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Kaija Saariaho
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Kaija Saariaho, from Helsinki, studied in Freiburg and settled in Paris in 1982, where she analysed sound with computers at IRCAM. Working from spectralism, she wrote music in which timbre plays the leading role and instruments and electronics flow into one another. Her first opera, L'Amour de loin from 2000, is about a troubadour who falls in love with a woman he has never seen. In 2016 it became the first opera by a woman to be staged at the Metropolitan Opera since 1903.
Listening
Listening tip. Listen to the Traversée from L'Amour de loin and hear how the orchestra paints the sea with rippling, glittering layers of sound.
L'Amour de loin: Traversée (Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Kent Nagano) · Kaija Saariaho, 2000
Lichtbogen (Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Hannu Lintu) · Kaija Saariaho, 1986
Nymphéa (Kronos Quartet) · Kaija Saariaho, 1987
Discography
Studio albums
- 1985A Portrait of Kaija Saariaho
- 1987The Fantastic Harpsichord
- 1989Endymion Ensemble: Lindberg / Kaipainen / Hämeenniemi / Saariaho
- 1989Lichtbogen / Io / Verblendungen / Stilleben
- 1992Maa
- 1993Du Cristal / …À La Fumée / Nymphéa
- 1996From Scandinavia
- 1997Private Gardens
- 1998La Dame à la Licorne / Cloud Music
- 2000From the Grammar of Dreams
- 2000New Gates
- 2001Château de l'âme / Graal théâtre / Amers
- 2002Graal Théâtre / Solar / Lichtbogen
- 2002L'aile du songe
- 2002Six japanese gardens / Trois rivières delta
- 2004Chamber Music
- 2004Cinq Reflets de L'Amour de Loin / Nymphea Reflection / Oltra Mar
- 2005In due tempi
- 2006L'œuvre pour violoncelle
- 2007A Due
- 2008Notes on Light / Orion / Mirage
- 2009L’Amour de loin
- 2011D'om le vrai sens / Laterna Magica / Leino Songs
- 2012Bach & Beyond, Part 1
- 2012Trios
- 2013Chamber Works for Strings, Vol. 1
- 2013La Passion de Simone
- 2013The Edge of Light
- 2015Bach & Beyond, Part 2
- 2015Émilie Suite / Quantre instants / Terra memoria
- 2015Let the Wind Speak
- 2015Symphonie et créations pour orgue et orchestre
- 2016Chamber Works for Strings, Vol. 2
- 2016Sibelius Piano Trio
- 2017Finland
- 2017Nordsending: Works for String Trio & Duo
- 2018Saariaho x Koh
- 2019Circle Map, Graal Théâtre, Neiges, Vers toi qui es si loin
- 2019Sturm
- 2019Works for Solo Cello
- 2020Musique?
- 2021Remembering
- 2022Works for Cello
- 2023Reconnaissance
- 2024Adriana Mater
- 2024Gardens
- 2024Présences
- 2025Touches
- 2026I Am a River
- 2026Saarikoski Songs / Vista / Three Preludes
Mentioned in other articles
- Spectralism Genre
The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who worked at the Paris research institute IRCAM, built on these ideas.