Archives of FMQ - Finnish Music Quarterly

Heikki Laitinen & Kimmo Pohjonen: Murhaballadeja – Murder Ballads

Heikki Laitinen & Kimmo Pohjonen: Murhaballadeja – Murder Ballads

Heikki Laitinen & Kimmo Pohjonen: Murhaballadeja – Murder Ballads

"Laitinen flexes his vocals to varied roles, portraying the whole spectrum of emotions: humour, jealousy, love, sadness, smugness, weakness, cruelty and the feeling of abandonment. As the ballads open a window into humanity, you forget the theme of murder...

Tanja Tiekso

January 12, 2012

Esa-Pekka Salonen: Out of Nowhere

Esa-Pekka Salonen: Out of Nowhere

Esa-Pekka Salonen: Out of Nowhere

The music of Esa-Pekka Salonen is like top design. It is controlled, streamlined, intelligent and functional – a pleasure, in other words...

Karoliina Vesa

January 12, 2012

Kalle Kalima & K-18: Out To Lynch

Kalle Kalima & K-18: Out To Lynch

Kalle Kalima & K-18: Out To Lynch

"Kalima’s music contains only few pieces that can be hummed or even memorized. Rather, we are talking of a rich sound palette within an intricate weave of intertwined sounds.

Jan-Erik Holmberg

January 12, 2012

Sebastian Fagerlund - full speed ahead

Sebastian Fagerlund - full speed ahead

Sebastian Fagerlund - full speed ahead

The music of composer Sebastian Fagerlund has always been characterised by an energetic and effortless forward motion. In recent years, his career has likewise gone full speed ahead.

Aki Yli-salomäki

January 3, 2011

Järnefelt in a Wagnerian light

Järnefelt in a Wagnerian light

Järnefelt in a Wagnerian light

Armas Järnefelt is today principally known for two lovely miniatures: Preludi and Berceuse. Yet he was the composer of several extensive works who introduced a new, Wagnerian voice into Finnish music.

Kimmo Korhonen

May 3, 2010

When jazz and rock came to Finland (on Kjell Westö)

When jazz and rock came to Finland (on Kjell Westö)

When jazz and rock came to Finland (on Kjell Westö)

Kjell Westö is an award-winning author whose books have been translated into several languages. But really he would like to be a musician. His historical novels are brimming with music, describing the arrival of jazz and rock in Finland.

Aki Petteri Lehtinen

January 12, 2010

An interview with a conductor - Susanna Mälkki

An interview with a conductor - Susanna Mälkki

An interview with a conductor - Susanna Mälkki

Conductor Susanna Mälkki is becoming bigger and bigger in Paris. And she is still only 41-years of age. Barely a grown-up in the masculine and patriarchic world of conducting.

Antti J. Peltonen

January 12, 2010

The tone of the north

The tone of the north

The tone of the north

The north is a regular theme in Finnish music. But it is also more. It is the main myth of the region’s inhabitants, an undertone that determines their thoughts and way of life. That is why the north can be heard in Finnish music even when it is not explicitly the theme.

Juha Torvinen

January 9, 2010

Scores to settle

Scores to settle

Scores to settle

Finnish war films feature exquisite music. To help you get the most out of the music, here is a listener's guide to the cream of the crop — although that includes one film with no score at all.

Susanna Välimäki

January 6, 2010