Jukka Tiensuu: Puro
Commission: commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, 1989
26th April 1989 Helsinki (world premiere) Finnish RSO
Cond: Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Has since become the most performed Finnish concerto after the Sibelius Violin Concerto, with most of the performances featuring Kriikku.
Performance reviews
Tiensuu has created a world of microtonality which results in a very rich-sounding orchestral texture. The long, half-improvised cadenza has become the ‘trademark’ of the work.
– Kari Kriikku on ‘Puro
But Kriikku was the magician. He produces sounds one would have not thought possible from the clarinet […]. Kriikku’s playing, and the works he played, showed just how modern music can be both of the highest quality and engage audiences at the same time.
– The Dominion Post, John Button, 22nd June 2009
Recording: released by Ondine 1989
Kari Kriikku/Jukka-Pekka Saraste/Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
