Uuno (Kalervo) Klami (20 September 1900,

Virolahti Virolahti (; sv, Vederlax) is the southeasternmost municipality of Finland on the border of Russia. It is located in the Kymenlaakso region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of , of which is water. The population densit ...

– 29 May 1961, Virolahti) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

composer of the

modern period The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also called modern history or modern times) is the period of history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended approximately 1500 AD). This terminology is a historical periodization that is applie ...

. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant Finnish composers to emerge from the generation that followed

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

. He was born in

. Many of his works are related to the

Kalevala The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and ...

. He was influenced by French and Spanish music, and especially by Maurice Ravel, for whom he had a particular esteem. The core of Klami's oeuvre consists of an assortment of works related to the Finnish national epic, the ''

'', among the most notable being: the five-movement ''Kalevala sarja'' (''Kalevala Suite''; 1933, r. 1943), inspired by Stravinsky's ''

The Rite of Spring , image = Roerich Rite of Spring.jpg , image_size = 350px , caption = Concept design for act 1, part of Nicholas Roerich's designs for Diaghilev's 1913 production of ' , composer = Igor Stravinsky , based_on ...

''; the symphonic poem, ''Lemminkäisen seikkailut saaressa'' (''Lemminkäinen’s Island Adventures''; 1934); and, the unfinished ballet, ''Pyörteitä'' (''Whirls''), which survives as two suites. As central to Klami's legacy is the six-movement orchestral suite, ''Merikuvia'' (''Sea Pictures''; 1932); the ''Karelian Rhapsody'' (1927); and, ''Psalmus'' (1936), an oratorio for soloists, mixed, chorus and orchestra. He also wrote two numbered symphonies, in 1938 and 1945, respectively, as well as two piano concerti (1925, 1950), a Violin Concerto (1943), and the ''Cheremissian Fantasy'' for cello and orchestra (1931). He participated in five armed conflicts, including two wars in Karelia, the

Finnish Civil War The Finnish Civil War; . Other designations: Brethren War, Citizen War, Class War, Freedom War, Red Rebellion and Revolution, . According to 1,005 interviews done by the newspaper ''Aamulehti'', the most popular names were as follows: Civil W ...

, the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

of 1939–40 and the

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...

of 1941–44.

Biography

Klami studied music in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

with

Erkki Melartin Erkki Gustaf Melartin (7 February 1875, Käkisalmi – 14 February 1937, Helsinki) was a Finnish composer, conductor, and teacher of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods. Melartin is generally considered to be one of Finland's most sign ...

and later in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. Klami's ''Karelian Rhapsody'', part of his first composition concert in 1928, was a ''

succès de scandale ''Succès de scandale'' (French for "success from scandal") is a term for any artistic work whose success is attributed, in whole or in part, to public controversy surrounding the work. In some cases the controversy causes audiences to seek ou ...

'' that brought him considerable attention. His main works include the ''Kalevala Suite'' and the unfinished ballet ''Whirls''. The oratorio ''Psalmus'' (1936) has a unique place in Finnish sacred music and is one of the most highly regarded works by a Finn other than

. Klami also experimented with the symphonic form in his two Symphonies (1938 and 1945) and ''Symphonie enfantine'' (1927), and the concerto form in his two Piano Concertos (No. 1 ''Une nuit à Montmartre'' and No. 2 for Piano and Strings) and the Violin Concerto (1943). Being a master of miniature orchestral works, the orchestral suite ''Sea Pictures'' is also regarded as one of his major achievements. On the recommendation of Sibelius he was granted a small lifetime income from the government. In 1959 he was made a member of the

Finnish Academy of Science and Letters The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (Finnish ''Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia''; Latin ''Academia Scientiarum Fennica'') is a Finnish learned society. It was founded in 1908 and is thus the second oldest academy in Finland. The oldest is the Fi ...

(one of Finland's highest honors). Klami died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

in Virolahti at age 60 while sailing his favorite boat "Miina".

