Cantus Arcticus is latin for Arctic Song, so it is probably trying to reflect the duality of Arctic Nature; beautiful yet unforgiving, being light all day long for months and then dark for months with no daylight during the Arctic winter, progressively so as you go further north.
A tam-tam is essentially a gong. It refers to the type of gong which is flat-faced. The term is pretty commonly used, and most scores used tam-tam instead of gong when referring to this specific type. The instrument itself is also frequently used at the end of a movement or piece mainly because of its deep resonance. Rautavaara's free music in prefessional terms can be categorized to "controlled aleatoricism". The Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski is famous for such techniques. I would recommend his String Quartet, Double Concerto and Third Symphony if you want to check him out. The use of tape and recordings in modern and contemporary classical music is not uncommon. After all, the earliest electronic and tape works were part of classical music. For some unique use of such I would recommend Karlheinz Stockhausen's Hymnen: Dritte Region (version for electronic and orchestra), Avet Terterian's Sixth Symphony and Steve Reich's City Life.
Nice rautavaara is so far one of my favorite "modernist" composers. His piano concerto no1, piano concerto no.3 "gift of dreams", and his harp concerto are well worth checking out as well. He tends to great at creating ethereal, dreamy, errie, and elegant textures on top of tone clusters and unique melodies
The (whooper/common) swan is the national bird of Finland, and their migration south in late fall when the lakes might start freezing over does fit a certain melancholic mood. In a Finnish piece about bird songs, I'd say it's one of the most natural subjects I could think of. The progression of the parts makes sense to me too: there's the lively chirping and honking in a late summer bog, followed by the autumnal air growing colder and harsher, and ending with the migratory birds leaving for the winter.
The contemporary classical label, Another Timbre, is full of this type of indeterminate music. I personally find a lot of the music very relaxing and beautiful despite the microtonality like this piece. Not knowledgeable enough to explain how the composers mange to strike that balance but there is a whole world out there for those intrigued.
Do you enjoy freedom in performance? Look up Terry Riley's In C or Julius Eastman's Stay On It. Both pieces are written for an indetermined ensemble and feature cells and riffs to be played basically ad lib by the ensemble. ua-cam.com/video/tbTn79x-mrI/v-deo.htmlsi=onXve1yQVQ1kqqOx ua-cam.com/video/9X3j_76VBvI/v-deo.htmlsi=val6NKoxsLKkFeP3
You got a forest from the opening, I got a marsh or swamp. There is water and there is lots of life, but it is still not particularily hospitable place for us humans, infact it can be quite dangerous if you take a wrong step.
Cantus Arcticus is latin for Arctic Song, so it is probably trying to reflect the duality of Arctic Nature; beautiful yet unforgiving, being light all day long for months and then dark for months with no daylight during the Arctic winter, progressively so as you go further north.
14:50 Vc is cello indeed, usually denoted vlc for violincello. Cb is contrabasso or doublebass as you said.
A tam-tam is essentially a gong. It refers to the type of gong which is flat-faced. The term is pretty commonly used, and most scores used tam-tam instead of gong when referring to this specific type. The instrument itself is also frequently used at the end of a movement or piece mainly because of its deep resonance.
Rautavaara's free music in prefessional terms can be categorized to "controlled aleatoricism". The Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski is famous for such techniques. I would recommend his String Quartet, Double Concerto and Third Symphony if you want to check him out.
The use of tape and recordings in modern and contemporary classical music is not uncommon. After all, the earliest electronic and tape works were part of classical music. For some unique use of such I would recommend Karlheinz Stockhausen's Hymnen: Dritte Region (version for electronic and orchestra), Avet Terterian's Sixth Symphony and Steve Reich's City Life.
Finally some good music.
Really nice how the woodwinds mimick the bird sounds
Rautavaara was a master of the color pallette.
Always reminded me of the more approachable crossroad between Shostakovich and Messiaen.
Nice rautavaara is so far one of my favorite "modernist" composers. His piano concerto no1, piano concerto no.3 "gift of dreams", and his harp concerto are well worth checking out as well. He tends to great at creating ethereal, dreamy, errie, and elegant textures on top of tone clusters and unique melodies
The (whooper/common) swan is the national bird of Finland, and their migration south in late fall when the lakes might start freezing over does fit a certain melancholic mood. In a Finnish piece about bird songs, I'd say it's one of the most natural subjects I could think of. The progression of the parts makes sense to me too: there's the lively chirping and honking in a late summer bog, followed by the autumnal air growing colder and harsher, and ending with the migratory birds leaving for the winter.
Pure Awrsomeness. Thanks Jack and Bryan.
lol, "awrsomeness" 😂
Oh, this one is one of my favourites, also his first piano concerto is awesome.
The contemporary classical label, Another Timbre, is full of this type of indeterminate music. I personally find a lot of the music very relaxing and beautiful despite the microtonality like this piece. Not knowledgeable enough to explain how the composers mange to strike that balance but there is a whole world out there for those intrigued.
14:50 maybe vc stands for violoncello? 👀
Do you enjoy freedom in performance? Look up Terry Riley's In C or Julius Eastman's Stay On It. Both pieces are written for an indetermined ensemble and feature cells and riffs to be played basically ad lib by the ensemble.
ua-cam.com/video/tbTn79x-mrI/v-deo.htmlsi=onXve1yQVQ1kqqOx
ua-cam.com/video/9X3j_76VBvI/v-deo.htmlsi=val6NKoxsLKkFeP3
You got a forest from the opening, I got a marsh or swamp. There is water and there is lots of life, but it is still not particularily hospitable place for us humans, infact it can be quite dangerous if you take a wrong step.