KAIJA SAARIAHO (b.1952): Works for Cello - 7 Papillons, Spins and Spells (w/scordatura), Petals and Près for Cello and Electronics, Neiges for 8 Cellos.

Description: This disc usefully gathers together Saariaho’s complete output for solo cello, as well as Neiges for eight or twelve cellos, here multitracked by one performer. This is one of many works by Saariaho that depict the fluidity of natural forms. In this case, various shapes and patterns of snow, from drifting clouds to needles of ice are suggested by textured music of harmonics, bowed notes transforming into noise textures and back, and blurred timbral shapes fading into one another and sounding like the expanded palette of electroacoustic music - except that no electronics are involved beyond those used in the spectral analysis of cello overtones. The titles Petals and Butterflies suggest the character of the music; subtly shaded in iridescent colors, the works abound in movement, a deceptively apparent fragility and evanescence. The composer’s sense of timbre and innovation in the use of extended techniques (including extensive scordatura tuning in Spins and Spells) is, as always, second to none, with fluttering tremolandi in harmonics and subtle whispering tones a standard part of her vocabulary. The three movements of Près are studies in texture - and in the case of No.II, rhythm, with percussive fragments picked up and looped by the electronics, like a kind of virtual ensemble - using sounds ranging from coarse to those of the utmost refinement, extended by real-time processing with Max/MSP, along with several external processors and triggers. The work is partly inspired by the painting By the Sea by Paul Gauguin, referring to the shapes of waves, their different rhythms and sounds, from storm to quietness. The electronic part is derived from preliminary recordings made by the composer and Anssi Karttunen. Joanna Gutowska (cello).