Puut humisevat – Organ Music by Juhani Pohjanmies and contemporaries

Juhani Pohjanmies’ colossal Sonata for Organ reflects his character: it was always searching and always discovering. First performed by Pohjanmies himself in 1917, it remains one of the most ambitious Finnish organ compositions. It is also part of the first golden age of Finnish organ music. Previously, only Oskar Merikanto had composed concert music for the organ, but suddenly, in the second decade of the last century, young composers such as John Granlund, Fredrik Isacsson and Väinö Raitio – who can be heard in the concert – raised the organ to the status of an instrument on equal footing with other instruments. It is perhaps no coincidence that these compositions were written in the decade of Finland’s independence: the young composers wanted to show that Finland had a musical culture on a broad front. Why most of the works are still virtually unknown is at least due to the fact that some of their composers have been forgotten and that many of the works remain unprinted.

The concert is held at the Turku Cathedral.

Programme 10€.