What was your starting point for writing the piece?
I was given the parameters for a 6–7-minute orchestral work, and I began to think about what kind of piece would suit the Jyväskylä Sinfonia and its musicians. Little by little, extra-musical ideas also emerged about the forest landscape and its gloom. Ideas may come before I start writing or in the middle of writing, as I get to know the material I’m writing. When you listen in your head to how the music sounds, all sorts of associations may arise that can take the piece in different directions.
What was going on in your life when you were composing Naava?
When I received the commission, we had just moved from England to Finland. In early 2021, I didn’t have much of a profile in Finland yet, and the Jyväskylä Sinfonia was the first Finnish orchestra to commission music from me. So there was some pressure to show what I could do with a short orchestral piece like this. My career has changed quite a lot over the last five years.
What do you think about the relationship between your own work and Beethoven’s Eroica, which will be performed at the same concert?
In general, I feel that my orchestral music fits particularly well alongside older music. Eroica is my favorite of Beethoven’s works.
What did you start with when composing Naava?
I usually write my pieces from start to finish and rarely begin in the middle or at the end. I generally start with the first bar, and then different directions the piece could take begin to emerge. Something always changes along the way, but usually the opening bars of my pieces remain the same throughout the process.
Tell about the trumpet solo you wrote in the score.
At the time of composition, I was interested in writing lyrical material for the trumpet and experimenting with how the trumpet might sound when played as a non-fanfare instrument. My piece is otherwise full of constant bustle and commotion, but I wanted a bright melodic moment in the middle of it all. I’ve always been interested in the trumpet, and I’m actually writing a trumpet concerto right now.
The trumpet solo deliberately references Gregorio Allegri’s famous Miserere. Why does Naava include this particular reference to the late renaissance?
I wanted the piece to have a brighter moment. My work reflects the gloom and darkness of the forest, but the Allegri reference represents for me a kind of light that streams through a keyhole into a dark room, or sunlight filtering through the clouds.
I rarely make direct references to other works in my compositions, and I wanted to see if I could slip a reference into the piece while still keeping the music sound like my own. The Allegri reference in Naava passes in 5–10 seconds, but I think those who recognize the reference might notice it.
What would you like to say about your piece specifically to the Tapiola Sinfonietta audience?
The studio where I looked out the window at the forest that inspired my composition was located in Olari, Espoo. I live in Espoo as well. It’s fun that the piece is coming to my hometown!
