Heikki Aaltoila

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Heikki Johanes Aaltoila (until 1934 Aalto ) (born December 11, 1905 in Hausjärvi , Finland ; † January 11, 1992 in Helsinki ) was a Finnish composer , arranger , conductor , and music critic . In addition to his main instrument, the piano , he played the double bass .

Life

Heikki Aaltoila, before 1966

His father was Hugo Aalto. Aalto was also his maiden name. Heikki inherited his enthusiasm for music and theater from his father. He was a businessman and in his spare time he was an amateur actor and musician. After graduating from high school in 1927, Heikki worked as a dance musician and accompanied film screenings in the cinema as a pianist. From 1928 to 1934 he studied music at the Helsingfors music institute in Helsinki with Erkki Melarti , Leevi Madetoja and Ernst Linko and at the university with Ilmari Krohn and Toivo Haapanen. He played the double bass in the student orchestra of the University of Helsinki. From 1932 he conducted the university orchestra and from 1939 to 1952 the student orchestra of the Technological Institute. From 1934 to 1973 he directed the orchestra of the National Theater. From 1939 to 1944 he worked for the Finnish Radio . He composed, arranged and conducted the music for around 150 plays. His first incidental music, for the staging of Klaus, Louhikon herra [Klaus, Herr von Louhikon] by Maria Jotuni by the director Wilho Ilmari (1888-1983), was performed on October 30, 1942 at the National Theater. He conducted his theater music in many European cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Vienna, Budapest, Moscow and Leningrad . His career as a film composer began in 1944. He wrote the film music for over 70 films, including 55 feature films, short films and documentaries. He had the ability to combine different styles of music, from renaissance to jazz , modern and rock . Here he also did a lot of experiments. His orchestrations are very much alive. He was part of the Finnish film industry, and since he set many of Edvin Laine's films to music, he was also called his “court composer”. In some films he appeared as a supporting actor, mostly while making music. From 1971 to 1978 he taught at the Sibelius Academy, and from 1943 to 1986 he worked as a music critic for Uusi Suomi [New Finland] and other newspapers.

In 1949 he divorced his first wife Marja Liuhtu, whom he married in 1941. He had 3 children with his second wife Inkeri Hupli.

Prizes and awards

  • Aaltoila received the Jussi for best film music twice - in 1954 for the film "Niskavuoren Arne" and in 1956 for "Pastori Jussilainen".
  • On December 6, 1968, he received the Pro Finlandia Medal

Works (selection)

The National Library of Finland in Helsinki has published a list of its extensive manuscript collection of Aaltoila's works and arrangements.

Akselis and Elina's wedding waltz

His most famous and popular composition is a romantic waltz called “Akselin ja Elinan häävalssi” [Akseli's and Elina's wedding waltz]. It was originally composed for the film "Täällä Pohjantähden alla". There are many recordings of him. Originally an instrumental piece, it was often arranged e.g. B. as a version with choir and for soloists with orchestra. According to recent musicological studies, it is probably based on the waltz Syysruusuja, valse à la russe, op. 4 by Herman Sjöblom from 1921.

Film scores and stage music

The Internet Movie Database contains a list of 63 films - cinema films, short films, documentaries and TV films, for which Aaltoila wrote the film music. He set plays, thrillers and comedies to music. The list of the National Library of Finland also includes over 100 plays with the traditional sheet music. These mainly include pieces from world literature that the National Theater performed from the late 1930s to the mid 1970s. It is music for pieces that were current at the time, such as Endstation Sehnsucht , The Cat on the Hot Tin Roof , Andorra , Endspiel and The Rhinos , but also classics such as Romeo and Juliet , What you want , Macbeth , Faust , The Robbers and The Imaginary Sick . Pieces by less prominent Scandinavian and Eastern European authors are also among them.

Orchestral music

  • Hälläpyörä, orchestral score; fragmentary
  • Kylätansseista [village dances], orchestral score
  • Laulu oravasta [squirrel song], orchestral score
  • Pieni ankanpoikanen [Little Ducklings], theme with variations; Orchestral score fragmentary; 1952
  • Polifonia, orchestral score; fragmentary
  • Poli-Pom, orchestral score fragmentary; 1952
  • Rattoraikuja Polilta, orchestral score fragmentary
  • Suomen Lions-liiton marssi, orchestral score fragmentary; 1967
  • Tango exotic, orchestral score; fragmentary
  • Tie Damaskoksen [The Road to Damascus] for oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bass clarinet, percussion and strings, 1954
  • Vaellukset [Wanderings], orchestral score; 1973

Works for choir and orchestra

  • Janakkalan laulu Janakkala - song ; Orchestra score, fragmentary female choir, male choir, 1958; Piano reduction, 1979

