Only in our time has the flute found composers able to reveal the full range of its expressive potential. This marvelous collection of 20th century works for flute and orchestra is a perfect display for this multi-faceted instrument: joyous and unpredictable with Aulis Sallinen, vaporous and languid with Toru Takemitsu, pungent and incisive with Krzysztof Penderecki. Entitled “Harlekiini”, Sallinen’s concerto abounds in scintillating colors and mischievous instrumental effects, as one would expect from the depiction of a Commedia dell’arte character. The solo part acrobatically attempts to follow the steps of Harlequin, and Sallinen’s mildly modern idiom makes the whole adventure even more entertaining. The Finnish composer’s work is as funny as Penderecki’s concerto is dark, packed as it is with angular chromatic lines, violent dynamic contrasts, and tense rhythms. Toru Takemitsu’s impressionistic tone poems couldn’t be more different from the other works on the program. His triptych Toward the Sea II (originally for alto flute and guitar) adds a soft Debussyan tapestry of harp and strings to the solo alto flute. The Night, Moby Dick, and the mysterious fluidity of Cape Cod create a magic sound world suspended between sky and sea. Petri Alanko finds the right atmosphere for every piece, while the Tapiola Sinfonietta provides a richly expressive palette under the baton of the experienced Okko Kamu. A smooth initiation to the music of our time.
