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- Jouni Kaipainen
Sisyfos Drømmer, Op. 47 (1994)
(Sisyphus Dreams)- Edition Wilhelm Hansen Copenhagen (World)
- 3.2.3.2/4.3.3.1/timp.2perc/str
- 12 min
- 7th March 2025, Munich, Germany
- 8th March 2025, Munich, Germany
Programme Note
SISYPHUS DREAMS
In 1994, after having in a few months time completed my second Symphony, fourth String Quartet and my Oboe Concerto, I felt quite funny and exhausted. Since there still was one orchestral piece to be done, I did not really feel like being able to get to it - before I for the first time in my life came to the idea of writing an autobiographical piece. I hope it is understandable that my alter ego here is Sisyphus of the ancient Greek legends, i.e. the man who had cheated gods and therefore had to push a big stone up a hill endlessly.
All this is in my composition: The irritatingly slow upward movement, the fast downward slide as the rock rolls down again and poor Sisyphus has to start all over again.
But all of us do have dreams, even Sisyphus (he was never able to sleep, but there is still the possibility of day-dreams).
In my piece, these moments of dreams come from sketches for the compositions named above. They work as illusory rests in Sisyphus’ eternal labour. What did he dream of? Maybe of a soft, green green grass to lie and sleep on ... Certainly not of rolling stones.
Jouni Kaipainen
In 1994, after having in a few months time completed my second Symphony, fourth String Quartet and my Oboe Concerto, I felt quite funny and exhausted. Since there still was one orchestral piece to be done, I did not really feel like being able to get to it - before I for the first time in my life came to the idea of writing an autobiographical piece. I hope it is understandable that my alter ego here is Sisyphus of the ancient Greek legends, i.e. the man who had cheated gods and therefore had to push a big stone up a hill endlessly.
All this is in my composition: The irritatingly slow upward movement, the fast downward slide as the rock rolls down again and poor Sisyphus has to start all over again.
But all of us do have dreams, even Sisyphus (he was never able to sleep, but there is still the possibility of day-dreams).
In my piece, these moments of dreams come from sketches for the compositions named above. They work as illusory rests in Sisyphus’ eternal labour. What did he dream of? Maybe of a soft, green green grass to lie and sleep on ... Certainly not of rolling stones.
Jouni Kaipainen
