Vihreä virta, a vocal suite
10 songs based on poems by Helvi Hämäläinen
For tenor and piano. Total duration approx. 25’
Composed during 2001-2002 (Commissioned by Art Center Salmela, premiered July 13 2003 in Mäntyharju).
The first lied in the suite (Tuomas Katajala, tenor & Ilmari Räikkönen, piano, 2003)
First lied

This vocal suite has been performed in several locations in Finland by vocalists of different vocal ranges, although it was originally composed for tenor and piano. It was commissioned by Art Center Salmela, where it was premiered during the summer of 2003. The text is by Helvi Hämäläinen (1907-1998). The work consists of 10 lieds which are related in one way or another. Each song grows organically to form a unified suite. It was my intention to select poems which describe life as broadly as possible. The works of Helvi Hämäläinen proved to have a lot to offer in this context.