Okra

by Ilari Laakso

for string quartet

Description

Okra (Ocre) is composed during the fall 2003 in Benin, West Africa, in a small village called Grand-Popo, where I spent six weeks in Finnish-African Cultural Centre Villa Karo nearby the Atlantic Ocean.

The waves sounded in my ears not only in Benin, but long after the return back to Finland. The warmth of the people, the ochre path through the village and the always shining sun were luxurious to me. At the same time I had to meet with my own existence, with my own thoughts, fears, history and future. This human ambivalence maybe sounds in the music.

I will use and modify a short extract from the well-known song "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" composed by Richard Rodgers (Oklahoma!). It just bubbled into my mind and I could not get out of the fix. If you find my way of using it ironic and sarcastic, you are probably quite right.

© Ilari Laakso

Instrumentation

2vln, vla, vlc

Category

Chamber Works

Premiere

Chilingirian String Quartet, Tampere Biennale, Tampere, April 4, 2004.

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by and dedicated to Chilingirian String Quartet

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Archive number

MF28683

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