Aho, Kalevi - Solo, Vol. 1 - Bezaly, Sharon

Kalevi Aho is one of the most prolific orchestral composers of our time, with 17 symphonies and 32 concertos to his name. Less well known is the fact that he has also composed chamber music and an ever-expanding series of solo works – starting with Solo I for violin in 1975, the latest work in the series, composed for clavichord, is the 17th. Some of these pieces were written as part of Aho's preparation for a composition concerto for the instrument in question, while others were composed for competitions, such as Solo III for flute and Solo IV for cello, which are included in this release. This first part of the Solos contains a total of seven pieces, four of which have been previously released on separate albums. What Aho's solos have in common is that they pose great technical, interpretative, and often physical challenges for the performer. Most of the pieces heard here are performed by the musicians for whom they were written, including Hiyoli Togawa (Solo XII), Piet Van Bockstal (Solo IX), Simon Reitmaier (Solo XIV), and Marie-Luise Neunecker (Solo X).