Symphony No. 5 (Sallinen)

Symphony No. 5,
Washington Mosaics
by Aulis Sallinen
Catalogue Op. 57
Composed 1984 (1984)–85 (r. 1987)
Duration Approx. 38 minutes
Movements 5
Premiere
Date 10 October 1985 (1985-10-10)
Location Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., United States
Conductor Mstislav Rostropovich
Performers National Symphony Orchestra

The Symphony No. 5, Washington Mosaics, Op. 57, is an orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen, who wrote the piece from 1984–85, revising the finale in 1987. The National Symphony Orchestra, the commissioning institution, premiered the work in 10 October 1985 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., under the direction of its music director, Mstislav Rostropovich.

Structure

The symphony is in five movements:

  1. Washington Mosaics I
  2. Intermezzo I
  3. Intermezzo II
  4. Intermezzo III (attacca)
  5. Washington Mosaics II

Orchestration

Performances

Mstislav Rostropovich, who conducted the world premiere of Sallinen's Fifth Symphony

The Fifth Symphony had its world premiere on 10 October 1985, with Mstislav Rostropovich conducting the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the Kennedy Center; also on the program was Sibelius's tone poem, En saga, and Beethoven's Second Symphony.[1] The Washington Post reviewed the work with ambivalence, calling it a "big, ambitious new symphony" with "genuinely moving moments" that nonetheless was "more intriguing than convincing," its "disjointed brilliance" unable "to resolve emotionally".[1] Three days later, Rostropovich and the NSO played the Fifth Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall in New York,[2] along with Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony and Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major (Rostropovich serving as soloist).[3]

The British premiere took place on 15 February 1987, with Okko Kamu conducting the London Philharmonic at the Royal Festival Hall; also on the program was Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass.[4] The performance of Sallinen's Fifth, which commenced London's three-month multi-venue, multi-orchestra 'Spotlight on Finland' music festival, was received positively, with The Financial Times characterizing the work as consisting of "icy fragments of symphonic material [that] have been chipped off to clink and tinkle in Sallinen's structural cocktail shaker".[5] While noting the Fifth Symphony's "allusions to other music" (in particular its "post-Sibelian desolation"), The Sunday Times applauded the "vitality of Sallinen's rhythms and the sheer eventfulness of his scoring," as well as his "imaginative and masterly ... handling of the large orchestra".[6]

Recordings

Conductor Orchestra Recorded Duration Available on
Okko Kamu Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra 1987 37:32 Finlandia (370)
James DePreist Malmö Symphony Orchestra 1993 39:31 BIS (607)
Ari Rasilainen Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz 2004 38:17 CPO (999970-2)

Notes, references, and sources

Notes

    References

    Sources

    Books

    • Howell, Tim (2006). After Sibelius: Studies in Finnish Music. Routledge. ISBN 978-075-4651-77-2.
    • Korhonen, Kimmo (2007). Inventing Finnish Music: Contemporary Composers from Medieval to Modern. Finnish Music Information Center (FIMIC). ISBN 978-952-5076-61-5.

    CD liner notes

    • Anderson, Martin (2008). Aulis Sallinen: Symphonies 3 & 5 (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Germany: CPO. p. 13–14. CPO 999970-2.
    • Weitzman, Ronald (1993). Aulis Sallinen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 49; Shadows, Op. 52; Symphony No. 5, 'Washington Mosaics', Op. 57 (booklet). James DePreist & Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Hamburg, Germany: BIS. p. 5–8. BIS CD-607.

    Journal articles

    • Pike, Lionel (1997). "Reviewed Works: Symphony No. 5 ('Washington Mosaics') by Aulis Sallinen". Music & Letters. Oxford University Press. 71 (4): 625–27. (subscription required)
    • Weitzman, Ronald (1997). "Sallinen's Seven Symphonies". Tempo. Cambridge University Press. New Series (202): 8–15. (subscription required)

    News reports

    • Cairns, David (1987-02-22). "A Festival of Finns". Issue 8481. The Sunday Times. London, England.
    • Griffiths, Paul (1987-02-17). "Review of LPO/Kamu at the Festival Hall". Issue 62694. The Times. London, England.
    • Loppert, Max (1987-02-17). "Sallinen's Fifth/Festival Hall". Section 1, The Arts. Financial Times. London, England. p. 15.
    • McLellan, Joseph (1985-10-14). "Ovation for the Maestro". The Washington Post. Washington, DC.
    • McLellan, Joseph (1988-09-23). "NSO's Refined 'Mosaics'". Style. The Washington Post. Washington, DC. p. B2.
    • Rockwell, John (1985-10-11). "The Many Facets of Rostropovich". Section C, Weekend Desk. The New York Times. New York, NY.
    • Tuck, Lon (1985-10-11). "Sallinen's Disjointed Brilliance". Section: Metro. The Washington Post. Washington, DC. p. B6.
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