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Die Sauna der 7 Brüder

(2010/2011)

  • Ensemble version (2010): Flute, Clarinet in Bb, Accordion, Percussion (1 player), Piano, Viola, Cello, Tape (also 4 toy pianos)

  • Chamber Orchestra version (2011): 1111/1100/01, strings, tape

  • Duration 14 min.

  • Commissioned by Hansestad Lübeck. Dedicated to Neue Musik im Ostseeraum and Matthias Lassen.

  • First performance (ensemble version) on October 3, 2010, in Lübeck, Germany by Ensemble Neue Musik im Ostseeraum: Anne Beer, flute, Georg Paltz, clarinet, Eva Zöllner, accordion, Jonathan Shapiro, percussion, Matthias Lassen, piano, Laura Traub, viola, Daniel Sorour, cello and Tomi Räisänen, cond.

  • First performance (chamber orchestra version) on June 21, 2011, in Vienna, Austria by ECCO Orchestra, conducted by Jürgen Bruns

  • Recording: Sauna, Ensemble Works, EDTCD 005 (2016), Die Sauna der 7 Brüder, Neue Musik im Ostseeraum, Tomi Räisänen, cond.



Die Sauna der 7 Brüder (The Sauna of the 7 Brothers) is based loosely on the first significant novel in the Finnish language, Seitsemän veljestä (Seven Brothers, published in 1870) by Aleksis Kivi. Some of the events from the story have inspired the "musical dramaturgy" of this piece. However, the main interest of this work has been the sound world of the Finnish sauna. In the novel, the brothers accidentally burn down their sauna - not only once - but twice. The sounds of fire and löyly (quickly evaporating water on heated stones) surround the audience throughout this work. TR, 2010

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