"The life-force of Kaija Saariaho’s music is its feast of sensory awakening and shocking emotional nakedness. A raw honesty permeates the atmosphere of mystery. This music is an obsessive, immersive and magical weather system bringing ecstasy, cleansing, and renewal." - Peter Sellars

 

On the occasion of her 60th anniversary in 2012, this 4-album set contains recordings of fourteen orchestral works by Grammy-awarded Kaija Saariaho, many of them featuring vocal or instrumental soloists. This specially priced anthology highlights the Finnish composer’s oeuvre from 1986 to 2007, a period that follows the evolution of her compositional style from the early days of her career to more recent times. The featured works have helped to cement Saariaho’s international position as one of the most successful living composers and have garnered her several important awards along the way (Grawemeyer Award 2003, Musical America’s Composer of the Year 2008, MIDEM Classical Award 2009, Wihuri Sibelius Prize 2009, Sonning Music Prize 2011). Kaija Saariaho has been the New York Carnegie Hall’s Composer-in-Residence since the beginning of the 2011-12 Season.

 

The recordings were made between 1992 and 2008 have been previously released by Ondine to international popular and critical acclaim. The featured conductors are:

 

Hannu Lintu and the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra (Lichtbogen; Grammaire des rêves; Caliban’s Dream; Solar; Graal théâtre; Miranda’s Lament);

Esa-Pekka Salonen leading the L.A. Philharmonic in Du cristal ...à la fumée;

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Oltra mar; Nympéa Reflection; Cinq reflets de ’L’Amour de loin’);

Christoph Eschenbach leading the Orchestre de Paris (Orion; Notes on Light; Mirage).

 

Several works include soloists:

 

Soprano Anu Komsi and contralto Riikka Rantanen in Grammaire des rêves;

Flutist Petri Alanko and cellist Anssi Karttunen in ...à la fumée;

Baritone Petteri Salomaa in Caliban’s Dream;

Violinist John Storgårds in Graal théâtre;

Soprano Anu Komsi in Miranda’s Lament;

Tapiola Chamber Choir in Oltra mar;

Soprano Pia Freund and baritone Gabriel Suovanen in Cinq reflets de ’L’Amour de loin’;

Cellist Anssi Karttunen in Notes on Light;

Soprano Karita Mattila and cellist Anssi Karttunen in Mirage.