Kaija Saariaho - Touches (Tuija Hakkila)

Information

Composer: Kaija Saariaho

1. Prélude for Piano
2. Arabesques et adages for Piano
3. Fall for Harpsichord & Electronics
4. Serenatas: No. 2, Delicato (arr. =Tuija Hakkila)
5. Im Traume for Cello & Prepared Piano
6. Ballade for Piano
7. Monkey Fingers, Velvet Hands for Piano
8. Jardin secret II for Harpsichord & Tape

Tuija Hakkila, piano

Anssi Karttunen, cello

Date: 2025

Label: Ondine

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Pianist Tuija Hakkila enjoyed a close friendship with composer Kaija Saariaho that lasted for over 40 years until the composer’s death in 2023. Tuija Hakkila played a pivotal role in Saariaho’s creations for the solo piano and harpsichord. Although Kaija Saariaho wrote several compositions featuring the piano, the composer felt that writing music for solo piano was particularly challenging due to the restrictions of the instrument. Although few in number, Saariaho’s piano works are 21st century gems continuing the path set by Debussy’s late works and Messiaen.

Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) was a pioneering Finnish composer renowned worldwide for her innovative blend of live performance and electronics. Trained in Helsinki, Freiburg, and Paris, her work at IRCAM shaped her signature rich, mysterious textures. Rising to fame with Lichtbogen (1986), she composed across genres, including orchestral works like Oltra Mar and Circle Map, six concertos, and acclaimed symphonic song cycles. Her operas—L’Amour de loin, Adriana Mater, Only the Sound Remains, and Innocence—are hailed as 21st-century classics. Saariaho won major awards including the Grawemeyer and Polar Music Prizes. She passed away in 2023, leaving a profound musical legacy.

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