Rautavaara: Choral Works

 

Of the very largest works on this 4CD set of choral music from Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, Vigilia is the real deal. A modern-day Finnish Vespers in response to that of Rachmaninov, the 64-minute a cappella sacred work is excellent music making, sung terrifically by the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir.

The middle-two discs come with shorter sacred and secular pieces for choir, all of them a cappella as well. These are more variable, but also generally come from Rautavaara's earlier compositional periods. We are treated to sprechstimme chorus, dabblings in dodecaphony, as well as those more rooted in Finnish folk music. The composer's16-minute Magnificat is a major setting, quite appealing to this listener, as are the shorter pieces Credo and Canticum. 

On the secular side I am particularly taken with his Canción de nuestro tiempo and Halavan himmeän alla, both written in Rautavaara's later compositional style. The rest of his secular offerings are a bit more discordant and experimental, not reeling me in as much as his other sacred numbers.

The fourth CD brings choral music with orchestra to the ear. On the Last Frontier is excellent, reminding me of early Vaughan Williams. True and False Unicorn is quirkier, featuring elements not normally heard in Rautavaara's music, such as wry wit and metaphorical ribaldry, as well as aping popular musical styles. If tits music is more curious than winning, the performances from the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir are simply outstanding, the same choral group who performs Vigilia in this same set.

What a feast Ondine has given us listeners in the form of later 20th Century Finnish Classical Music in the form of Rautavaara. This box set of Choral Works comes complete with printed song texts and translations, plus the liner notes are quite a bit better, as far as information is concerned, than those of Ondine's previous Symphonies and Concertos sets, which were rather lacking.

If you would like more detail about the individual pieces, please visit the Rautavaara composer page (BLOG) where I covered each CD and volume of this set individually in my Works Series.

 

Works
Vol. 1: Vigilia (64.14)
Vol. 2: Sacred Music (72.08)
Vol. 3: Secular Music (72.00)
Vol. 4: Choral/Orchestral (70.56)

Year: 1995 - 2010; 2012
Label: Ondine
Total Timing: 4.39.18

No, not everything is a favorite of mine across this set. After all, Rautavaara had a career spanning from the 1950s into the 2010s, one which swerved around while honing a personal musical idiom.

There is far more excellent here than not. I am particularly taken with Vigilia and the sacred music, than his a cappella secular music. The choral/orchestral offerings are enjoyable, but Unicorn might be too odd for some.

The Finnish Radio Chamber Choir is especially excellent under the direction of Timo Nuoranne in each of their selections.

Find more Rautavaara recordings HERE!