Kaveli Aho Double and Triple Concertos - Definitive Performances
Finnish composer Kaveli Aho is a symphonist. His ideas seem best-suited to large-scale works. Among those large-scale works are 36 concertos, including the two on this recording. And within the subset of concertos, these two are also large-scale. One is a double concerto, the other a triple concerto.
Aho composed his double concerto for cor anglais, harp, and orchestra in 2014. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra commissioned it for two of its players; Dimitri Mestdag (cor anglais) and Anneleen Lenaerts (harp).
Aho contrasts the characteristics of these instruments effectively. The cor anglais plays long, sustained single-line melodies. And the harp plays plucked melodies nestled in clouds of arpeggios and doubled notes.
It's a mysterious, atmospheric work. And the performance is superb. Both the soloists and the ensemble are the performers Aho specifically wrote for. This is their music, and it shows.
The 2017 Concerto for Piano Trio and Chamber Orchestra is quite different. As Aho was writing the work, his granddaughter was born. He wrote a lullaby for her and then decided to incorporate it into the concerto.
It's a simple modal melody, beautiful and soothing. Of course, Aho does far more than just present this tune. As the concerto progresses, the lullaby develops, transforms, and changes character. The work grows in complexity, before returning to the tune at the very end.
The Storioni Trio commissioned this work, and they're the soloists here. So once again, Aho's music is performed by the artists he had in mind and the ones who best understand his intent.
These are outstanding works, and real additions to the concerto repertoire.
This is an SACD recording. So the better your playback system, the better this recording will sound. And the more you can appreciate the nuances in the performances. Especially when the soloists enter into conversations with each other.
Kaveli Aho: Double and Triple Concertos
Double Concerto for cor Anglais, harp, and orchestra
Dimitri Mestdag, coranglais; Anneleen Lenaerts, harp
Triple Concerto for violin, cello, piano, and chamber orchestra
Storioni Trio
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra; Olari Elts, conductor
BIS 2462 SACD
