Aho, Kalevi - Concerto, Quintet & Contrapunctus - Eskelinen, Ismo

Although Finnish composer Kalevi Aho is best known as a symphonist, his ever-expanding repertoire includes numerous concertos as well as countless chamber music works and arrangements of works by other composers. This recording brings together works from these three genres.

The guitar concerto dedicated to Ismo Eskelinen posed many challenges for Aho, who is not a guitarist himself. It is a seven-part work that explores different ways of playing the guitar – sometimes far removed from traditional techniques – and investigates its sonic possibilities.

The quintet, composed for French horn and string quartet, was commissioned by Ilkka Puputti, who had previously premiered Aho's Solo X for French horn. Particularly demanding for the soloist, the quintet explores different moods that are alternately mysterious, capricious, dramatic, and dance-like.