This album features two profound works by Finnish composer Kalevi Aho: "Symphony No.8" and "Pergamon." "Symphony No.8," composed for organ and orchestra, navigates through a journey of vivid, evolving musical landscapes, reflecting the fundamental questions of individual experiences and emotions. The symphony is renowned for its innovative structure and captivating interludes, combining orchestral power with virtuosic organ passages.
"Pergamon," composed for four orchestral groups, four narrators, and organ, is a spatial composition that engages with the architectural form and acoustics of the Helsinki University Hall. This piece commemorates the 350th anniversary of Helsinki University, drawing inspiration from the dramatic depiction of the Pergamon Altar. The narrators, reciting in multiple languages, symbolize the unity of different nationalities and epochs, expressing shared human suffering through a powerful musical setting.
Both pieces showcase Aho's daring musical language and are performed by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Osmo Vänskä, with Hans-Ola Ericsson on organ.
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