Viola, piano
SKU:
FG.55011-906-2
Composed by Harri
Wessman. Classical,
contemporary. Score and
part. Fennica Gehrman
#55011-906-2. Published
by Fennica Gehrman
(FG.55011-906-2).
ISBN
9790550119062.
Harr
i Wessman's Summer
Variations for viola and
piano (1998) exploites
the rich and romantic
sound of the viola and
enjoys the many shades of
summer days. It is
dedicated to violist Yuri
Gandelsman, who premiered
the suite with Risto
Lauriala 15th June
1998.
Duration: c.
11'
Movements:
1. Summer theme
2.
What is this?
3.
Pizzicato
4. Con
sordino
5. Stile
concitato ostinato
6.
Tango
7.
Finale
Harri
Wessman (b. 1949) is
interested in all aspects
of music that may be
expressive, without in
any way ignoring the
possibilities of melody.
He himself describes his
harmonic method as a kind
of contrapuntally treated
jazz harmony. Wessman is
particularly preoccupied
with the ability of music
to express emotions, an
interest which has led
him to study the
so-called doctrine of the
affections and the
musical rhetoric of the
baroque era. His Eine
kleine Figurenlehre for
wind quartet and piano is
a playful application of
a set of baroque musical
figures.
His
output is dominated by
chamber and vocal music
as well as a number of
concertos for various
instruments such as the
Concerto for Trumpet and
Orchestra and the
Serenade for Piano and
String Orchestra. During
recent years pedagogic
music has become a more
and more central area in
his output with an
emphasis on creating
repertoire for budding
musicians, from beginners
to young professionals.
He has even tailored some
solo and chamber works
for young musicians that
he personally knows: e.g.
Five Trombone Pieces for
Minna Kajander (1992),
Five Horn Pieces for
Jenni Kuronen (1993),
Five Piano Etudes for
Tiina Karakorpi, Five
Trumpet Pieces for
Alevtina Parland and Five
Double Bass Pieces for
Amanda Thieme. Other
chamber and solo pieces
include Pan and the Nymph
Pitys (1979) for flute
and guitar, Three
Caprices for Konstantin
Weitz (1994) for solo
violin and Capriccio for
wind ensemble (1989).
