Heikki Suolahti's Symphony

[britishcomposer]

Suolahti has been the subject of a few discussions here. Those of you who haven't heard his symphony yet may like to know that it will be broadcast the coming thursday night by the BBC's.

BBC Radio 3
Through the Night
30/06/2011
5:11 AM
Suolahti, Heikki (1920-1936)
Sinfonia Piccola (1935)
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Kari Tikka (conductor)
5:32 AM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0124s5v

[Reto Schärli]

Does anyone know if the Suolathi "Sinfonia piccola" has been republished in a good edition?
I know it was published by Boosey and Hawkes, but that edition basically is only a manuscript copy (and in places difficult to read). Had the pleasure of conducting it once at an audition for a youth orchestra position

[dhibbard]

I am surprised that  Boosey and Hawkes would publish a manuscript...??   Ive never seen that before.

[Reto Schärli]

dhibbard, I was surprised as well.
Check out here:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Sinfonia_piccola_(Suolahti%2C_Heikki)

That's the same score they sent to me to conduct from. I really hope there will be a new edition, as this piece is worth being played more frequently. I once wrote to Boosey about the issue, but unfortunately have never been given any answer...

[eschiss1]

Boosey seems to publish quite a few mss (in the strict sense of facs of handwritten untypeset scores, though the works may exist in typeset form elsewhere.) Not sure what you mean.

[dhibbard]

hmm  I am surprised... prob because the score is so short... only 38 pages..  I would suggest that you input the score into Sibelius software and generate then a conductors score and the parts are easily printed out for each instrument of the orchestra.... the 2020 version of  Sibelius is pretty mean....   maybe because of lack of demand, they never got to it.   Also, would wonder if it was published in Helsinki ?? Looks like it was held at the Helsinki State Orchestra Library.... did the Finnish Radio SO ever record it??   

[tpaloj]

I don't know about the B&H edition, but Suolahti's Symphony has been typeset and published in full by Edition Tilli (82 pages)...

https://www.editiontilli.fi/shop/cat/product_details.php?lang=en&p=385

Music Core Finland sells manuscript photocopies of the whole work (90 pages) for 33e... first 38 pages can be previewed for free (coincidentally this free preview file has been uploaded on IMSLP as well).

https://core.musicfinland.fi/works/sinfonia-piccola-6b36c133-d572-4ee9-86c0-308bd206dd23

Besides the 1992 Kari Tikka broadcast, this symphony has been recorded atleast twice more in Finland as far as I know: by conductors Tauno Hannikainen and Pentti Antila, but the other recordings are not readily available (tapes exist in YLE archives).

[dhibbard]

thank you... was not aware of this publisher.  learn something everyday!!

[dhibbard]

Has his Piano concerto no.1, Op.15 (1934)  ever been performed?   Is it in the archives of Finnish Radio?

[dhibbard]

His Symphony no 1 which he composed when he was 15 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVh2moDz70s

[dhibbard]

He died of a ruptured appendicitis. This disease was not easily recognized then. Heikki Suolahti left behind many other compositions, fragments of operas, symphonic poems, a violin concerto, first part of a piano concerto, lieds etc. The manuscripts are in the Finnish National Library.

[dhibbard]

Looks like Schott published the score and parts and are for sale:

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hal-Leonard-Sinfonia-Piccola-Score-And-Parts-String-Series/164027114595?epid=22026496643&hash=item2630c72463:g:hGwAAOSwHv1eGaB2

[tpaloj]

Hmm, that Schott publication is probably a different piece altogether: https://schottmusiclondon.com/shop/sinfonia-piccola-no234832.html#ja-tab-additional

Has his Piano concerto no.1, Op.15 (1934)  ever been performed?   Is it in the archives of Finnish Radio?

Only one movement exists, unperformed and unpublished. I've meant to look into this since the score is not easily available. *probably* at the National Library (kansalliskirjasto) but I will have to confirm once libraries in Finland open again...

[dhibbard]

I see it was on a CD in 1992   Kari Tikka ‎– Vivo Finlandia Valio label  in Discogs Now out of print and probably considered rare.   Perhaps its on Ebay.
Looks like it was  Kari Tikka ‎ conducting.

More info:

    Conductor – Kari Tikka
     Orchestra – Sinfoniaorkesteri Vivo
    Producer – Kalervo Kulmala
    Stage Manager – Jarmo Numminen

Notes
Recorded 25-27.4.1992.


https://www.discogs.com/Kari-Tikka-Vivo-Finlandia/release/12797789