Lahti Symphony Orchestra - Aho: Moonlight Concerto & Alto Flute Concerto (2025) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

This recording is dedicated to two recent concertos by Kalevi Aho, one of Finland’s foremost contemporary composers. The author of a body of work as important as it is varied, Aho enjoys collaborating with exceptional soloists, for whom he composes works that highlight their musical qualities, inventiveness and personality. The Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings features an instrument with a soft tone, well suited as a soloist with a small orchestra of strings alone. The work is in six movements played without interruption, and the soloist, Sharon Bezaly, sometimes switches to the bass flute, which brings a mystical feel to the music. The St Michel Strings and their conductor, Erkki Lasonpalo, contribute to the mysterious atmosphere in which lyrical and dramatic episodes abound. The Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra, entitled ‘Moonlight Concerto’, was composed at the initiative of a Berlin-based musician couple, violist Hiyoli Togawa and percussionist Alexej Gerassimez. Here we are immersed in a Japanese atmosphere that reveals echoes of the 1,000-year-old tradition of ritualistic gagaku music. In this work, the percussionist plays instruments that are not usually heard in orchestral concerts, such as the moon gong, the waterphone, a hang drum and nine Thai gongs. The Lahti Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, provides the rich orchestral commentary.

Tracklist:
01. Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings: I. Misterioso
02. Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings: II. Allegro molto
03. Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings: III. Interludio. Capriccioso
04. Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings: IV. Allegro
05. Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings: V. Furioso
06. Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings: VI. Epilogue
07. Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra "Moonlight Concerto": I. Largamente
08. Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra "Moonlight Concerto": II. Cadenza
09. Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra "Moonlight Concerto": III. Con moto
10. Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra "Moonlight Concerto": IV. Largo
11. Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra "Moonlight Concerto": V. Canto
12. Double Concerto for Viola, Percussion and Orchestra "Moonlight Concerto": VI. Epilogo e coda


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