related works
The Moss Slowly Growing : for flute and guitar / Ville Raasakka
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
fl gtr
Symphonie no. 3 : Thrène et Péan, 1921-1922 / Matthijs Vermeulen
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
2pic 2fl(pic) 2ob ob(eh) 2cl cl(cl-b) 2sax 4fg 4h 4trp 3trb tb 2timp 3perc 2hp str
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3fl 3ob eh 3cl cl-b 3fg cfg 4h 3trp 2trb trb(trb-b) tb timp hp str
Prelude II : per orchestra, 1975 / Jos van Amelsvoort
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
2332 4231 timp perc cel hp str
composition
The Harvest : Version for orchestra / Ville Raasakka
Other authors:
Raasakka, Ville
(Composer)
Description:
The harvest as a word stirs up images of autumnal peace and bountifulness. This work is however about the current forest machines that harvest the trees in frightening effectivity, within seconds. I have used the sounds of these current machines and transcribed them to the instruments.
The moaning glissandi of the hydraulics, the rhythmic buzzing of the saws, the beeping of the control panels and the crackling and snapping of the trees are the key sound elements of the work.
The horrific, machine-like sounds turn into music which struggles to free itself from the sound sources. The music becomes filtered and sinks into a sorrowful state of disbelief.
This devastated music is mourning the total loss of natural biodiversity and the constant series of extinctions.
The easy profits of forestry (the so-called ”forest management”) has led to a situation where over a 100 years old forests will soon no longer exist in Finland (under 5% at the moment), and the rest are, strictly speaking, not forests at all. We have tree farms, pretending an image of a real forest.