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JoonasKokkonenWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

JoonasKokkonen
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

JoonasKokkonen( pronunciation)(November13,1921October2,1996)wasaFinnishcomposer.Hewas
oneofthemostinternationallyfamousFinnishcomposersofthe20thcenturyafterSibelius;hisoperaTheLast
Temptationshasreceivedover500performancesworldwide,andisconsideredbymanytobeFinland'smost
distinguishednationalopera.

Contents
1 Life
2 Musicandinfluence
3 Listofcompositions
3.1 Orchestral

JoonasKokkoneninthe1950s.

3.2 Concertante
3.3 Chamber
3.4 Piano
3.5 Organ
3.6 Vocal
3.7 Choral
3.8 Opera
4 References
5 Furtherreading
6 Externallinks

Life
JoonaswasborninIisalmi,Finland,butspentthelatterpartofhislifeinJrvenpathishome,whichwasknownas"VillaKokkonen",designed
byAlvarAaltoandfinishedin1969.HeservedintheFinnisharmyduringWorldWarIIwithgreatdistinction.Hereceivedhiseducationatthe
UniversityofHelsinki,andlaterattheSibeliusAcademy,whereheafterwardstaughtcomposition;hisstudentsthereincludedAulisSallinen.In
additiontohisactivitiesasacomposer,hemadeasignificantandpowerfulimpactonFinnishculturallife,servingasachairmanandorganizer,
headingorganizationssuchasSocietyofFinnishComposers,theBoardoftheConcertCentre,andothers.Hispurposewasalwaystoimprove
musiceducation,aswellasthestatusandappreciationofclassicalmusicaswellasFinnishmusic.Inthe1960sandearly1970shewonnumerous
prizesforhiswork.HewasappointedtotheprestigiousFinnishAcademyuponthedeathofUunoKlami.Hiscompositionactivitysloweddown
greatlyafterthedeathofhiswifeandincreasedalcoholconsumption.HehadlongplannedaFifthSymphonybutnothingwasevercommittedto
paperanditdiedwithhim.
ThedateofhisdeathhasbeenvariouslyreportedasOctober1,1996(NewGroveDictionary,andvariousinternetsources);October2,1996(many
internetsources,includingtheFinnishMusicCenter);andOctober20,1996(NewGroveDictionaryofOpera).AccordingtohisbiographerPekka
Hako,hediedonOctober2,intheearlyhoursoftheday.[1]

Musicandinfluence
EventhoughhestudiedattheSibeliusAcademy,hewasmainlyselftaughtincomposition.Usuallyhiscompositionsaredividedintothreestyle
periods:aneoclassicalearlystylefrom1948to1958,arelativelyshortmiddleperiodtwelvetonestylefrom1959to1966,andalate"neo
Romantic"styleoffreetonalitywhichalsousedaspectsofhisearlierstyleperiods,whichbeganin1967andlastedfortherestofhislife.
Mostofhisearlymusicischambermusic,andincludesaPianoTrioandaPianoQuintet;thestyleiscontrapuntalandinfluencedbyBartk,but
looksbacktoRenaissanceandBaroquemodelsaswell.Inthesecondstyleperiodhewrotethefirsttwoofhisfoursymphonies.Althoughhe
usedtwelvetonetechnique,heavoidedorthodoxybyoccasionallyusingtriadsandoctaves;healsolikedtousetherowmelodically,givingthe
successivepitchesinthesametonecolor(manyothercomposersof12tonemusicsplittherowbetweendifferentvoices).
InthethirdstyleperiodKokkonenwrotethemusicthatmadehiminternationallyfamous:thelasttwosymphonies,the...durcheinenSpiegelfor
twelvesolostrings,theRequiem,andtheoperaTheLastTemptations(1975)(Viimeisetkiusaukset),basedonthelifeanddeathoftheFinnish
RevivalistpreacherPaavoRuotsalainen.TheoperaispunctuatedwithchoraleswhichreferbacktoJohannSebastianBach,andwhicharealso
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reminiscentoftheAfricanAmericanspiritualsusedforasimilarpurposeinMichaelTippett'soratorioAChildofOurTime.Theoperawasstagedat
theMetropolitanOperainNewYorkin1983.

