The following is a list of works by Aulis Sallinen (b. 1935), presented as a sortable table with eight parameters per composition: title, category (orchestral, chamber, or unaccompanied choral), catalogue number, average duration (in minutes), year of composition, genre, and—if applicable—text author(s); for some compositions, comments are provided, as well. The table's default ordering is by genre and, within a genre, by date. To assist with navigation, the infobox provides page-jumps to the first entry for each group.
Oeuvre
The compositional career of Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen has extended over six decades, from his first composition, Two Mythical Scenes for Orchestra (Op. 1, 1956), to his most recent work, the Chamber Music X (Op. 114, 2018). Although Sallinen has composed across many genres—his oeuvre includes large-scale orchestral compositions, works for stage, chamber music, choral songs, pieces for instrumental soloist, etc.—his reputation rests primarily on his eight symphonies (1971–2001) and his seven operas (1973–2017).[1]
When at work on an opera, Sallinen tends to compose simultaneously smaller "satellite" pieces, which share thematic material with their respective large-scale parents. Many of these compositions are substantial (rather than derivative) works, including: Four Dream Songs, Op. 30 (from The Horseman, Op. 32); Shadows, Op. 52 (from The King Goes Forth to France, Op. 53); The Palace Rhapsody, Op. 72 (from The Palace, Op. 68); and, A Solemn Overture, Op. 75 (from King Lear, Op. 76).
In one movement; won first prize in a composers' competition the City of Helsinki sponsored to mark the inauguration of Finlandia Hall; originally called Sinfonia[2]
In one movement; essentially a 'symphony-concerto' for solo percussionist and orchestra; dedicated to Rainer Kuisma;[3] originally called Symphonic Dialogue for Solo Percussion Player and Orchestra[4]
In one movement; commission from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra;[10] material originally intended for a ballet based on The Lord of the Rings which, due to copyright issues, the composer abandoned; in 2001, the ballet The Hobbit, Op. 78, eventually came to fruition, using material from the Seventh Symphony, as well as from Sallinen's other compositions[11]
In one movement; commission from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; partially inspired by the events of September 11, Sallinen quotes the Theme of the Dead (e.g., Act II, scene 4) from his opera Kullervo, Op. 61[12]
Subtitled "a chronicle for the music theatre of the coming Ice Age"; based on the 1974 radio play by Paavo Haavikko and sung in Finnish; joint commission from the Savonlinna Opera Festival, the Royal Opera House, and the BBC;[13] material from Act III related to the orchestral prelude Shadows, Op. 52[14]
Based on the character from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, as well as the 1864 play by Aleksis Kivi (which differs from the epic in a number of ways);[15] sung in Finnish; commission from the Finnish National Opera to mark the inauguration of its new Opera House[16]
Subtitled "a chronicle for a narrator, four singers, chamber orchestra, and [the acoustics and visual of] Olavinlinna"; based on the 1975 poem collection by Lassi Nummi and sung in Finnish; commission from the Savonlinna Opera Festival to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence
Subtitled "ballet for young dancers"; in the mid-1990s, Sallinen had to abandon the idea of a ballet based on The Lord of the Rings, due to copyright issues, and material for the project was reworked into the Symphony No. 7, The Dreams of Gandalf, Op. 71. In 2001, the Op. 78 ballet The Hobbit eventually came to fruition, using material from the Seventh Symphony, as well as from Sallinen's other compositions;[11] choreography by Marjo Kuusela, libretto by Heini Tola
Thematically develops Sallinen's pedagogical work for cello, Elegy for Sebastian Knight, Op. 10; Sallinen withdrew Metamorphosen shortly after its premiere,[20] replacing it in 2000 with a revised version in which the orchestration of the original is reduced to strings only, eliminating the woodwinds. This new version was renamed Metamorphoses of Elegy for Sebastian Knight and added to the Chamber Musics series as No. 4 (see Op. 79)[21][22]
(fi: Metamorfooseja Elegiasta Sebastian Knightille)
Orchestral
79
20 mins.
