| Category | Piano solo |
| Opus Number | 24 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Duration | 11 min |
| Availability | On this website (What) |
| Recording | Reetamaria Rajala: SILENCE |
Program note
This piece attempts to recreate the feeling of trance that you might get into when listening to a minimalistic piece. It crosses the boundaries between trance music played in clubs and contemporary music. It is strongly inspired by Matthew Whittall’s 12 preludes Leaves of Grass, which my teacher and pianist Risto-Matti Marin performed during a seminar at Tampere University of Applied Sciences in the spring 2012. Marin’s tremolos and especially his one-note tremolos made me realize how rich the piano sound can be at best with some beautiful sounding overtones as a strong part of its timbre. In this piece I explore the depth of the sound of the piano, and how much or how little you need for keeping an easy topic like a crescendo and a diminuendo interesting for a long time. The piece was written during a very short time period, but it went through some modifications before it was completed at the end of 2012.
The piece was premiered by Tuomas Salokangas on the 7th of May 2014 at Pyynikki Castle. It was released on the 23rd of July 2022 on Reetamaria Rajala’s debut album SILENCE also available on streaming platforms.
Psychedelic – Listen on Spotify
Reviews
What a postlude. It seems that Cecilia Damström repeats a pattern, a small fragment of a harmony in minor. She puts the fragment in a carousel. It sounds as if the music is in a fight with someone or something. Slowly the piece is build up with severity and increasing power from the bass. Around 3:50 it gets really great. Now the music is very expressive and makes the listener feel that the music has a certain message. The atmosphere gets more serious while the fragment is moving in the right hand. Suddenly, silence is back as if it all returns to the beginning – as if silence was stronger than the noise. The piece lows tide out. The listener is left behind in silence. Reetamaria Rajala is in control with all details and she really nails the essence of the pieces. She is very succesful because she lets the silence speak instead of just rumbling forward. [The album] “SILENCE” is that kind of music you just want to listen to over and over. You want it as yet another piece of furniture in your home. That is quality. The music formulates emotions and messages that can actually be used.
Rachel Einarsson, Klassis Burreau 27th of October 2022
From Psychedelic by the Finnish composer Cecilia Damström, who herself says that she wanted to explore the sound of the piano in depth. How much or how little is needed to keep the interest up? Perhaps, as I said, the most pure minimalist work on Malmö-based pianist Reetamaria Rajala’s debut album, an album that captures my interest in any case, thanks to Rajala’s clear vision and always distinctive playing.
Sara Norling, Sveriges Radio: Musik Revyn 11th of September 2022
Performances
2014 May 7th World Premiere performed by Tuomas Salokangas at Pyynikki Castle – More info
2014 August 23rd Tuomas Salokangas at the Tampering Festival at Tampere Library
2021 April 21st Swedish premiere by Reetamaria Rajala in Södermöre – More info
2022 April 10th Reetamaria Rajala at Kuopio Chambermusic Society – More info
2022 July 23rd release of Reetamaria Rajala’s debut album SILENCE – Listen here
2022 October 11th Danish premiere by Reetamaria Rajala in Copenhagen – More info
2024 June 30th Reetamaria Rajala at Aava Festiva, Turku archipilago, Finland – More info
2024 September 4th Reetamaria Rajala at Kirseberg Church, Sweden – More info