Listofcompositions
Orchestral
MusicforStringOrchestra(1957)
SymphonyNo.1(1960)
SymphonyNo.2(196061)
OpusSonorum(1964)
SymphonyNo.3(1967)
SymphonicSketches(1968)
SymphonyNo.4(1971)
Inauguratio(1971)
"...durcheinemSpiegel"(1977)
Ilpassagio(1987)

Concertante

KokkonenworkingonhisFirstSymphonyin1959.

ConcertoforCello&Orchestra(1969)

Chamber
PianoTrio(1948)
PianoQuintet(195153)
Duoforviolin&piano(1955)
StringQuartetNo.1(1959)
Sinfoniadacamera(196162)
StringQuartetNo.2(1966)
WindQuintet(1973)
SonataforCello&Piano(197576)
StringQuartetNo.3(1976)
Improvisazioneforviolin&piano(1982)

Piano
Impromptuforpiano(1938)
PielavesiSuiteforpiano(1939)
TwoSmallPreludesforpiano(1943)
Sonatinaforpiano(1953)
Religiosoforpiano(1956)
Bagatellesforpiano(1969)

Organ
Luxaeternafororgan(1974)
Hsoitto(Weddingmusic)fororgan
IuxtaCrucemfororgan
Surusoitto(FuneralMusic)fororgan

Vocal
ThreeSongstoPoemsbyEinariVuorela(1947)
IllatSongCycle(1955)
ThreeChildren'sChristmasSongs(195658)
HadesoftheBirdsSongCycleforSoprano&Orchestra(1959)
TwoMonologuesfrom"TheLastTemptations"forbass&orchestra(1975)

Choral
Missaacapella(1963)
LaudatioDomini(1966)
Erekhteion,academiccantata(1970)
UkkoPaavonVirsiforchorus(1978)
Requiem(197981)
"WithhisfingersVinminenplayed"formalechorus(1985)

Opera
TheLastTemptations(19721975)
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References
1. Hako,Pekka:Voikovarjoollakirkas,p.317.AjatusKirjat,Helsinki2001.

Furtherreading
Arni,Erkki:"JoonasKokkonen",GroveMusicOnline.Ed.L.Macy.(AccessedFebruary27,2005.)(subscriptionaccess)
(http://www.grovemusic.com)
TheLastTemptations:operabyJoonasKokkonen.TranslatedbyKeithBosley.1977.
Hako,Pekka:Voikovarjoollakirkas:JoonasKokkosenelm.[AbiographyofJoonasKokkonen.]AjatusKirjat,Helsinki2001.ISBN951566
0599
Jurkowski,Edward:TheMusicofJoonasKokkonen.AshgatePublishingCo.,Burlington(VT)2004.

Externallinks
Shortbiographywithsomedescriptionofhisworks(http://www.classicalcomposers.org/cgibin/ccd.cgi?comp=kokkonen)
FinnishMusicInformationCentrebiography(http://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf?open)
FennicaGehrman'sKokkonenpage(publisher)(http://www.fennicagehrman.fi/comp_kokkonen.htm)
Ondine'sKokkonenpage(recordlabel)(http://www.ondine.net/index.php?lid=en&cid=4.2&oid=690)
SwedishrecordcompanyBISwebsite(http://www.bis.se/frcompos.htm)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joonas_Kokkonen&oldid=680498447"
Categories: 1921births 1996deaths PeoplefromIisalmi Finnishclassicalcomposers 20thcenturyclassicalcomposers Operacomposers
UniversityofHelsinkialumni FinnishmilitarypersonnelofWorldWarII Maleclassicalcomposers
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