1964 (1964)
r. 2000 (2000)
ConcertinoPiano, strings
Originally called Metamorphosen (Metamorphoses, Op. 11, 1964),[1] which thematically develops Sallinen's pedagogical work for cello, Elegy for Sebastian Knight, Op. 10; Sallinen withdrew Metamorphosen shortly after its premiere,[20] replacing it in 2000 with a revised version in which the orchestration of the original is reduced to strings only, eliminating the woodwinds[21][22]
Commission from the Naantali Music Festival and described by Sallinen as "an aging composer's farewell to youth"; the pseudo-literary title is a compound of iconic, fictional characters Don Juan and Don Quixote[23][24]
Arrangement of the original piece for piano quintet, Op. 74; material for the introduction is related to the end of the Symphony No. 7, The Dreams of Gandalf, Op. 71; joint commission from Kitakyushu International Music Festival and the Forbidden City Music Festival in Beijing[25]
Based on material from the chamber oratorio Barabbas Dialogues, Op. 84 (2002–03), for narrator, vocal soloists, and small instrumental ensemble; adapted for piano and strings (with Sallinen's permission) in 2006 as Op. 80a Ralf Gothóni.[26][27]
Arrangement, with Sallinen's permission and by Ralf Gothóni, of the original piece for accordion solo and string orchestra, Op. 80; based on material from the chamber oratorio Barabbas Dialogues, Op. 84 (2002–03), for narrator, vocal soloists, and small instrumental ensemble[28][27]
Paavo Haavikko in memoriam; Sallinen subtitled the work after Haavikko's poetry collection, The trees, all their green (1966); joint commission from the Amsterdam Sinfonietta; the Würtembergische Kammerorchester; the Scottish Ensemble; and, the Sydney Conservatorium[30]
Sung in Finnish; commission from the YL Male Voice Choir; originally the instrumental accompaniment was for chamber ensemble, but in 1966 Sallinen revised the work (without changing the vocal parts) to be for chamber orchestra
Soprano and bass soloists, who describe the Earth destroyed by nuclear war on Christmas Day; sung in Finnish; commission from the Ensemble of the Hungarian People's Army
Based on myths from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala and sung in Finnish; arranged from the incidental music Sallinen had written for the Finnish television film The Iron Age[31]
A 'requiem' sung in Finnish, with a composer's note on the score that reads, "Dedicated to all my Dead, to those whose memory and strength still lingers this side of the border"; commission from the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra[32]
Song cycle (9 numbers)Children's choir, pf, strings
Various sources
Commission from the Tapiola Choir; instrumental introduction and two interludes are for piano and strings; No. 2 by Bo Carpelan (sung in Swedish), No. 3 by Sallinen (in English), No. 4 by Eila Kivikkaho (in Finnish), No. 6 by Louise Driscoll (in English), No. 8 from traditional (in English), and No. 9 traditional from the Kalteletar (in Finnish)
Commission from the Finnish National Opera; Sung in Finnish; Sallinen derived the songs from arias to three of his operas: The Red Line (No. 1), The King Goes Forth to France (Nos. 2 and 5, and Kullervo (Nos. 3–4); despite minimal changes to the vocal lines, the orchestral accompaniments are heavily revised
In one movement; Sallinen's arrangement for string orchestra of his String Quartet No. 3, Some Aspects of Peltoniemi Hintrik's Funeral March (see Op. 19);[33] the subtitle refers to a famous Finnish fiddler tune; commission from the Swedish National Concert Institute
Other orchestral32 winds, harp, celesta, percussion
Commission from the Helsinki Festival;[1] Sallinen has speculated that Chorali may have been the origin of the 'mosaic technique' he subsequently utilized for the String Quartet No. 5, Pieces of Mosaic, Op. 54; the Symphony No. 5, Washington Mosaics, Op. 57; and, Chamber Music III, Op. 58[11]
Based on music from the opera The Palace, Op. 68; joint commission from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and the College Band Directors National Association of the U.S.[34]
Material for the introduction is related to the end of the Symphony No. 7, The Dreams of Gandalf, Op. 71; joint commission from Kitakyushu International Music Festival and the Forbidden City Music Festival in Beijing; also an arrangement for piano and string orchestra (see Op. 74b)[25]
Piano Quintet [No. 1], ...des morceaux oublies (N)
(Forgotten Pieces)
Chamber
85
15 mins.
2003 (2003)–04
Quintetpf, 2 vl, va, vc
Commission from "Art, Culture et Tradition" (Saint Paul)
Commission from the Kalevalaseura-säätio (Kalevala Society Foundation) in celebration of the 160th anniversary of the Kalevala; some material is related to Sallinen's opera Kullervo, Op. 61
In one movement; the subtitle refers to a famous Finnish fiddler tune; commission from the Swedish National Concert Institute; also arranged for string orchestra (see Op. 19[a])[33]
Pedagogical work; first prize in the Music Society of Turku's Cello Competition; arrangement for double bass and piano by Saara Hakkila in collaboration with Sallinen[37]
Pedagogical work; commission from the Naantali Music Festival for the First International Paulo Cello Competition; based on the King's 'swan song' from Act III of Sallinen's opera The Palace, Op. 68
Pedagogical work inspired by Nabokov's; The Real Life of Sebastian Knight; arrangement for double bass by Saara Hakkila in collaboration with Sallinen;[38] serves as the thematic ancestor of Sallinen's Chamber Music IV, Metamorphoses on Elegy for Sebastian Knight, Op. 79 (see also the withdrawn Op. 11, titled Metamorphosen)[21][22]
Text from the Bible, using the official translation by the Finnish Bible Translation Committee; sung in Finnish; commission from the Naantali Music Festival; Sallinen remarks on the work's genre, "Is Barabbas Dialogues a song cycle, a chamber oratorio, a cantata, a piece of musical theater or something else? I haven't troubled my head with this question. In the best of circumstances, a work of art creates its own world."
