Kalevi Aho - Quintets

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Kalevi Aho - Quintets

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Four years after the Quintet for Oboe and String Quartet Aho wrote one to showcase the talents of Juhani Tapaninen, the Finnish Radio orchestra’s solo bassoonist. Like the Seven Inventions it is cast in several movements, played without a break, and it also has a clear, overarching narrative.

The Ouvertüre starts comically enough, with instrumental brays and slides, the overall sound bright and clear. The Gershwin-like melody played over pizzicato strings is particularly memorable (2:26 onwards excerpt ) as is the one at the beginning of ‘Parodie’, the second movement. There is a bluesy languor at this point, but more than that it’s a deft piece of pastiche on Aho’s part. excerpt

There are some harmonically dense and complex passages here, with pizzicato strings sounding surprisingly vehement, followed by a lighter, freewheeling Scherzo. There is plenty of wit and buoyancy in this music, which demands great precision and unanimity from the Lahti players. This is clearly one of those occasions where one senses the musicians enjoying themselves; just sample the strings’ bracing attack at 4:28. excerpt

The Cadenza is another of those virtuosic movements that manages to combine bravura playing with a modicum of feeling. Some wonderfully assured playing here, especially from the strings, and bassoonist Harri Ahmas makes the unwieldy lower notes seem surprisingly well rounded and well projected. And what a wistful conclusion, thanks to cellist Ilkka Palli’s generous, warm-hearted playing.

The Finale is light and airy, textures admirably clear throughout, the bassoon proving it is more agile than one might expect. excerpt And in Epilog Aho moves from a stentorian opening through a kaleidoscope of colours and Morse-like blasts from the bassoon to a quiet, spare close, complete with strangely muted string pizzicatos.

The alto sax is in charge of the second quintet on this well-filled disc, its distinctive timbre ringing out from the very start. The instrument doesn’t sound as bluesy as one might expect, more like another colourful thread to be weaved into this musical tapestry. The double bass makes a considerable impact in the first movement, ballast to the high-flying sax – just sample the passage beginning at 3:00 and marvel at Hannu Lehtonen’s transported playing. excerpt And what to make of those jaunty rhythms beginning at 8:16 and 8:50? Aho again proves he is adept when it comes to slipping from one mood or mode to another, making it all sound so natural and seamless.

The first movement is so packed with incident – after all, it lasts nearly 18 minutes – one might be tempted to think there’s nothing left to say in the remaining two. Not so, although the opening of the Allegro is as insistent as that of the Largo. Aho manages to get so much weight and momentum out of his players at this point that it’s sometimes difficult to believe there are only five instruments in the mix. excerpt This is certainly the composer at his motoric best, repetitive yet always gripping. Just listen to that fevered blast on the alto sax at 3:26 – hair-raising.

The Andante contains some arresting sounds, from the brooding intro, complete with wailing sax, to the more impenetrable thickets that follow. There is so much material here one might feel a little bewildered, and while the musicians have a firm grip on the music I did find myself wandering towards the end. Perhaps the sheer virtuosity of the piece, remarkable as it is, becomes a little relentless after a while.

I imagine most listeners will come to Aho through his orchestral works which, in my view, show this composer at his considerable best. As for the chamber pieces these might well ensnare those who don’t usually warm to the genre, as they have a symphonic weight and logic about them. For those who already know the symphonies they make an interesting appendix to this composer’s other works and, as such, should be included in your collection.

Dan Morgan @ musicweb-international.com