Choral music

Serenade, choral score; fragmentary

Songs

  • Kehtolaulu [lullaby], vocals and piano; fragmentary 1932
  • Juhannus [midsummer], vocals and piano
  • Kiitoslaulu, [Danklied], cantata; Voice and organ / piano
  • Psalm 23, voice and piano / harp
  • Soi, laulu Leijonain [song of the lion], song of the piano
  • Tähtikeinu for voice and piano, 1931
  • Valtamerilaiva, vocals
  • Vapahtaja kutsuu [The Savior invites], song and piano

Piano music

  • nocturne

literature

  • "Heikki Aaltoila" in: Tauno Karila: Suomen säveltäijijät, [Finnish composers], Helsinki, 1965 (Finnish)
  • “Heikki Aaltolia” in: Werner Söderström, ed. By Einari Marvia: Suomen säveltäijijä [Finnish composers]; Helsinki; 1966 (Finnish)
  • "Heikki Aaltoila" in: Einari Marvia: Otavan iso musiikkitietosanakirja, [Otava's great music encyclopedia], 5 volumes, Helsinki, Otava, 1979 (Finnish)
  • “Heikki Aaltoila” in: Mikko Heiniö, Pekka Jalkanen, Seija Lappalainen, Erkki Saalmenhaara: Suomolaisia ​​säveltäijä; [Finnish composers], Keuruu ; Otava; 1994 (Finnish)
  • Anu Juva: Valkokangas soi !: kirja elokuvamusiikista; [A book on film music]; Helsinki, Kirjastopalvelu 1995, pp. 140-144; OCLC 58196748
  • “Heikki Aaltoila” in: Ruth-Esther Hilila, Barbara Blanchard Hong; Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997, ISBN 978-0-313-27728-3 (English)
  • “Heikki Aaltoila” in: Pekka Jalkanen, Vesa Kurkela: Populaarimusiikki . Suomalaisen musiikin historia [popular music. Finnish Music History]; 2004; Pp. 107f, 312 (Finnish)
  • " Suomi soi 3: Ääniaalloilta parrasvaloihin ." In: Juha Seitajärvi: Kansallisteatterin sävelmistä koko kansan häävalssiin "; 2005; p. 250 (Finnish)

Recordings of the works of Aaltoila

Although he has produced a lot of music, there are only a few recordings.

Wedding waltz

  • in: Finnish Orchestral Favorites: Works by Sibelius, Madetoja, Merikanto, etc .; Turku Philharmonic Orchestra ; Head of Jorma Panula ; Recording from 1995; Naxos 8.555773
  • in: Scandinavian Rhapsody; Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra ; Head of Leif Segerstam ; Ondine ODE8242
  • Akselin yes Elinan Haävalssi; Head of Heikki Aaltoila; 1968; PSO / Finlandia P400

Other pieces

  • Akun ja elman sävel; Head of Heikki Aaltoila; 1968; PSO / Finlandia P400
  • Alla kaupungin kattojen [Under the roofs of the city]; Antti Koskinen; Recording April 29, 1948; DECCA sd 5036 (78)
  • Koskelan jussin jenkka; Head of Heikki Aaltoila; 1968; PSO / Finlandia P400

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Ruth-Esther Hillila, Barbara Blanchard Hong: Heikki Aaltoila . In: Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland . Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997, ISBN 978-0-313-27728-3 , pp. 473 (English).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Jari J. Marjanen: Heikki Aaltoila. In: http://pomus.net . Populaarinmusiikin Museo, accessed February 2, 2017 (Finnish).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Kari Uusitalo: Heikki Aaltoila. In: https://www.elonet.fi . Kansallisen audiovisuaalisen instituutin (National Institute for Audiovisual Media), April 16, 2013, accessed on February 2, 2017 (Finnish).
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g Heikki Aaltoila. In: http://www.imdb.com . IMDb.com, Inc., accessed January 30, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Klaus, Louhikon herra. In: http://ilona.tinfo.fi/ . Accessed May 17, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Kansalliskirjasto Käsikirjoituskokoelma (ed.): Heikki Aaltoila . No. 682 . Helsinki, S. 13 (Finnish, doria.fi [PDF]).
  7. ↑ Akselin yes Elinan häävalssi. In: https://core.musicfinland.fi . Music Finland, accessed February 1, 2017 (Finnish).
  8. ↑ Tie Damascok Lakes. In: https://core.musicfinland.fi . Music Finland, accessed February 1, 2017 (Finnish).
personal data
SURNAME Aaltoila, Heikki
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Aaltoila, Heikki Johanes (full name); Aalto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Finnish composer, arranger, conductor, and music critic
DATE OF BIRTH December 11, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Hausjärvi
DATE OF DEATH January 11, 1992
Place of death Helsinki