Cantus Arcticus
Encyclopedia
Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61, is an orchestral composition by the Finnish
composer
Einojuhani Rautavaara
. It was written in 1972, and is probably his best-known work.
Subtitled Concerto for Birds and Orchestra it incorporates tape recordings of birdsong recorded near the Arctic Circle
and on the bog
s of Liminka
in northern Finland.
The work is in three movements: The bog opens with a flute duet, after which the other woodwinds join in, followed by the birds. The second movement, Melancholy, features a slowed-down recording of the song of the shore lark
. The final movement, Swans migrating, takes the form of a long crescendo
for orchestra, with the sounds of whooper swan
s, before both birdsong and orchestra fade, as if into the distance.
Cantus Arcticus was commissioned by the University of Oulu
for its first doctoral degree ceremony.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Einojuhani Rautavaara is a Finnish composer of contemporary classical music, and is one of the most notable Finnish composers after Jean Sibelius.-Life:...
. It was written in 1972, and is probably his best-known work.
Subtitled Concerto for Birds and Orchestra it incorporates tape recordings of birdsong recorded near the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
and on the bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s of Liminka
Liminka
Liminka is a municipality in the Northern Ostrobothnia region, in the province of Oulu, in Finland. Founded in 1477, Liminka is located about south of Oulu.The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
in northern Finland.
The work is in three movements: The bog opens with a flute duet, after which the other woodwinds join in, followed by the birds. The second movement, Melancholy, features a slowed-down recording of the song of the shore lark
Shore Lark
The Shore Lark , called the Horned Lark in North America, is a species of bird in the genus Eremophila.- Description :...
. The final movement, Swans migrating, takes the form of a long crescendo
Crescendo
-In music:*Crescendo, a passage of music during which the volume gradually increases, see Dynamics * Crescendo , a Liverpool-based electronic pop band* "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue", one of Duke Ellington's longer-form compositions...
for orchestra, with the sounds of whooper swan
Whooper Swan
The Whooper Swan , Cygnus cygnus, is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American Trumpeter Swan. An old name for the Whooper Swan is Elk; it is so called in Francis Willughby and John Ray's Ornithology of 1676.-Description:The Whooper Swan is similar in...
s, before both birdsong and orchestra fade, as if into the distance.
Cantus Arcticus was commissioned by the University of Oulu
University of Oulu
The University of Oulu is one of the largest universities in Finland, located in the city of Oulu. It was founded on July 8, 1958. The university has around 16,000 students and 3,000 staff...
for its first doctoral degree ceremony.