Aulis Sallinen (Composer)
Critical Acclaim: …one never gets bored listening to the
music [of Sallinen] with its many interesting harmonic combinations and
unexpected fancies. — Lars Hedblab, Svenska Dagbladet
Sallinen
takes you on a journey so wonderous you are sorry when it ends. — Anthony
Tommasini, New York Times
…his ability to create atmosphere and
delineate character is masterly. — Erkki Arni, Opera Now
Biography: Aulis Sallinen was born in 1935 in Salmi on
the northern shore of Lake Ladoga (which the Soviet Union claimed in 1944). His
early musical experience was playing the violin. Improvising (including jazz) on
the piano led him to write his first compositions as a teenager. After studying
with Aarre Merikanto and Joonas Kokkonen at the Sibelius Academy, he joined the
staff there. He was Administrator of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
(1960-69); Secretary and member of the Board (1958-73), then Chairman (1971-73)
of the Finnish Composers' Society; member of the board of TEOSTO (Finnish
copyright society) from 1970-84, then Chairman from 1988-90; he also served for
several years on the Board of the Finnish National Opera
In 1983 he
shared the Wihuri International Sibelius prize with Penderecki. He is a member
of the Royal Swedish Music Academy and Honorary Doctor of the Universities of
Helsinki and Turku. The Finnish Government made him Professor of Arts for life
in 1981 - the first appointment of its kind, thus making it possible for him to
devote all of his time to composing.
His extensive catalogue of
compositions includes eight acclaimed and distinctive symphonies, the latest of
which was premiered by the Concertgebouw Orchestra in April 2004. In addition,
he has written some major concert works involving voices, notably the Dies
Irae (1978), an apocalyptic vision of our planet destroyed, Songs of Life
and Death (1994), an expansive expression of Sallinen's humanitarian creed,
and The Barabbas Dialogues (2003), an unconventional, touching
medititation on the Easter story.
Sallinen is one of the foremost living
opera composers, and he has written six important large-scale works in this
genre, all of which have been revived on several occasions. The Horseman
(1975) and The Red Line (1978) are social dramas rooted in Finnish
culture, and played a crucial part in establishing Finland as the world's
leading exporter of contemporary opera. The King Goes Forth To France
(1983), commissioned jointly by the Savonlinna Festival, the Royal Opera House
and the BBC; and The Palace (1991-3) introduce elements of satirical
whimsy. However Kullervo (1988) and King Lear (1999), with a
libretto adapted from Shakespeare's play, are heartfelt tragedies exploring
familial relationships and the bleakest aspects of the human condition. The
success of Sallinen's operatic technique is demonstrated by the fact that four
of his operas - The Horseman, The King Goes Forth To France,
Kullervo and The Red Line - are all receiving performances across
Europe as Sallinen enters his eighth decade.
Since 2001, Aulis Sallinen
has concentrated on writing works featuring solo instruments, ranging in size
from the Cello Sonata (2005) to the Horn Concerto (2002). His latest work is an
addition to his "Chamber Music" series for a variety of soloists with string
orchestra: Chamber Music VI is scored for string quartet and string
orchestra.
Sallinen's instrumental works are widely performed - indeed
Some Aspects of Peltoniemi Hintrik's Funeral March and Chamber Music
III: The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote have been established as modern
classics. In 2004 the German record label CPO released the first of a series of
seven all-Sallinen CDs, featuring all of his major orchestral works.
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