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.

Suomeksi

Keväällä 2012 piano-opettajani Risto-Matti Marin soitti seminaarin yhteydessä Matthew Whittallin 12 perludia Leaves of Grass jotka inspiroivat minua siinä määrin että samana iltana sävelsin tämän pianoetydin lähes alusta loppuun. Minua kiehtoaa tremolosta syntyviä yläsävelsarjoja ja uudenlainen sointimaailma. Tämä hyvin minimalistinen kappale on sekoitus sekä nykymusiikista että klubeissa soitetusta trance musiikista joka pyrkii saamaan kuuliansa meditatiiviseen transsiin.

Teoksen kantaesitti Tuomas Salokangas 7 toukokuuta 2014 Pyynikin linnassa ja teoksen on levyttänyt Reetamaria Rajala esikoislevyllään SILENCE.

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

Orginal på Svenska

Ur Psychedelic av finländska tonsättaren Cecilia Damström, som själv säger att hon velat utforska pianots klang på djupet. Hur mycket eller hur lite behövs för att hålla intresset uppe? Kanske, som sagt det mest renodlade minimalistiska verket på Malmö-baserade pianisten Reetamaria Rajala’s debutalbum, ett album som i alla fall fångar mitt intresse, tackvare Rajalas tydliga vision och alltid distinkta spel.

Sara Norling, Sveriges Radio: Musik Revyn 11th of  September 2022

 

Performances

7th of May 2014 world premiere performed by Tuomas Salokangas at Pyynikki Castle – More info

23rd of August 2014 Tuomas Salokangas at the Tampering Festival at Tampere Library 

21st of April 2021 Swedish premiere by Reetamaria Rajala in Södermöre – More info

10th of April 2022 Reetamaria Rajala at Kuopio Chambermusic Society – More info

23rd of July 2022 release of Reetamaria Rajala’s debut album SILENCE – Listen here

11th of October 2022 Danish premiere by Reetamaria Rajala in Copenhagen – More info