Meriläinen, Usko
Meriläinen, Usko
Meriläinen, Usko, Finnish composer and teacher; b. Tampere, Jan. 27, 1930. He studied with Aarre Merikanto and Funtek at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (1951–55); then took private lessons with Krenek in Darmstadt and with Vogel in Switzerland. In 1956–57 he was a conductor and teacher in Kuopio, and subsequently was theater conductor in Tampere (1957–60). He then taught at the music inst. there (1961–66) and from 1965 at the Univ. In his music, he adopted a pragmatic modern idiom, with structural foundations of tonal and/or dodecaphonic procedures, depending on the basic concept.
Works
dramatic: ballet:Arius (1958–60; also 2 suites, 1960, 1962); Psyche (1973). dance pantomime:Alasin (The Anvil; 1975; also listed as his 4th Sym.). orch.: 5 syms.: No. 1 (1953–55), No. 2 (1964), No. 3 (1971), No. 4, Alasin (The Anvil; 1975; also listed as the dance pantomime under the same name), and No. 5 (1976); 2 piano concertos (1955, 1969); Concerto (1956); Chamber Concerto for Violin, 2 Percussionists, and Double String Orch. (1962); Epyllion (1963); Musique du printemps (1969); Cello Concerto (1975); Dialogues for Piano and Orch. (1977); Mobile—ein Spiel für Orchester (1977); A Kinetic Poem for Piano and Orch. (1981); Kivenmurskaajat (The Stone Crushers; 1982); Visions and Whispers for Flute and Orch. (1985); “...but this is a landscape, monsieur Dali!” (1986); Flute Concerto (1986); Aikaviia, concerto (1989); Timeline, concerto No. 2 for Orch. (1989); Guitar Concerto (1991). chamber: Partita for Brass (1954); 4 Bagatelles for String Quartet (1962); 3 string quartets (1965–92); Divertimento for Wind Quintet, Harp, Viola, and Cello (1968); Metamorfora for 7 for Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Trombone, Percussion, Violin, and Double Bass (1969); Concerto for 13 for 7 Violins, 3 Violas, 2 Cellos, and Double Bass (1971); Concerto for Double Bass and Percussion (1973); Aspects of the Ballet “Psyche” for Tape and Instrumental Ensemble (1973); Simultus for 4 for Flute, Alto Saxophone, Guitar, and Percussion (1979); Kyma for String Quartet (1979); Suvisoitto: Summer Sounds for Flute and Grasshoppers for Flute and Tape (1979); Paripeli (For 2) for Cello and Piano (1980); Alto Saxophone Sonata (1982); Mouvements circulaires en douceur for 4 Flutes (1985). piano: Suite (1955); Sonatina (1958); 5 sonatas (1960, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1992); Tre Notturni (1967); Papillons for 2 Pianos (1969). other:Yö, vene ja punaiset purjeet (Night, a Boat and Red Sails) for Chorus (1987); 2 electroacoustic works:The Concert Where I Dozed Off—Consciousness Streaming Free, radiophonie poem (1982), and Oratorio Picassolle (1984).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire