Joonas Kokkonen
Joonas Kokkonen [ jɔ ː ː nɑs kɔk ɔnɛn ] ( born November 21, 1921 in Iisalmi; † 2 October 1996 in Järvenpää near Helsinki) was a Finnish composer.
Life
Kokkonen spent most of his life in Järvenpää. His studies took him to the University of Helsinki and later at the Sibelius Academy, where he later taught composition; was one of his students, among others, Aulis Sallinen. In addition to his work as a composer, he was much engaged as chairman or organizer in the Finnish cultural life, such as at the top of organizations like the society Finnish composers and others. His intention has always been to raise the level of musical training, as well as the status and recognition of classical music and the Finnish music in general. In the 1960s and 1970s, he received numerous awards for his work.
Work
Kokkonen was one of the internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius. Despite his studies at the Sibelius Academy, he learned the composition largely self-taught. Usually, his compositions are divided into three style periods: a neoclassical early style from 1948 to 1958, a relatively short middle phase of the twelve-tone style 1959-1966 and a late " neo- romantic " style phase with free tonality, but also aspects of earlier creative phases picks; the latter began in 1967 and lasted until his death on.
Most of his early works is a member of the chamber music and includes a piano trio and a piano quintet; the style is contrapuntal and influenced by Bartók, but also draws on models of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. During the second phase style, the first two of his four symphonies emerged. Despite the use of the twelve-tone technique, he avoided too great severity, which is reflected in the occasional use of triads and octaves; He also favored a melodic use of the rows by gave the successive notes, the same tone ( many others share a twelve-tone row between different voices ).
In the third style period Kokkonen wrote the works that made him internationally known: the last two symphonies, ... by a mirror for twelve solo strings, the Requiem and the opera The Last Temptations ( 1975) ( Viimeiset kiusaukset ), based on the life and death of the Finnish revival preacher Paavo Ruotsalainen. The opera is interspersed with chorales, which refer back to Johann Sebastian Bach and at the same time reminiscent of the Afro- American Spirituals, which had been used with similar intent Michael Tippett in his oratorio A Child of our Time. The opera has been seen more than 500 performances around the world, so she came in 1983 with the Metropolitan Opera in New York out. In many cases it is regarded as characteristic of Finland National Opera.
1963 Kokkonen was honored with the Finnish academic award and in 1968 was awarded the Music Prize of the Nordic Council. In 1973 he received the Wihuri Sibelius Prize together with Witold Lutosławski.