Erkki Salmenhaara
Encyclopedia
Erkki Olavi Salmenhaara (March 12, 1941 – March 19, 2002) was a Finnish composer
and musicologist
.
, Finland
, and married Anja Kosonen in 1961. They had two sons, but divorced in 1978. Salmenhaara died in Helsinki on March 19, 2002.
at the Sibelius Academy
until 1963, and then continued his studies with György Ligeti
in Vienna. Salmenhaara then studied musicology, aesthetics and theoretical philosophy at the University of Helsinki
, and earned his PhD
in 1970 with a doctoral thesis about the works of the composer Ligeti. He served as lecturer (1966–1975) and associate professor (1975–2002) of musicology at the University of Helsinki and was also the leading writer on classical music in Finland. In addition, he served as chairman of the Society of Finnish Composers (1974–1976) and of the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras (1974–1978).
Beginning in the 1970s, Salmenhaara's works began to be characterized by frequent repetition of triadic motives with gradual changes in harmony. Although this led to his being linked to the movement in music known as minimalism
, Salmenhaara nonetheless denied this connection. Like the works of the Dutch
minimalist composer Simeon ten Holt
, Salmenhaara's works from this period utilize a musical language closely related to that of the Romantic period
of classical music, giving his music a decidedly European aesthetic. Salmenhaara's compositions include several symphonic works, chamber music
pieces, choral works, songs for solo instrument, and vocal arts songs. He also wrote one opera
, Portugalin nainen (The Portuguese Woman) which premiered at the Suomen Kansallisooppera in February 1976.
Salmenhaara's published writings include a textbook on music theory, a history of 20th century music, monographs on Ligeti, Jean Sibelius
's Tapiola and the Brahms symphonies, biographies of Jean Sibelius and Leevi Madetoja
, and a history of the Society of Finnish Composers. He also contributed to Erik W. Tawaststjerna
's comprehensive biography of Sibelius. His most significant literary work was his contribution to a four-volume history of Finnish music (published in 1995–1996), writing about the period from the Romantic era to the Second World War. In addition, from 1963 to 1973, he served as a critic for the leading Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and musicologist
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
.
Personal life
Salmenhaara was born in HelsinkiHelsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and married Anja Kosonen in 1961. They had two sons, but divorced in 1978. Salmenhaara died in Helsinki on March 19, 2002.
Career
Salmenhaara studied composition with Joonas KokkonenJoonas Kokkonen
Joonas Kokkonen was a Finnish composer. He was one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius; his opera The Last Temptations has received over 500 performances worldwide, and is considered by many to be Finland's most distinguished national opera.-...
at the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
until 1963, and then continued his studies with György Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
in Vienna. Salmenhaara then studied musicology, aesthetics and theoretical philosophy at the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
, and earned his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1970 with a doctoral thesis about the works of the composer Ligeti. He served as lecturer (1966–1975) and associate professor (1975–2002) of musicology at the University of Helsinki and was also the leading writer on classical music in Finland. In addition, he served as chairman of the Society of Finnish Composers (1974–1976) and of the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras (1974–1978).
Works
Prior to studying with Kokkonen, Salmenhaara had already written several tonal pieces, including the 17 Small Pieces for Piano (1957–1960). In the early 1960s, he was associated with the modernist Finnish Musical Youth.Beginning in the 1970s, Salmenhaara's works began to be characterized by frequent repetition of triadic motives with gradual changes in harmony. Although this led to his being linked to the movement in music known as minimalism
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
, Salmenhaara nonetheless denied this connection. Like the works of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
minimalist composer Simeon ten Holt
Simeon ten Holt
Simeon ten Holt is a Dutch composer. Ten Holt studied with Jakob van Domselaer, eventually developing a highly personal style of minimal composition...
, Salmenhaara's works from this period utilize a musical language closely related to that of the Romantic period
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
of classical music, giving his music a decidedly European aesthetic. Salmenhaara's compositions include several symphonic works, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
pieces, choral works, songs for solo instrument, and vocal arts songs. He also wrote one opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, Portugalin nainen (The Portuguese Woman) which premiered at the Suomen Kansallisooppera in February 1976.
Salmenhaara's published writings include a textbook on music theory, a history of 20th century music, monographs on Ligeti, Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
's Tapiola and the Brahms symphonies, biographies of Jean Sibelius and Leevi Madetoja
Leevi Madetoja
Leevi Antti Madetoja was a Finnish composer.-Life and career:Born in Oulu, he was the son of Antti Madetoja and Anna Hyttinen...
, and a history of the Society of Finnish Composers. He also contributed to Erik W. Tawaststjerna
Erik W. Tawaststjerna
Erik Werner Tawaststjerna was the best known Finnish musicologist of his generation. He was also a pianist, pedagogue, critic, and biographer of Jean Sibelius....
's comprehensive biography of Sibelius. His most significant literary work was his contribution to a four-volume history of Finnish music (published in 1995–1996), writing about the period from the Romantic era to the Second World War. In addition, from 1963 to 1973, he served as a critic for the leading Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
Literature
- Henri-Claude FantapiéHenri-Claude FantapiéHenri-Claude Fantapié is a French conductor and composer. Pupil of Marc-Cesar Scotto, Eugène Bigot, Igor Markevitch and of Henri Dutilleux ....
: Illuminations, il est grand temps in Muualla, täällä: Kirjoituksia elämästä, kulttuurista, musiikista, pp. 110–118. Ateena Kustannus, Jyväskylä. 2001. ISBN 951-796-265-7 - Henri-Claude FantapiéHenri-Claude FantapiéHenri-Claude Fantapié is a French conductor and composer. Pupil of Marc-Cesar Scotto, Eugène Bigot, Igor Markevitch and of Henri Dutilleux ....
: Quelques réflexions personnelles, suppositions et supputations, à propos du naïf dans l'art ou pour servir à une interprétation de l'œuvre d'Erkki Salmenhaara. Boréales n°9/10. 1978. pp. 244–258 - Henri-Claude FantapiéHenri-Claude FantapiéHenri-Claude Fantapié is a French conductor and composer. Pupil of Marc-Cesar Scotto, Eugène Bigot, Igor Markevitch and of Henri Dutilleux ....
: Le sacré, le rituel et le profane dans deux œuvres d'Erkki Salmenhaara Études finno-ougriennes, Tome 41, 2009. ADÉFO L'Harmattan. - Guy Rickards: Erkki Salmenhaara: Finnish music from the avant-garde to the euphonious. The Guardian, Thursday 23 May 2002. Link
External links
- Jyrhämä, Outi: Erkki Salmenhaara (1941–2002) Kansallisbiografia SKS.
- Erkki Salmenhaara at the Finnish Music Information Centre