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World Premiere of Olli Mustonen's Concerto No. 2 "Larin Paraske" by Elina Vähälä and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, led by Nicholas Collon

Dec. 03, 2024

On December 6, Olli Mustonen's second violin concerto, Concerto No. 2 "Larin Paraske" will have its world premiere at Musiikkitalo in Helsinki. Violinist Elina Vähälä will perform as soloist alongside the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Nicholas Collon. Commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, this work serves as a musical portrait of the Finnish rune singer, Larin Paraske. 

Concerto No. 2 "Larin Paraske" is divided into four movements, each reflecting Mustonen’s artistic vision and his inspiration from Larin Paraske. The first movement, “So sang Larin Paraske,” captures the rhythmic and energetic essence of her rune singing. The second movement, “Paraskes Jugend,” portrays the singer’s early years with delicate, lyrical sounds. The third movement, “Mit Gottes Bäumen sprechen,” transports listeners into a contemplative, almost spiritual soundscape, interpreting nature as a backdrop to Paraske’s legacy. The fourth and final movement, “Apotheosis,” concludes the work with a dramatic and radiant culmination.

Larin Paraske (1833–1904) was a prominent Finnish rune singer whose extensive collection of folk songs and poems significantly contributed to Finnish culture. Her dedication to preserving oral traditions has inspired many artists and composers, including Olli Mustonen. Mustonen had already been inspired by the runic song tradition and created a musical monument to the singer Jehkin Iivana in the composition of the same name for guitar. Mustonen notes, "I have felt that with the help of music it could be possible also to convey some of the untranslatable and at times even hypnotic and shamanistic qualities of this poetry to an audience not fluent in our unusual language.”

Listen to Mustonen's Nonetto II (2000):

Olli Mustonen/Nonetto II/Manchester Collective

To learn more about Olli Mustonen, visit schott-music.com.

Olli Mustonen
Concerto No. 2 "Larin Paraske" (2024)
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