Symphony No.5 "Monologue with Angels" - Einojuhani Rautavaara

Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Max Pommer

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Rautavaara's Fifth Symphony was written between 1985 and 1986, bearing the subtitle "Monologue with the Angels". Later the composer himself eliminated his subtitle, becoming his seventh symphony that completed his Angelic Triptych. The difficult genesis of the Fourth Symphony signified a crisis in Rautavaara’s symphonic writing. He abandoned the problems of the genre for many years, working in other genres, and did not return to symphonic music until twenty four years later.

Whereas his first four symphonies traced a continuous development from Neoclassicism towards modernism, his later four symphonies represent a stylistically more uniform approach. However, each of them is an individual with different emphases and perspectives. The Fifth Symphony represented a new turn in Rautavaara’s symphonic career but also a synthesis of his many earlier styles; between the modernist tendencies of its fourth symphony and the most romantic structures of the third.

It is cast in a single movement with eight fairly defined parts, with a freely flowing narrative form rich in colour and texture. The first part opens with a series of impressive crescendo-diminuendo sound waves, which outlines the monumental pulsation that governs the entire work. In the second part, the strings present an atonal theme, accompanied by rumors of the woodwinds. A new crescendo leads us to a lyrical contrast. The third part begins with a strong crescendo, with a more agitated atmosphere. A lyrical theme is interrupted by powerful timpani blows, progressively increasing the dramatism.

The fourth part, with a more romantic appearance, is developed with tranquility. Timpani blows lead us to the fifth part, a more dynamic section, with syncopated woodwind entrances. The center of the work is occupied by an extensive part that would be the sixth. A quiet section with sustained notes. Extensive lyrical forms are developed in it. The seventh part begins with an increase in sound intensity, leading us to a new dynamic section. After a pause, dramatic sounds appear in the woodwinds. The final part begins with sustained from the strings. Melodic lines floating in a space without time lead us to the mystical coda.

The development of the work can be compared to a spiral. Although we return to the same places, they are different every time. The atmosphere is complex as if it reflected subjective states of the mind on an abstract journey, farther and farther away, presenting new worlds and new realities. A work that invites a deep reflection after listening carefully.

Picture: "Pastorale" (1923-4) by the English painter Frederick Cayley Robinson.

Sources: http://www.historiadelasinfonia.es/naciones/la-sinfonia-en-finlandia/los-compositores-mas-notables/rautavaara/ and https://www.chandos.net/chanimages/Booklets/OD1145.pdf

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