Englund, Einar

(1916-1999)

Einar Englund (1916-1999), composer, pianist, composition teacher and music critic, studied composition and orchestration at the Sibelius Academy. Recommended by Jean Sibelius he continued his studies at the Tanglewood Music Center under Aaron Copland. Englund was a great concert pianist and skilled improviser, which influenced his style possibly more than anything else; his works are the product of true and practical musicianship.

Einar Englund’s brightest youth was spent at the front and he once said that all his music is in some way about the war. Englund entered the Finnish musical scene in 1946 with his first symphony (“War Symphony”) which received enthusiastic reception. Since then he favoured grand forms. The second symphony (“Blackbird”) composed in 1947 established his position as one of the front line young composers and is among his best known works. Englund’s oeuvre includes altogether seven symphonies and six concertos, among them the popular Piano Concerto No. 1 dating from 1955 and the Flute Concerto from 1985. In the latter Englund strove to get away from the lyricism usually associated with the flute. The soloist acquires a dynamic role and occasionally sets itself up in opposition to the orchestra. Englund is also known for film music: he wrote music to the film The White Reindeer and his concert suite The Great Wall of China was originally composed for a play. In the late 70s Englund became interested in chamber music and composed also pieces for solo instruments.

Englund’s musical language was, in his own words, based on sweeping terms and great symphonic lines. He built his works on themes, clear harmonies and polyphonic thinking. As a composer he was a neo-classicist, whose music based on tonality and included long, compact and even romantic melodic lines side by side with spicy dissonances, energetic rhythm and vigorous orchestration.

Aphorisms. Symphony No. 6

(1984)

for mixed chorus and orchestra

3232-4330-12-hp-cel(pf)-str

Duration: 30

Ciacona

(1990)

2222 4330 12 1, cel, str

Duration: 8

Concerto for 12 Violoncellos

(1981)

for 12 violoncellos

12 violoncellos

Duration: 28

Concerto for Flute and Orchestra

(1985)

for flute and orchestra

3(I=picc)222-4330-14-hp-hpd(+cel)-str Percussione: Tamburo piccolo, 3 Tom-toms, Gran cassa, Piatti, Piatto sospeso, Campanelli, Silofono, Tamburino, Triangolo, Legno, Temple Block

Duration: 23

Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra

(1954)

22(c.ing)22 2220 11 1, cel, str, vlc solo

Duration: 20

Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra

(1955)

for piano and orchestra

2(II+picc)2(II+ca)22-2221-12-str Percussion 1: Snare drum, Cymbals Percussion 2: Bass drum, Triangle

Duration: 23

Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra

(1974)

2222 4330 14 0, cel, str pno solo

Duration: 25

Concerto per clarinetto ed orchestra

(1991)

2(picc)222 4230 12 1, cel, str, cl solo

Duration: 22

Concerto per violino ed orchestra

(1981)

2.2.2.2-2.0.0.0-1(+camp.,tom-tom).0-str

Duration: 28

Divertimento upsaliensis

(1978)

for wind quintet, string quintet and piano

1.1.1.1-1.0.0.0-0.0-pf-str (1.1.1.1.1)

Duration: 12

Epinikia

(1947)

for orchestra

3(picc)333(cfg) 4331 13 1, pno, str

Duration: 0

Kiinan muuri. Konserttisarja

Surrealistinen sarja Max Frischin näytelmästä (1949)

3(picc)2(I+c.ing)3(III=b.cl)2 4231 13 hp, pno, str Movements: Ouvertura (I), Naamiaiset kiinalaisessa puutarhassa / Masquerade in a Chinese Garden (II), Inkvisitio / Inquisition (III), Rumba (IV), Vihreän pöydän tango / Green Table Tango (V), Marssi a la Sostakovits / March a la Shostakovich (VI), Jazz-intermezzo (VII), Finale-Polonaise (VIII)

Duration: 21

Neljä impressiota

Sarja baletista Sinuhe (1954)

22(c.ing)22 2220 12 1, pno, str

Duration: 14

Odéion

(1987)

for orchestra

2222 4330 15 0, pno, str

Duration: 10

Odysseus

Ballet (1959)

2220 2220 14 1, cel, pno, str

Duration: 0

Romanssi

elokuvasta Omena putoaa (1955)

for solo violin and orchestra

2222 2120 00 1, str, vln solo

Duration: 3

Serenata

(1983)

str(min 44321)

Duration: 20

Sinuhe. Baletti

(1959)

1(+picc)1(+ca)1(+bcl)1-0100-1(+1)-hp-pf-vc Percussion: 2 Timpani (G & c), Snare drum (also w/ brush), 3 Tom-toms, Suspended cymbal, Marimba, Vibraphone, Triangle, Tambourine, Wood block

Duration: 20

Symphony No. 1

War Symphony (1946)

for orchestra

3(III=picc)3(III=c.ing)3(III=cl.b)2-4331-12-hp-str

Duration: 34

Symphony No. 2

Blackbird Symphony (1947)

for orchestra

3(III=picc).2(II+c.ing).2.3(III=c.fag)-4.3.3.1-1.2-hp-pf(+cel)-str

Duration: 30

Symphony No. 3

(1971)

for orchestra

3(picc)3(c.ing)3(b.cl)2 4331 14 1, pno, str

Duration: 27

Symphony No. 4

Nostalgic (1976)

for orchestra

3perc-cel-str Percussion 1: Timpani, Temple block Percussion 2: Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Raganella, Snare drum, Tamburino Percussion 3: Bells, Triangle, Crotales, Bass drum

Duration: 23

Symphony No. 5 Fennica

(1977)

for orchestra

3(picc)2(c.ing)3(b.cl)2 4330 13 1, cel, str

Duration: 0

Symphony No. 7

(1988)

for orchestra

2222 4331 14 1, cel, str

Duration: 32

The White Reindeer. Suite from film musicn

(1954)

for orchestra

2(II+picc).2(II+c.ing).2(II+cl.basso).2-2.2.2.0-1.1(-2)-hp-str

Duration: 14

Einar Englund: Flute Concerto (also PDF)
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Einar Englund: Suite from the Ballet “Sinuhe” for piano
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Einar Englund: Piano Trio
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Einar Englund: Serenata for string orchestra
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Einar Englund: Rumba (arr. Elias Seppälä)
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Symphony No. 4 “Nostalgic” (movement 3, extract)
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra/Eri Klas (Ondine ODE 961-2)

Rumba (from the concert suite “The Great Wall of China”)
A band transcription by Elias Seppälä.
Helsinki Police Symphonic Band/Sami Ruusuvuori