Finnish composer Kalevi Aho has created a considerable and varied body of work that continues to expand rapidly. Aho first explored the genre of the string quartet at the very beginning of his composing career, more than fifty years ago, and has only recently returned to it.
Aho was just 18 years old when he completed his String Quartet No. 1 in 1967. Self-taught at the time, Aho drew inspiration from the predominantly tonal music he played on the violin or heard on the radio.
The Second Quartet was composed in 1970, during his second year of studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under Einojuhani Rautavaara, and employs fugue techniques in each of its movements. Its first performance received excellent reviews and marked a significant breakthrough for Aho as a composer.
The Third Quartet dates from the following year and marks the conclusion of Aho’s studies with Rautavaara. In this work, Aho’s personal voice begins to emerge, although the influence of Shostakovich is also apparent. The quartet was a great success and has been performed more frequently than any of his other chamber compositions.
The three string quartets are performed here by the Stenhammar Quartet, one of Scandinavia’s leading ensembles, whose extensive repertoire highlights contemporary music from the Nordic countries.
