Vista, Saarikoski Songs, Three Preludes album review – Saariaho’s iridescent visions evocatively rendered

Komsi/Nyman/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Oramo (Ondine) Three works by the idiosyncratic Finnish composer who died in 2023 are recorded for the first time Kaija Saariaho died in 2023, leaving behind a significant body of unrecorded music. The three works here, all premiere recordings, span 40 years, yet each bears the Finnish composer’s idiosyncratic fingerprints. The most substantial is Vista (2019), a tone poem inspired by a drive along the scenic Interstate 5 highway to San Diego. The first part, Horizons, opens with a lingering oboe duet before brass, winds and gleaming tuned percussion usher in more piquant colours. This is music on cruise control, with otherworldly washes of strings and a deal of ear-catching incident. Targets, which follows, is altogether more dynamic, a turbulent road trip that winds down to a serene conclusion. Fellow Finn Sakari Oramo is a sensitive, sure-footed guide with the BBC Symphony Orchestra commendably precise and texturally detailed throughout. Continue reading...