Share this article:

Composer turns 70 with 17th symphony

main

norman lebrecht

March 10, 2019

The hyperactive Finnish composer Kalevi Aho turned 70 yesterday.

The birthday will be marked by Sinfonia Lahti on April 4 with the world premiere of Aho’s 17th symphony, conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk.

Comments

M McAlpine says:

March 11, 2019 at 9:46 am

AsMozart wrote 41 in 35 years I wouldn’t call this guy ‘hyper-active’

Pianofortissimo says:

March 11, 2019 at 10:11 am

Paraphrasing Brahms, Mozart lived in a time that it was easy to compose music. 🙂

Reply

J. Froberger says:

March 11, 2019 at 11:26 am

What about Leif Segerstam: 327 (!!!) symphonies, september 2018, along with many other works. (fe 30 string quartets, 13 violin concertos, 8 cello concertos.

Viola da Bracchio says:

March 11, 2019 at 1:25 pm

How many of Segerstam’s 327 doodlings have ever had a second performance?

Reply
John Borstlap says:

March 11, 2019 at 1:42 pm

Conductors are still studying the 327 scores to decide which one they would like to perform. When they die, the job is taken-over by the younger generation.

Reply
Novagerio says:

March 11, 2019 at 5:48 pm

Have you ever heard his music from the last 25
years? Spoiler alert: it’s only 100% quantity with zero quality (short for complete crap!), as the Guiness record book told him once he had contacted them after the first 300.

Reply
- John Borstlap says:
  
  March 11, 2019 at 6:51 pm
  
  It’s very hard to write a bad symphony. But after the 9th it gets easier. And after 100 they write themselves, without any effect on quality.
  
  Reply
- Jean says:
  
  March 12, 2019 at 8:18 am
  
  Guinness world records is no authority when it comes to music….
  
  Reply