Composer

:

Einojuhani Rautavaara

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Orchestral

Compose Date

:

1978

First Performance

:

Nov 22, 1978

Average_duration

:

19:46

Angels and Visitations is a choral work composed by Einojuhani Rautavaara in 1994. The piece was premiered in Helsinki, Finland, on December 10, 1994, by the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir, conducted by Timo Nuoranne. The work is divided into six movements, each of which is based on a poem by the American poet Edgar Allan Poe. The movements are titled "The Valley of Unrest," "The City in the Sea," "The Sleeper," "The Coliseum," "The Haunted Palace," and "The Conqueror Worm." Rautavaara's music is characterized by its lush harmonies, soaring melodies, and intricate textures. The composer employs a wide range of choral techniques, including polyphony, homophony, and antiphony, to create a rich and varied sonic landscape. In "The Valley of Unrest," Rautavaara sets Poe's poem about a desolate and haunted valley to a hauntingly beautiful melody. The choir sings in unison, creating a sense of unity and solidarity in the face of the valley's eerie emptiness. "The City in the Sea" is a more dramatic and intense movement, with the choir singing in a powerful and forceful manner. The music is full of tension and suspense, reflecting the poem's apocalyptic vision of a city sinking into the sea. "The Sleeper" is a more introspective and contemplative movement, with the choir singing in a gentle and delicate manner. The music is full of longing and melancholy, reflecting the poem's meditation on death and the afterlife. "The Coliseum" is a more energetic and rhythmic movement, with the choir singing in a lively and upbeat manner. The music is full of vitality and excitement, reflecting the poem's celebration of the gladiatorial games. "The Haunted Palace" is a more atmospheric and ethereal movement, with the choir singing in a hushed and mysterious manner. The music is full of eerie and otherworldly sounds, reflecting the poem's haunting description of a once-great palace now fallen into ruin. Finally, "The Conqueror Worm" is a more somber and reflective movement, with the choir singing in a mournful and elegiac manner. The music is full of sorrow and lamentation, reflecting the poem's meditation on the inevitability of death and the transience of human life. Overall, Angels and Visitations is a powerful and evocative work that showcases Rautavaara's mastery of choral composition. The music is full of emotion and drama, and the choir's performance is both moving and inspiring.

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