Osmo Tapio Räihälä
Encyclopedia
Osmo Tapio Everton Räihälä (born January 15, 1964 in Suomussalmi
, Finland
) is a Finnish composer
of contemporary music. He has mainly written instrumental music for various chamber music
line-ups, fourconcerto
s (one for mallet instruments, a viola
concerto
, an oboe
and a cello
concerto) as well as for symphony orchestra. His best known work is the 2005 orchestral portrait Barlinnie Nine, a tribute to the Scottish
football player Duncan Ferguson
, then of Everton
, whom Räihälä is known to be a supporter of. In 2004, another orchestral tribute, this time to the Islay
single malt whisky Ardbeg
, was chosen as one of recommended works in the international Uuno Klami
competition.
Apart from the Nordic countries
, Räihälä's music has been performed, amongst others, in the United States
, United Kingdom
, France
, Netherlands
, Germany
and many other countries. The first CD recording of his works, Rock Painting, was released in 2006.
Suomussalmi
Suomussalmi is a municipality in Finland and is located in the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish...
, 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...
) is a Finnish composer
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...
of contemporary music. He has mainly written instrumental music for various 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...
line-ups, fourconcerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
s (one for mallet instruments, a viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
, an oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
concerto) as well as for symphony orchestra. His best known work is the 2005 orchestral portrait Barlinnie Nine, a tribute to the Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
football player Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Cowan Ferguson is a Scottish former footballer. He was notorious for his "hardman" image and nicknamed "Big Dunc" and "Duncan Disorderly"....
, then of Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, whom Räihälä is known to be a supporter of. In 2004, another orchestral tribute, this time to the Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
single malt whisky Ardbeg
Ardbeg
Ardbeg Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the south coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands. The distillery claims to produce the peatiest Islay whisky and uses malted barley sourced from the maltings in Port Ellen. It is one of the...
, was chosen as one of recommended works in the international Uuno Klami
Uuno Klami
Uuno Klami was a Finnish composer. He was born in Virolahti. Many of his works are related to the Kalevala. He was also influenced by French music, in particularly by Maurice Ravel and the group Les Six...
competition.
Apart from the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
, Räihälä's music has been performed, amongst others, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Netherlands
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...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and many other countries. The first CD recording of his works, Rock Painting, was released in 2006.