Saariaho, Kaija - Maan Varjot; Chateau de l'ame; True Fire; Offrande (Collection Presences) - Latry, Olivier

Kaija Saariaho (1952-2023), who performed at Radio France's Festival Presences contemporary music event in 2017, was a key figure in a generation of internationally renowned Finnish composers and performers.

Kaija Saariaho developed computer-assisted composition techniques and mastered working with tape and live electronics, but she also met French composers of so-called spectral music, whose techniques are based on computer analysis of the sound spectrum of individual notes played on various instruments.

Two features have characterized Saariaho's entire career in the abundance of works she has produced in recent years. One is her close collaboration with other artists—writers, directors, musicians, etc.—in the creation of new works. The other is his desire to make his music not an abstract process, but an urgent sharing of ideas, images, and emotions from the composer to the listener.

This collection is a recording of the Festival Presences event, founded in 1991, and its commissioning and creative activities, which have been supported by Radio France's music ensembles.