Legacy

Reception and recordings

Acclaimed during his lifetime, Klami is today seldom heard outside the Nordic countries, the ''Kalevala Suite'' perhaps excepted. The recording boom in the 1990s saw all of Klami's major works made available to the public, albeit often in only one interpretation per composition. Despite these projects, much of Klami's remains unrecorded (and unpublished), and he has received considerably less attention from record labels relative to fellow Finnish composers such as

Leevi Madetoja Leevi Antti Madetoja (; 17 February 1887 – 6 October 1947) was a Finns, Finnish composer, music criticism, music critic, conductor (music), conductor, and teacher of the Romantic music, late-Romantic and modernism (music), early-moder ...

Aulis Sallinen Aulis Sallinen (born 9 April 1935) is a Finnish contemporary classical music composer. His music has been variously described as "remorselessly harsh", a "beautifully crafted amalgam of several 20th-century styles", and "neo-romantic". Sallinen ...

, and

Joonas Kokkonen Joonas Kokkonen (; 13 November 1921 – 2 October 1996) was a Finnish composer. He was one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius; his opera ''The Last Temptations'' has received over 500 performance ...

Memorials

Founded in 1987, the Helsinki-base
Uuno Klami Society
exists to recognize the composer and to promote the publication, academic study, and performance of his music. At its first general meeting on 16 May 1988, the musicologist Helena Tyrväinen was elected chair; she held this post for 22 years until 2010. In addition, every five years, the

Kymi Sinfonietta The Kymi Sinfonietta is a sinfonietta-sized orchestra based in two Finnish cities, Kotka and Kouvola. The Kymi Sinfonietta was formed in 1999 after merging the Kotka and Kouvola City Orchestras and it is currently an ensemble of 31 regular players ...

and the cities of

Kotka Kotka (; ; la, Aquilopolis) is a city in the southern part of the Kymenlaakso province on the Gulf of Finland. Kotka is a major port and industrial city and also a diverse school and cultural city, which was formerly part of the old Kymi parish ...

and

Kouvola Kouvola () is a city and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located along the Kymijoki River in the region of Kymenlaakso, kilometers east of Lahti, west of Lappeenranta and northeast of the capital, Helsinki. With Kotka, Kouvola is ...

(each located in the Kymenlaakso region of southern Finland in which Klami was born) co-host the

International Uuno Klami Composition Competition The International Uuno Klami Composition Competition is a composition competition. It has been held once in five years since 2004 and it has been named after the Finnish composer Uuno Klami.

, the goal of which is to increase international recognition of Klami and his music while expanding the repertoire of contemporary European works for a sinfonietta-sized orchestra. Th
inaugural event
was held 2003–04, with subsequent iterations in 2008–09 (II), 2013–14 (III), and 2018–19 (IV). The Kymi Sinfonietta performs short-listed compositions at a finals concert and a jury (chaired by the Finnish composer

Kalevi Aho Kalevi Ensio Aho (born 9 March 1949) is a Finnish composer. Early years Aho began his interest in music at the age of ten, when he discovered a mandolin in his home and began to teach himself how to play it. He soon was taken under the tutelag ...

) awards the three main prizes. There is also an audience prize and awards by the participating municipalities.

Honors and titles

* 1925: Diploma, the Helsinki Music Institute * 1927: Composition prize of 3,000 marks, Hjalmar Pesonen Fund * 1928: Grant of 10,000 marks, the

Alfred Kordelin Alfred Kordelin (6 November 1868, Rauma – 7 November 1917, Mommila, Hausjärvi) was a Finnish industrialist, businessman, entrepreneur, and a major philanthropist. Kordelin was one of the richest Finnish entrepreneurs of his time. Kordeli ...

Foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

* 1929: Grant of 10,000 marks, the Kordelin Foundation * 1929–32: Music teacher, Folk Conservatory * 1930: Music critic, ''Iltalehti'' and ''Ajan sana'' * 1931: Music critic, ''Uusi Suomi'' * 1932–59: Music critic, ''Helsingin sanomat'' * 1932: Grant of 8,000, the Kordelin Foundation * 1933: Grant of 12,000, the Kordelin Foundation * 1935: Grant of 20,000 marks (from whom?) * 1937: Grant of 15,000 marks (from whom?) * 1938: Associate member, the Kalevala Society * 1939–43: Annual State grant of 12,000 marks per year * 1944: Grant of 150,000 marks, the

Finnish Cultural Foundation Finnish Cultural Foundation ( fi, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto) is a private nonprofit foundation dedicated to the promotion of culture and science in Finland. The foundation's assets are about 1.1 billion euros, which makes it one of the largest priva ...

* 1945–47: Member,

Society of Finnish Composers A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...

* 1946: Grant of 50,000 marks, the Society of Finnish Composers
Sibelius Fund
* 1949: Founding member, the Finnish Contemporary Music Society * 1950: Grant of 100,000 marks, the Sibelius Fund * 1952: Grant of 100,000 marks, the Sibelius Fund * 1957: Member, the Finnish delegation to the Second Assembly of the Composers' Union of the USSR * 1958–61: Member of the Board, the Society of Finnish Composers * 1959–61: Member, the Academy of Finland * 1961: First Vice-chairman, the Kalevala Society

Select list of compositions

Symphonies

* ''Symphonie enfantine'' (''Children's Symphony''), for chamber orchestra, Op. 17 (1928); three movements * Symphony No. 1, for orchestra (1937–38); four movements * Symphony No. 2, for orchestra, Op. 35 (1945); four movements

Concertante

* Piano Concerto No. 1, (''Night in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

''), for piano and orchestra , Op. 8 (1925); three movements * ''Tšeremissiläinen fantasia'' (''Cheremissian Fantasy''), for cello and orchestra, Op. 19 (1931); two movements * ''Introduction e Staccato etude'', for trumpet and chamber orchestra (1931–32) * ''Esquisse'', for violin and strings (1932) * ''Intermezzo'', for cor anglais and chamber orchestra (1937) *

Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

, for violin and orchestra, Op. 32 (1939–43; rewritten 1954); three movements * Piano Concerto No. 2, for piano and strings, Op. 41 (1950); three movements * (''Theme with Seven Variations and Coda''), for cello and orchestra, Op. 44 (1953–54)

Music for stage

* (''Desire Under the Elms''), incidental music for clarinet, trumpet, violin, and piano (1930);

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

** Arranged in 1931 by Klami as ''Rag-time and Blues'', a quintet for the above instruments plus an additional violin * (''The Prodigal Son''), incidental music for male voice, choir, flute, clarinet, piano and strings (1945); play by

Marin Držić Marin Držić (; also ''Marino Darza'' or ''Marino Darsa''; 1508 – 2 May 1567) was a Croatian writer from Republic of Ragusa. He is considered to be one of the finest Renaissance playwrights and prose writers of Croatian literature. L ...

(translation to Finnish by Jalo Kalima) * ''Pyörteitä'' (''Whirls''), unfinished

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

("symbolic dance scenes") in three acts based on the Sampo legend from ''The Kalevala'' (1957–61): ** Act I survives as a piano score by Klami (1958; orchestral score believed lost); it was orchestrated by the Finnish composer

in the late 1980s and premiered in 1988 ** Act II (intended as a

divertissement ''Divertissement'' (from the French 'diversion' or 'amusement') is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings. During the 17th and ...

) is the only of the three acts that survives in Klami's orchestration; in 1960, he excerpted two ballet suites ** Act III is either lost or was never written

Voice and orchestra

* ''Psalmus'',

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

in two parts for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, organ, and orchestra (1932–36); text by Juhana Cajanus * (''In the Belly of Vipunen''), symphonic poem (?) for baritone, male choir, and orchestra (1938); text from ''The Kalevala'' * (''Song of Lake Kuujärvi''),

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

for baritone and orchestra (1956); text by Yrjö Jylhä * (''The Bearer of the Golden Staff''), cantata in four parts for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, and orchestra (1960–61); text by

Martti Haavio Martti Henrikki Haavio (22 January 1899 – 4 February 1973) was a Finnish poet, folklorist and mythologist, writing poetry under the pen name P. Mustapää. He was born on 22 January 1899 in Temmes, and died 4 February 1973 in Helsinki. He w ...

