Quartet is an interdisciplinary work by choreographer and visual artist Anne Naukkarinen, in which she captures four generations of her family’s memories and stories from the landscape of Pappilanlahti in Ruokolahti – a place where her maternal lineage has lived for over a hundred years. The work is based on interviews Naukkarinen conducted with her family members, from which she compiled a multi-voiced script.
Composer Leevi Räsänen translated the script into a composition for string quartet, titled maisema, muistuma, enne (landscape, reminiscence, omen). In his composition, Räsänen drew inspiration from the imagined presence of an ancient song woven into the landscape, and from the mist of memories. The contents of the script take on an auditory form in the composition – at times through the interpretations of individual musicians, at others as a shared family chorus. The work was premiered in the home of Naukkarinen’s grandmother, Kerttu Kukkurainen, overlooking Lake Saimaa and the Ruokolahti church.
In the piece, one family’s memories based on a site are woven into a sonic tapestry that stretches across decades. Broader developments in Finnish society – such as the structural transformation of rural areas – are juxtaposed with everyday, intimate moments like gardening or taking a dip in the lake, each rendered equally meaningful. Personal memories evolve into shared myths within the family, inevitably shaping how the constantly changing surrounding landscape is experienced.
Instrumentation 2vln, vla, vlc
Instrument codes
| 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 |
Coding for instrument ensembles and orchestras
| 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 |
Category Chamber Works
Premiere
Jousikvartetto was premiered on August 2, 2025, in the home of Anne Naukkarinen’s grandmother Kerttu Kukkurainen, in Pappilanlahti, Ruokolahti, Finland.
The work was created as part of the multidisciplinary Vesireitit (Water ways) project, a collection of works exploring the mythical, ideological, and emotional dimensions of the waterways of Eastern Finland. The Vesireitit project was curated by Riikka Thitz and produced by i dolci ry.
Movements I. Fermo, II. Sempre
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Archive number MF36267
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