Kaija Saariaho: Terrestre (Parts)

Terrestre was commissioned to celebrate the composer闂備胶鍋ㄩ崕鏌ユ偘 fiftieth birthday and while the name Terrestre calls to mind earthbound things, the score suggests the physical sensation of taking wing. The first of the two movements, l闂備胶鍋ㄩ崕鏌ュ煘婵夌湗eau dansant, describes an aboriginal tale of a bird that teaches a village to dance, while the second movement, l闂備胶鍋ㄩ崕鏌ュ煘婵夌湗eau, un satellite infime (infinitesimal) takes flight, diving and soaring. The flutist is called upon to sing as he or she plays, sometimes matching the Flute note, sometimes harmonizing with it. Musicianship of the highest order is required of every member of the ensemble. Kaija Saariaho is a contemporary Finnish composer living and working in Paris and much influenced by the electronic experimentations of her association of IRCAM, although Terrestre is entirely acoustic in its instrumentation. She gained international renown for her first opera l闂備胶鍋ㄩ崕鐬瀘ur du Loin and continues a prolific compositional life with a wide range of international performances.