“Arctic Hysteria” = ALMILA: Wind Quintet II, ‘Arctic Hysteria;’ NORDGREN: The Good Samaritan for Wind Quintet; Quintet No. 2 for Winds; KOKKONEN: Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon – The Arktinen Hysteria Wind Quintet – Alba ABCD 307, 57:31 [Distr. by Albany] ****:
In choosing the program for this imaginative release by the Arktinen Hysteria Woodwind Quintet, this Finnish group has mirrored their philosophy: “The Quintet sings, growls, echoes, screams, muses, crows and warbles, as virtuosos on five different instruments delight in exploiting the enchanting potential of their instruments and the sounds they produce together. With oodles of vim and vigour and jolly harmony.” Well, not quite. But this survey of chamber works of Finnish composers is accessible and performed with verve.
Atso Amila’s Wind Quintet II, ‘Arctic Hysteria’ of 2006 is high spirited, despite its dark Finnish undercurrent that was inspired by a tragic event. In “New Thousand and Six,” the woodwinds ebulliently chatter while the horns moan disconcertingly underneath. “Neither or Nor” is a deliriously whimsical interplay and “No One’s Lullaby” is a lovely swaying ode to an unnamed sleeper. The performance squeezes every ounce of the exuberance and sadness of this work.
Nordgren’s The Good Samaritan is a ten minute narrative describing the biblical parable contrasting meditative moments with pungent outbursts of violence. His Second Wind Quintet is a quiet contemplative work with motivic thematic material. Joonas Kokkonen was a major force in Finnish music in the mid twentieth century. His output includes five symphonies and an iconic opera, The Last Temptaions, produced by the Metropolitan Opera. The Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Basoon is a charming work with sections that are pensive, joyful and rhythmically vibrant.
This is a very well-performed and recorded CD of modern Finnish wind music that will appeal to those looking for something off the beaten track.
— Robert Moon
Sir Thomas Beecham conducts Rimsky Korsakov, Saint-Saëns – SOMM
Three mid-century concerts
