Talk:Einojuhani Rautavaara

Discrepansy in the article

I have no particular knowledge on the matter, but it seems that the article contains multiple lists of Rautavaara's works and they have differring opinions on how many concerti, choral works etc. he wrote. Someone who knows where to check this up should set this straight. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 132.64.30.136 (talk) 21:02, 27 December 2016 (UTC)

Classical composer?

Rautavaara isn't a composer of classical music, but a composer of modern music. —Preceding unsigned comment added by User:82.75.102.252 (talk • contribs)

I would say that he is a postmodern composer (mainly on Sixth Symphony, Vincentiana, 1992). Berton 16:15, 9 April 2006 (UTC)

"Composer of modern classical music" is an awkward term, though I think most of us understand what is meant by it-- He writes serious music/concert music/non-popular music/whatever... today. Perhaps just "a contemporary Finnish composer" or something on that lines would be better? The label "composer" would separate him from popular music, and tie him into the "classical music" tradition. I have to deal with this problem myself when people ask what kind of music I write. I usually just settle for the admittedly inaccurate "modern classical." Rizzleboffin 16:47, 9 April 2006 (UTC)

To me, a composer is someone who writes down notes and gives them to an orchestra, any other ensemble (i.e. a band or a quartet) or just a soloist to perform. So, someone who writes, for instance, orchestral music to a movies is also a composer, even though the music was light/pop. How about "composer of art music"? --Gwaur ^(Spokening) 23:28, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

I recently heard 20th century music described as 'Serious Modern Music' by way of contrast to Rock/Jazz/Pop. I thought that was quite a good description. --Rich (talk) 02:02, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

Re: "The label 'composer' would separate him from popular music, and tie him into the 'classical music' tradition."

It ought to, but nowadays composer is regularly and routinely used by journalists to describe pop singers who accompany themselves on the steel-string guitar strumming open-position diatonic tertian triads. Classical is not the best possible term, but it's the best term we have and the most likely to be understood. This is not to say it will always be understood: I was once comparing receivers at the now justifiably defunct Circuit City, and I asked the clerk to put on some classical (to be freer of studio gimmickry and to show a greater dynamic range than the stuff he had been using). He put on something I'd never heard before that I nevertheless immediately recognized as Barry Manilow. "Isn't this Barry Manilow?" I asked. "Yes," he answered. "Barry Manilow isn't classical," I said. He said, "Oh, then I don't know what classical is." Here the term classical clearly failed, but with someone this culturally deprived so would have every other term. How he got to work in a stereo store I can't imagine. Classical will be generally understood at least approximately. TheScotch (talk) 08:30, 17 July 2016 (UTC)

Playground for Angels

Playground for Angels was a work I heard played by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble at the concert where Philip Jones retired in the late '80s(they later became London Brass). This is not listed here. I don't know the details of when it was written, though, although I believe it may have been commissioned for the PJBE at that time. It is recorded on Naxos. Does anyone else have more information that could be added? --Rich (talk) 02:02, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

IPA incorrect

[ˈɛi̯nɔjuhɑni ˈrɑu̯tɑvɑːrɑ] is not correct, there is no ɛi̯ in Finnish. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.182.44.44 (talk) 20:45, 31 July 2016 (UTC)

Greatest Finnish composer since Sibelius?

(Copied from User talk:No such user) No such user I can see that you feel passionately about this, and I am a great admirer of Rautavarra's work myself, too. However, I have never read an authority on Finnish music (or a major reference work) who claims that he is considered the greatest Finnish composer since Sibelius. If indeed the statement has any useful meaning at all (which I personally doubt) it needs to be qualified: some reviewers and fans might consider him thus, some would go for Kokonnen, Merikanto, Sallinen, Madetoja, Aho, and perhaps others. Some Finns indeed consider Rautavarra a "cult" composer of questionable value. I personally think it would be wise to go along with the more moderate evaluation of Suomi Wikipedia, which places him as a "universally acclaimed Finnish classical music composer." That seems to me judicious, and fair. Best wishes Zarzuelauk (talk) 12:01, 10 August 2016 (UTC)

@Zarzuelauk:: I see I came across as little too combative and pointy. However, you came across as wishing to fix a weasel word by all means, rather than someone knowledgeable in the matter, so my reaction was too much knee-jerk than justified. I do not necessarily insist on "greatest after Sibelius" formulation, but then, I don't think it should be watered down too much. I provided no less than six sources that use a similar statement, and, granted, they are all obituaries that might err on the side of praise. What is pretty undisputable, I think, is that he was the Finnish composer who received the greatest international acclaim since Sibelius (I think a couple of sources used such wording, but I'm lazy to check back). Can we settle on something like that? As a modestly knowledgeable non-Finnish fan of modern classical music, I must admit I heard only of Kokonnen from your list above, if it's of any relevance. No such user (talk) 18:26, 10 August 2016 (UTC)

We can say anything, but I insist on sources. Here's a few: "Rautavaara deservedly is the first Finnish composer after Sibelius to make an international breakthrough", and "Rautavaara was internationally the most famous and performed Finnish composer of classical music after Jean Sibelius, and the most important composer of his generation in Finland." – Finnusertop (talk ⋅ contribs) 18:35, 10 August 2016 (UTC)

@Finnusertop: Of course, we all insist on sources. However, Zarzuelauk just removed three of the four [1], that said, respectively, arguably Finland’s most famous classical composer since the era of Jean Sibelius; the most significant composer to emerge from Finland since Jean Sibelius, one the most important musical voices the country produced since Jean Sibelius, Arguably the most highly regarded Finnish composer after Sibelius. I understand this is all subjective assessment by the obituary authors, but I put it in the article because similar statements appeared in a vast range of sources – so it isn't that subjective after all.
WP:OTHERSTUFF notwithstanding, Joonas Kokkonen says that He was one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius, unsourced. (That whole article is virtually unsourced, btw.) No such user (talk) 06:52, 11 August 2016 (UTC)

Link

The main, first link (& citation) doesnt work (404).

InternetowyGołąb (talk) 17:38, 1 April 2017 (UTC) [plwiki]

Thanks, fixed. No such user (talk) 08:20, 3 April 2017 (UTC)