Einojuhani Rautavaara's Vigilia: From cathedral to concert hall

Einojuhani Rauatavaara (b Helsinki, 9 Oct 1928) is Finland’s preeminent contemporary composer, known internationally for both his symphonic and choral music. His Vigilia was commissioned by the Helsinki Festival and the Orthodox Church of Finland for the Uspenki Cathedral in Helsinki. Rautavaara first composed the work in two parts, Vespers (1971) and Matins (1972), later combining these two services into an integrated whole designed for concert performance. This dissertation conveys the sum of the author’s experiences preparing the score, planning choral rehearsals and conducting a live performance of the work recorded and broadcast nationally by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In that respect, the lessons learned from personal conversations with Rautavaara himself, with Tarja von Creutlein who is the leading authority on this piece, and from the insights into pronunciation of the Finnish text garnered through hours of coaching with Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, a highly–esteemed choral composer and linguist, will, hopefully, allow choral conductors to gain an enhanced understanding both of the liturgical and historical contexts of this amazing work. To that end, the author specifically discusses those aspects of Rautavaara’s process that proved most elusive to him and his choir—the unique harmonic language and the lyricism of the Finnish language that inspired it.

Name thesis:degree_name

A.Mus.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2010

Author dc:creator

• Friesen, Elroy D.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alwes, Chester L.
• Blume, Philipp
• Siena, Jerold
• Ward, Thomas R.

• Finnish Choral Music
• All-Night Vigil

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2010 Elroy D. Friesen

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/16845

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/16845