MAX REGER : Orchestral Works (Leif Segerstam) 3CD (2013) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

All Track & Credits

RAUTAVAARA : Violin Concerto; Angels and Visitations; Isle of Bliss (Elmar Oliveira, Leif Segerstam) (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

RAUTAVAARA : On the Last Frontier (Leif Segerstam, Patrick Gallois) (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

RAUTAVAARA : Harp Concerto; Symphony No. 8 (Leif Segerstam) (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

RAUTAVAARA : Before the Icons; A Tapestry of Life (Leif Segerstam) (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara continues to be an astonishingly productive composer, as A Tapestry of Life, written when he was 79, demonstrates. As with so many of his later works, the four-movement orchestral piece is lushly scored, strongly evocative, and has a radiant energy. Written soon after his recovery from a catastrophic illness, the music and the title reflect the composer's assertive optimism. The movements have varied moods, but all are characterized by a sense of wonder and a tone of transcendence. The first, "Stars Swarming," magically depicts the imagery of stars falling to earth and shattering as they land on the lawn. The fourth movement, "The Last Polonaise," despite the finality of the title, ends explosively with an unresolved cadence that leaves the astonished listener with the dawning awareness that the conclusion is entirely open-ended. Rautavaara composed a set of piano pieces, Before the Icons, as a student in 1955, but didn't orchestrate it and fill it out for another 50 years. It has many parallels with Pictures at an Exhibition -- its genesis as a piano suite, its subject matter of visual art (in this case, Orthodox icons), and even interludes, which the composer calls Prayers, that correspond with Mussorgsky's "Promenades." Like the Mussorgsky, this piece doesn't require familiarity with the art to make an impact; each movement is vividly distinctive. It's not Rautavaara's most profound work, but it's immensely attractive. Leif Segerstam leads the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in refined and committed performances. Ondine's sound is clean and atmospheric. by Stephen Eddins

RAUTAVAARA : 12 Concertos (2009) 4xCD BOX-SET / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This four-disc Ondine set collects the complete concertos of Einojuhani Rautavaara. While these 12 works may not make the best argument for the Finnish post-modernist's status as a great composer -- his eight symphonies surely make good that claim -- they certainly make the best argument for his status as an amazingly effective, astoundingly diverse, and wonderfully individualistic composer. The works themselves are all from Rautavaara's wide-ranging maturity. There are three piano concertos, one concerto each for violin, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, organ, and harp, as well as a Ballad for harp and orchestra, plus the sui generic "Cantus Arcticus" for taped Artic bird songs and orchestra. Though the majority of the works are in three movements, each is unlike any other in conception and execution. From the megalomaniacal Piano Concerto No. 1 through the atmospheric Flute Concerto "Dances of the Winds" to the luminous Bass Concerto "Angel of Dusk," Rautavaara never repeats himself. Each work is superbly composed for its chosen soloist; the nearly Romantic Piano Concerto No. 3, "Gift of Dreams," written for Vladimir Ashkenazy, is a prime example. The soloists are always technically impressive, particularly Patrick Gallois' virtuosity on four separate flutes. They are also often emotionally compelling, especially Elmar Oliveira's seamless legato in the Tranquillo that opens the Violin Concerto. Recorded in cool, clear, deep, and very vivid digital sound, this set deserves to be heard by fans of the best of post-modernism. by James Leonard  

All Tracks

RAUTAVAARA : The 8 Symphonies (2009) 4xCD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This four-disc set collects Ondine's recordings of the eight symphonies of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. The symphonies themselves fall into two groups. The First through Fourth were written from 1955 through 1962 and trace the young composer's growth from neo-classical modernism through neo-expressionism, post-romanticism, and flat-out serialism, while the Fifth through Eighth were written from 1986 though 1999 and are more stylistic homogenous and more all-stops-out ecstatic. The performances range from the merely utilitarian First with Mikko Franck leading the National Orchestra of Belgium through the more acceptable Second through Sixth with Max Pommer directing the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra to the altogether magnificent Seventh and Eighth with Leif Segerstam heading up the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. For a taste of the journeyman composer, try the sweeping, searing Third Symphony. But for a taste of Rautavaara at his best, try the Seventh "Angel of Light" Symphony that fairly radiates incandescent excitement in its towering waves of sound. Throughout, Ondine's digital sound is clear and deep, though the later recordings are clearer and deeper than the earlier recordings. by James Leonard  All tracks