Metsä

by Kalle Ylitalo

for string quartet

Description

”Metsä (Finnish for forest) is my interpretation of how the forest might communicate musically, if it could”, says the Finnish composer Kalle Ylitalo. ”When composing this piece I opened my awareness to the experience of walking into the forest. In the music I attempt to express the immediate sounds of the forest as well as the clarifying and invigorating influence of being in the forest.”

The harmonic environment of Metsä sounds very familiar and otherworldly at the same time. The effect has been achieved by Ylitalo using the equal temperament system combined with intervals derived from the harmonic series. Metsä eludes the traditional sense of consonance and dissonance, because the intervals of the harmonic series derived from a common fundamental cause less oscillation - or beating - which is usually experienced as dissonance.

The harmonic system is combined with mostly non-vibrato, harmonics and transcriptions of birdsong to create a mysteriously beautiful world of water, wood, sunlight and vivacity of the forest. In Metsä one can hear the composer’s wonder and appreciation for the sanctity of nature.

Instrumentation

2vln, vla, vlc

Category

Chamber Works

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Archive number

MF35198

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