12 Concertos : Gothoni, Oliveira, Gallois, Stoltzman, Laine, Ashkenazy / Saraste / Segerstam / etc (4CD)

Einojuhani Rautavaara: 12 Concertos

CD1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1977)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1968)
Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra "Angel of Dusk" (1980)

CD2
Ballad for Harp and Strings (1973/1981)
Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (2000)
Concerto for Birds and Orchestra "Cantus Arcticus" (1972)

CD3
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra "Dances with the Winds" (1975)
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (2001)
Concerto for Organ, Brass Quintet and Symphonic Wind Orchestra "Annunciations" (1977)

CD4
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 (1969)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 (1989)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 "Gift of Dreams" (1998)

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
Tapiola Sinfonietta
Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Juha Kangas, conductor
Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor
Max Pommer, conductor
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor
Leif Segerstam, conductor
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
Reija Bister, harp
Patrick Gallois, flute
Ralf Gothoni, piano
Kari Jussila, organ
Esko Laine, double bass
Marielle Nordmann, harp
Elmar Oliveira, violin
Richard Stoltzman, clarinet
Marko Ylonen, cello

4-CD boxed set; booklet with liner notes in English and Finnish

This first-ever edition of Einojuhani Rautavaara's complete twelve concertos (written and recorded to this date) follows on the great success of the release of his eight symphonies, in a collector's box set.

Ondine's long-time house composer is recognized as one of the greatest musical figures in Finland after Jean Sibelius. Between 1968 and 2001, he wrote solo works with orchestra for the violin, cello, double bass, harp, flute, clarinet, organ and the piano. Highlights include the Violin Concerto which won a Cannes Classical Award in 1998, the Concerto for Birds (on tape) and Orchestra "Cantus Arcticus" which remains Rautavaara's most popular and most frequently performed work of any kind, and the Third Piano Concerto "Gift of Dreams" which was commissioned, premiered and recorded by pianist-conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. The list of featured star performers also includes Patrick Gallois (flute) and Richard Stoltzman (clarinet).

These recordings were produced in collaboration with the composer between 1991 and 2005 and have been previously released to international popular and critical acclaim. The soloists are:

Elmar Oliveira on violin with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam (Violin Concerto; originally released on ODE 881-2)

Marko Ylonen on cello with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Max Pommer (Cello Concerto; ODE 819-2)

Esko Laine on double bass with the Tapiola Sinfonietta under Jean-Jacques Kantorow (Double Bass Concerto; under license from BIS Records AB Sweden)

Reija Bister on harp with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra under Juha Kangas (Ballad for Harp and Strings; ODE 983-2D)

Marielle Nordmann on harp with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam (Harp Concerto; ODE 978-2)

Leif Segerstam with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and a tape recording of arctic bird song (Cantus Arcticus; ODE 1041-2)

Patrick Gallois on C flute / piccolo / alto / bass with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam (Flute Concerto; ODE 921-2)

Richard Stoltzman on clarinet with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam (Clarinet Concerto; ODE 1041-2)

Kari Jussila on organ with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam (Organ Concerto; ODE 869-2)

Ralf Gothoni on piano with the Leipzig RSO under Max Pommer (Piano Concerto No. 1) and the Bavarian RSO under Jukka-Pekka Saraste (No. 2; ODE 757-2)

Vladimir Ashkenazy who conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra from the piano (No. 3; ODE 950-2)
( ONDINE )