sight – energy – vague – ocean

Watch / listen

The Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra, cond. David Searle

Live recording from Sigyn hall of Turku Conservatory of Music, April 21, 2007

Score / parts

Instrumentation and duration

Orchestra: 3(pic).2.3(B.cl).2./4.3.3.1/timp., 2 perc./harp/Str.

Duration: 14 minutes

Accolades

Shared First Prize in the national SävellYS 2006 Composing Competition, organized by the Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra for their 80th anniversary

First performance

Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra, cond. David Searle, Helsinki University Hall, Helsinki, Finland, April 19, 2007

Reflections

Composer's Notes

sight – energy – vague – ocean is one of my works that was composed within a short period of time. When I began composing the work, I barely had nothing else than just few thoughts and sketches for the overall form of the work. This is why the work was in a state of constant change as the writing process progressed. However, the state of constant change and renewal is familiar to me as a composing environment anyway, as I am not drawn at all to the extremely rigorous and analytical way of working, no matter how much time I have at hand.

As far as the overall form is concerned, I strive to follow the convoluted guideline of the images and visions brought into my mind by the title of the work. The title of the work was already ready when I started composing, which is quite unusual for my own works. Despite the ready title and the imagery it evokes, the work is by no means programmatic in the traditional sense, and thus does not tell any particular story. Nonetheless, narrative character is very important to me in the music and I hope that my music will ultimately tell more of itself through music than my attempt to describe it in words.

During the rapid composition process, I allowed the work to grow organically, sprawl freely, taking it to where the work itself naturally seemed to go. Therefore, the end result is a variety of musical moments that change (grow) freely from one situation to another. One will hear static and extremely quiet sound surfaces as well as roaring bursts of energetic masses – and pretty much anything in between.