Subtitled A Requiem after the Death of a Close Person (Eli requiem läheisen kuoltua); sung in Finnish; interludes are for violin and guitar and can be omitted (see Op. 89a)
Subtitled A Requiem after the Death of a Close Person (Eli requiem läheisen kuoltua); sung in Finnish; in this version, the three interludes are for violin and guitar are omitted (see Op. 89)
Sung in Finnish; text for Nos. 1–2 from poems by Sallinen's sons; text for No. 3 from Laulupuu & for No. 4 from the Kanteletar; No. 4 features a child soloist
Anderson, Martin (2003). Aulis Sallinen: Symphonies 1 & 7 (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Germany: CPO. p. 13–16. CPO 999918-2.
Anderson, Martin (2005a). Aulis Sallinen: Symphonies 2 & 4; Horn Concerto; Mauermusik (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. Germany: CPO. p. 10–13. CPO 999969-2.
Anderson, Martin (2005b). Aulis Sallinen: Symphony 8; Violin Concerto (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Germany: CPO. p. 13–16. CPO 999972-2.
Anderson, Martin (2006). Aulis Sallinen: Chamber Musics III, IV, V (booklet). Arto Noras; Mika Väyrynen & Virtuosi di Kuhmo; Ralf Gothóni. Germany: CPO. p. 11–14. CPO 777147-2.
Anderson, Martin (2008). Aulis Sallinen: Symphonies 3 & 5 (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Germany: CPO. p. 11–14. CPO 999970-2.
Anderson, Martin (2009). Aulis Sallinen: Symphony 6; Cello Concerto (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Norrrköping Symphony Orchestra. Germany: CPO. p. 11–14. CPO 999971-2.
Anderson, Martin (2014). Aulis Sallinen: Chamber Music (booklet). Elina Vähälä; Arto Noras; Ralf Gothóni. Germany: CPO. p. 13–16. CPO 777814-2.
Hako, Pekka (English translation: William Moore) (1992). Aulis Sallinen: Kullervo, Opera in Two Acts (booklet). Ulf Söderblom & Finnish National Opera Orchestra & Chorus. Helsinki: Ondine. p. 12–14. ODE 1258-2T.
Hako, Pekka (English translation: Jaakko Mäntyjärvi) (2006). Aulis Sallinen: The King Goes Forth to France, Opera in Three Acts (booklet). Okko Kamu & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Helsinki: Ondine. p. 9–11. ODE 1066-2D.
Hermans, Ralf (1996). Aulis Sallinen: Complete Works for String Orchestra (booklet). Okko Kamu & Finnish Chamber Orchestra. Naxos. p. 2–4. 8.553747.
Hermans, Ralf (English translation: Jaakko Mäntyjärvi & Diana Tullberg) (1998). Aulis Sallinen: Complete Works for Violin, Cello, Double Bass and Piano (booklet). Jaakko Kuusisto, Mats Rondin, Saara Hakkila, & Ilkka Paananen. Naxos. p. 2–3. 8.553759.
Kaipainen, Jouni (English translation: Jaakko Mäntyjärvi) (2015). Aulis Sallinen: Chamber Music I–VIII (booklet). Arto Noras, Alexis Roman, Meta4, Ville Matvegeff, Jyväskylä Sinfonia & Wind Quintet, & Ralf Gothóni. Helsinki: Ondine. p. 4–12. ODE 1256-2D.
Kamu, Okko (English translation: William Jewson) (1987). Aulis Sallinen: Sinfonia — Chorali — Sinfonia III (booklet). Okko Kamu & Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Hamburg, Germany: BIS. BIS CD-41.
Marklund, Kenneth (English translation: Timothy Binham) (1995). Aulis Sallinen: Songs of Life and Death; The Iron Age Suite (booklet). Okko Kamu, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Jorma Hynninen, & Opera Festival Chorus. Helsinki: Ondine. p. 5–9. ODE 844-2.
Sallinen, Aulis (2003). Composer's Preface (booklet). Ari Rasilainen & Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Germany: CPO. p. 11–12. CPO 999918-2.
Weitzman, Ronald (1991). Aulis Sallinen: Sunrise Serenade; Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 6 ('From a New Zealand Diary') (booklet). Okko Kamu & Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Hamburg, Germany: BIS. p. 3–6. BIS CD-511.
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. 3–4. BIS CD-607.