Ian Bostridge (tenor); Turku Philharmonic Orchestra/Olli Mustonen
Ondine ODE1422-2 64:44 mins
Olli Mustonen’s Second Symphony awakens gradually, moving as a flower turning its head to the sun. The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra yawns and stretches, and we’re halfway through the first movement before urgent, staccato phrases shared between flutes and brass take shape. The tutti rhythms use a triad-based harmony, calling to mind the tintinnabuli style of Pärt and the mysticism of Rautavaara, with whom Mustonen studied.
Gentle alchemy is heard again in the third movement, which points at religious ecstasy, although the story is rooted in the earth-bound ending of the Byzantine Empire. The symphony’s subtitle ‘Johanes Angelos’ (The Dark Angel) comes from the 1952 novel by Mika Waltari, something of a muse for Mustonen, who has referenced the author in other works.
The scampering final movement feels a little jovial for the destruction of a civilisation, although the TFO – conducted by the composer, who is the ensemble’s artistic director – gather enough storm clouds to convince.
Mustonen’s Third Symphony – ‘Taivaanvalot’ (Heavenly Lights) – was developed from a chamber work for tenor, cello and piano, which was performed at the Wigmore Hall with Ian Bostridge as vocalist in 2019. The singer reprises his role here in the retelling of a Finnish folklore in which a ‘Northland hag’ imprisons the sun and the moon (an English translation is provided in the liner note).
Bostridge injects operatic drama into the mercurial ‘Still the sun is not shining’ and ‘The bird sets about talking’. The orchestra overpowers the soloist in places – the most impactful parts of the work are those that are sparsely scored, or that leave the tenor space to sing (‘He went to Väinämöinen’). Perhaps a third version for a smaller ensemble is the answer.