Flute Concerto Op. 69 "Dances With The Winds"
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Flute Concerto Op. 69 "Dances With The Winds" was written in 1974 and dedicated to Swedish flutist Gunilla von Bahr, who premiered it on May 4, 1974, in Stockholm.
The concerto, subtitled "Dances with the Winds," is a major contemporary concerto that requires the soloist to perform on four different members of the flute family.
The piece is famously atmospheric, evoking a cold and dark "Northern" mood reminiscent of Sibelius or Nielsen.
The title "Dances with the Winds" was chosen to reflect several specific aspects of the work's structure and atmosphere: four flutes as different "winds", referring to the requirement for the soloist to "dance" between four different instruments of the flute family—the piccolo, C flute, alto flute, and bass flute.
The concerto is structured in four movements, each highlighting a specific instrument to create a "rich tapestry" of wind sounds:
1. Andantino: Features the standard C flute and the bass flute.
2. Vivace: Assigned to the piccolo, creating a shrill, carnival-like atmosphere.
3. Andante moderato: Features the alto flute, noted for its soulful and sensuous quality.
4. Allegro: Serves as a summary of the entire work, ending with the bass flute soaring to the top of its register.
In the early 1970s, Rautavaara moved away from the strict 12-tone serialism of his earlier career toward a more accessible, "neo-romantic" and mystical style. This was a time when he was focused on nature-inspired and mystical themes, shortly after composing his famous Cantus Arcticus (1972).
In 1974, while writing Flute Concerto, he was also working on The Myth of Sampo (1974–1983), an opera based on the Kalevala, Finland's national epic.
Dima Slobodeniouk (conductor), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
1. Andantino
Dima Slobodeniouk (conductor), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
2. Vivace
Dima Slobodeniouk (conductor), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
3. Andante moderato
Dima Slobodeniouk (conductor), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, 2016, BIS / PLATOON
4. Allegro
Rautavaara Einojuhani
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928–2016) was Finland’s most famous composer after Jean Sibelius. In 2026, he is celebrated for a sound that bridged the gap between modernism and a deeply spiritual "mystical" romanticism.
Born in Helsinki, Rautavaara was the son of an opera singer and a pianist. He was orphaned in his teens and raised by an aunt.
In 1955, Jean Sibelius was asked to select a talented young Finn for a scholarship to study in the United States. He chose Rautavaara, who subsequently studied at The Juilliard School under Vincent Persichetti and Aaron Copland. He furthered his education in Switzerland with Wladimir Vogel and in Germany with Rudolf Petzold, gaining a mastery of diverse European techniques.
His musical style evolved over several decades.
Initially, he experimented with neoclassical and strict 12-tone serialism (Symphony No. 4). By the late 1960s, he abandoned rigid modernism for a lush, tonal, and "angelic" style. His music became characterized by soaring melodies, dense "cluster" chords, and a sense of vast, open landscapes.
He often described his music as a "living organism" and claimed he did not "compose" his works so much as "listen" to the music that was already there, acting as a medium for a higher order.
Among his most important works: Cantus Arcticus (1972): a "Concerto for Birds and Orchestra"; Angel of Light (Symphony No. 7, 1994); opera Vincent (1987), and symphonic work Apotheosis (1996).