Suites for orchestra

* (''Scenes from a Puppet Theatre''), suite for chamber orchestra (orchestrated in 1931; the original 1925 theatre score for two pianos is lost); five movements * ''Hommage à Haendel'' (''Homage to Handel''), suite for piano and strings, Op. 21 (1931); four movements * (''Scenes from a Country Life''), suite for chamber orchestra (1932); six movements * ''Merikuvia'' (''Sea Pictures''), suite for orchestra (1930–32); six movements * ''Kalevala-sarja'' (''Kalevala Suite''), five tone pictures for orchestra, Op. 23 (1930–33; No. 3 added in 1943); based on stories from ''The Kalevala''; five (originally four) movements * (Suite for String Orchestra) (1937); four movements * (Suite for Small Orchestra), Op. 37 (1946); three movements

Other works for orchestra

* (''Karelian Rhapsody''), for orchestra, Op. 15 (1927) *''Opernredoute'', concert waltz for orchestra, Op. 20 (1929) * (''Joyful Serenades''), for chamber orchestra (1933); four movements *''Helsinki March'' (1934) * ''Lemminkäisen seikkailut saaressa'' (''Lemminkäinen's Island Adventures''), symphonic poem for orchestra (1934); based on ''The Kalevala''; Klami's first attempt at composing a central

scherzo A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often re ...

for the ''Kalevala Suite'', later removed and made an independent work * (''Karelian Dances''), for chamber orchestra (1935) * (''The Cobbler on the Heath''), concert overture for orchestra (1936); based on the

by Aleksis Kivi * ''Suomenlinna'', concert overture for orchestra, Op. 30 (1939–40; rewritten 1944); inspired by the

islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

; later renamed (''The Fortress on the Sea'') * (''Spanish Serenades''), for chamber orchestra (1944); four movements * (''King Lear''), concert overture for orchestra, Op. 33 (1944–45); unrelated to the stage music (chamber ensemble, 1936–37) of the same name * (''The Cyclist''),

rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...

for orchestra (1946) * (''A Karelian Market''), for orchestra, Op. 39 (1947) * ( or ''Northern Lights''), fantasy for orchestra, Op. 38 (1946–48); inspired by the natural light display *''All'ouvertura'', concert overture for orchestra, Op. 43 (1951)

Chamber

* Sonata in B minor, for viola and piano, Op. 6 (1920)

Notes, references, and sources

Notes

References

Sources

* Aho, Kalevi & Valkonen, Marjo: ''Uuno Klami: Elämä ja teokset.'' Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Helsinki, 1999. * * Korhonen, Kimmo: "Inventing Finnish Music." Finnish Music Information Centre 2003. * Lehtonen, Tiina-Maija: "Uuno Klami: Works." Suomen Kultuurirahaston Kymenlaakson rahasto 1986. * Tyrväinen, Helena: "The Success Story of the Man Who Forged the Sampo." ''Finnish Music Quarterly'' 2/2000 pp. 2–11.

Liner notes

* * * * * *

External links

*
Uuno Klami Society's main page (in Finnish)
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klami, Uuno 1900 births 1961 deaths People from Virolahti People from Viipuri Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Finnish classical composers 20th-century classical composers People of the Finnish Civil War (White side) Finnish military personnel of World War II Finnish male classical composers Burials at Hietaniemi Cemetery 20th-century male musicians 20th-century Finnish composers

Biography

Legacy

Reception and recordings

Memorials

Honors and titles

Select list of compositions

Symphonies

Concertante

Music for stage

Voice and orchestra

Suites for orchestra

Other works for orchestra

Chamber

Notes, references, and sources

Notes

References

Sources

Sources

Liner notes

Further reading

External links