Private Gardens

Kaija Saariaho - Private Gardens

Performers:

Lonh, for soprano & electronics 
Dawn Upshaw - vocals

Pres, for cello & electronics
Anssi Karttunen - cello

Noanoa, for flute & electronics 
Camilla Hoitenga - flute

Six Japanese Gardens, for percussion & electronics
Florent Jodelet - percussion

Kaija Saariaho - electronics for all of the pieces

Kaija Saariaho is a prolific composer and it seems that almost everything she composes proceeds to disc! Her 'style' is difficult to define, because as soon as she has successfully entered one medium, she abruptly shifts to another - and with nearly equal success on every venture. She has surrounded herself with colleagues who understand her sonic language and so whether she composes opera, chamber music, large orchestral pieces, song cycles or, in the case of this recording, electronic music, her friends are at hand. This strangely wonderful recording moves from various instruments and pits them against or with electronically produced sounds. The first instrument is the human voice, and in this case the soloist is the enormously talented Dawn Upshaw. Saariaho places the voice in the hanging space of finger symbol sounds and atmospheres making 'Lonh for soprano & electronics' a mesmerizing, beautiful work. She then moves to the cello (again played by her regular friend Anssi Karttunen) in a three movement piece 'Près, for cello & electronics' in which at times it is difficult to discern which lines of sound flow from the strings of the cello and which from the electronic devices. The 'Noanoa for flute & electronics' displays the timbre of the flute played in every conceivable manner in tandem with electronic sounds (again, constant companion artist Camilla Hoitenga is the talented flautist). The final work involves percussion (Florent Jodelet) in 'Six Japanese Gardens for percussion & electronics' assigning music to Stone Bridges, Moss Garden, Rock Garden, Dry Mountain Stream, etc - six dissimilar and highly inventive combinations of percussive instruments with electronic modes. While the music on this recording may not demand the attention of the concert hall audience, it most assuredly touches the emotional center of the brain and heart and is some of the more successful meditative music to come from contemporary composers. (Barnes & Noble)

Tracklisting:

1. Lonh {15:58}

2. Pres I {7:29}

3. Pres II {3:13}

4. Pres III {8:47}

5. Noanoa {8:52}

6. Six Japanese Gardens I: Tenju-an Garden of Nanzen-ji Temple {3:50}

7. Six Japanese Gardens II: Many Pleasures (Garden of the Kinkaku-ji)
{1:28}

8. Six Japanese Gardens III: Dry Mountain Stream {3:20}

9. Six Japanese Gardens IV: Rock Garden of Ryoan-ji {3:52}

10. Six Japanese Gardens V: Moss Garden of the Saiho-ji {2:52}

11. Six Japanese Gardens VI: Stone Bridges {3:28}

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