Symphony No. 6 ‘Strata’ (2007)

At least for now it remains an unresolved question for science what existed before the Big Bang, or what caused it. Similarly it remains a riddle in the best sense of the word what causes a major musical work to come into existence. But all too often the composer does not remember, either, and then it passes into the realm of myth-making. Of course the person or group that commissioned the work has an important role, and thanks go out to Anu Tali here. But I am thinking of the moment where nothing becomes something – something akin to a vision – some aura that describes the energy plan and general form of a work that does not exist yet.

Looking through a self-analytical lens and with 20/20 hindsight, I have to say that in the beginning of a not inconsiderable number of works I have wanted to focus the listener’s attention on the elementary particles of the sound material: timbre, intervals, harmonic components and rhythmic structures, which have the potential of becoming thematic chains, forming sections with contrasting form, harmonic progressions that flow into one another, and so on. This sort of thinking differs significantly from traditional symphonic form (themes and their development). Here the theme is moulded as the result of a long and complicated process, emerging in “pure form” only in the final phase of the work.

The Sixth Symphony follows a similar model in general terms. The static chordal pillars are followed by a chain of rising swirls, and the relationships of their elements with the following bass melody give rise to the further musical development. Simultaneous perception of the quick and slow tempos in different layers is one of the key characteristics, as is the gradual acceleration of the meter, as a result of which we reach the “fast part” from the “slow part” and without any interruptions along the way. The constant change, constriction and expansion of the orchestral sound also have a key role.

Before the end, I brought in a theme inspired by Setu wailing song. In this connection it becomes clear why a descending major-second-minor-second motif begins to push to the front already much earlier – as it is part of this Setu theme. Hopefully the musical context will make it possible to perceive it ambivalently – the wailing may at some unexpected moment turn to jubilation. And these almost ineffable shared parts between extremes that would appear to preclude each other have become more and more important to me.

To borrow from Doris Kareva:

All bodies are fully
different as rivers
on their way to the ocean.

The same spirit
flows in everything.

Erkki-Sven Tüür