Rautavaara: Ludus verbalis

The first part in a series of four – two secular and two sacred – this recording sets out to explore different facets of a cappella choral music from the 20th and 21st centuries. Volume 1 takes its name from one of the nine cycles of secular music presented here. In this panorama of works, the word, through poetry, is central to musical creation; it becomes the subject of play, with the composers appropriating it and translating it into music. Alongside famous cycles from the repertoire, Ens Aedes have chosen to record a work commissioned by them from Philippe Hersant, as well as several cycles by other composers who are still active.

These cycles set words by William Shakespeare, Joseph von Eichendorff and Paul Éluard; the listener will also discover (or rediscover) poems by Charles d’Orléans, Louise Labé and Henry Felix.

After releasing boxes featuring Einojuhani Rautaavara’s eight Symphonies and twelve Concertos, Ondine is pleased to release a four-CD box of his Choral Works.

This box includes both sacred and secular works, and shows the composer’s diversity in style, expression and content.

Rautavaara is perhaps the most well-known and certainly the most recorded living Finnish composer today.

These recordings feature two acclaimed Finnish mixed choirs – the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir and the Finnish Philharmonic Chorus – as well as the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under conductors Timo Nuoranne, Eric-Olof Söderström and Leif Segerstam.

The recordings are taken from existing acclaimed releases on Ondine.