Einar Englund - 100 Years, 2. Symphonies

Einar Englund (1916 - 1999) is considered Finland's most important symphonist after Sibelius, and one with a distinct 20-century voice.

After Englund composed the War and Blackbird symphonies in the post-war years, serialism and modernism became the norm in Finland.  Englund disliked the constraints of those styles and decided not to write another symphony until the air cleared.  He resumed in 1971 with the Barbarossa symphony. Four more symphonies would follow.

Together these works demonstrate the composer's considerable composing skills which had an emphasis on thematic transformation, use of counterpoint, lyrical freedom and marked rhythms. ⁽¹⁾ The works are exquisitely orchestrated, a skill he learned early on from Leo Funtek at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. It sets him apart and makes these works a pleasure to listen to.

Symphony No. 1 "War Symphony" (1946), was composed as an exorcism of war for his war-battered country and as a celebration of its independence since only 1917. In this work Englund put to work the symphonic, contrapuntal, and orchestration skills he had learned from his Finnish teachers, and produced a work that already revealed a master.

I was struck that all the themes of the first two movements came to me as marches. But the symphony as a whole is an ode to life. I was alive! It is not a war symphony in that sense at all - it is a survival symphony. I had survived a terrible time. - Einar Englund ⁽¹⁾

Symphony No. 2 "The Blackbird" (1948), 'a sarcastic statement by a rebellious soul on the brutality of Man and our distorted civilization, compared with the purity of Nature.'⁽²⁾ The flute has a prominent voice, at times intertwined with other wind instruments.

Englund was making his living from playing jazz piano in night-clubs and would cycle home at 3 am, sometimes 4 am, just as the dawn chorus was starting. It wasn't until a critic drew attention to the motif in a review of the first performance that Englund realized he had indeed unconsciously used the call of the blackbird that used to welcome him back in the wee hours.⁽¹⁾

Once serialism and modernism had run its course, Englund resumed where he had left off, writing Symphony No. 3 "Barbarossa" (1971) in his own signature symphonic style and once again with gorgeous orchestration. Here also the wind section receives special attention. The work is in four movements, Maestoso - Allegro ritmico, Scherzo (Molto vivace - Largamente), Molto adagio, and Allegro con brio ending in a triumphal coda.



Symphony No. 4 "Nostalgic" (1976), scored for strings and percussion, was commissioned by the Finnish Radio and dedicated 'to the memory of a great composer.' The first movement Prelude is an elegy and reminds of Shostakovich who died in 1975.  The second movement Allegro Assai is subtitled Tempus Fugit (Time Flies) and expresses childhood memories when he visited the shop of a watchmaker in his native Gotland where the ticking clocks left a lasting memory.  The third movement Andante with the subtitle Nostalgia has a reference to Tapiola, a work by Sibelius. Englund spent some time in Ainola with the great composer who told him: 'I see your fate in your eyes. You will be an accomplished composer.' The last movement Allegretto Gracioso, Adagio with the subtitle Intermezzo and Epilogue starts in a light mood but is loaded with dark tints. The music becomes more dramatic and resigned and ultimately ends in an overshadowing silence--black as the night. ⁽³⁾



Symphony No. 5 "Fennica" (1977) was commissioned for the 60th anniversary of Finland's independence and dedicated to President J. K. Paasikivi (1870-1956) with the following words:

... the statesman whose farsighted diplomacy guaranteed a secure peace to Finland.⁽³⁾

Written in a single movement divided into four sections (fast, slow, fast, slow) and a coda, it is the shortest of his symphonies. At the end the music gradually disappears and becomes silent.

It is another symphony influenced by the war. The terrible and gloomy feelings that all who have lived through the war kept inside, are heard, said Englund himself. It is not a triumphant work extolling the independence of his country, but a reflection on the disasters of the war.⁽³⁾

Symphony No. 6 "Aphorisms" (1984) in six movements was written to fulfill a wish of conductor Ulf Söderblom and the Akateeminen Laulu (Academic Choral Society) Choir. The texts, translated into Finnish and clearly articulated to make them easily understood, are based on the aphorisms--short phrases proposed as rules--of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Heraclitus's doctrine is based on the principle of constant mutation of life, nothing exists, everything becomes. ⁽³⁾

Despite its importance in the work, Englund treats the choral part as another section of the orchestra. Englund hardly wrote any choral music, and the focal movement is a purely instrumental scherzo. Englund was greatly concerned with the relationship between text and music and to make the music reflect the meaning of the words. This is a programmatic symphony but in a philosophical sense. No facts but rather ideas are expressed, which makes it even more difficult. In the fifth movement Finale he portrays the order of the universe, born of fire. ⁽³⁾

The everlasting Word (Logos) is expressed in the first movement Prologi eli logos (Prologue, or logos).

Though this Word is true evermore, yet men are as unable to understand it when they hear it for the first time as before they have heard it at all. For, though, all things come to pass in accordance with this Word, men seem as if they had no experience of them, when they make trial of words and deeds such as I set forth, dividing each thing according to its nature and showing how it truly is. But other men know not what they are doing when awake, even as they forget what they do in sleep.⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾

The movement ends in a solemn coda supported by percussion singing the phrase Logos on yhteinen (Logos is common).

So we must follow the common, yet the many live as if they had a wisdom of their own. Though wisdom is common, yet the many live as if they had a wisdom of their own..⁽⁶⁾

The second movement Liitoksesse KokoNainen (United the whole) treats Heraclitus' concept of Opposites (Contrasts).  The aphorisms speak of the contrasts that make up life.

Couples are things whole and not whole, what is drawn together and what is drawn asunder, the harmonious and discordant. The one is made up of all things, and all things issue from the one. ⁽⁷⁾

The death of earth is to become water, and the death of water is to become air, and the death of air is to become fire, and reversely.⁽⁸⁾

And it is the same thing in us that is quick and dead, awake and asleep, young and old; the former are shifted and become the latter, and the latter in turn are shifted and become the former.⁽⁹⁾

The third movement Scherzo is purely instrumental.  It possesses great rhythmic force and is by some considered the most interesting part of the work. The composer allowed this movement to be performed as an independent orchestral work. The central trio contrasts between lyrical strings with powerful orchestral tutti rhythmic in character, further elaborating the idea of constant change. ⁽³⁾

The slow fourth movement Niiden ohitse jotka astuvat virtaan Samaan (New water passes over the same river) illustrates the law of change, i.e. the difference between becoming and being, as water flowing in a river that changes over time. The chorus sings with a certain solemnity quoting Heraclitus' most popular fragment. The orchestra portrays the river effect.

You cannot step twice into the same river. ⁽¹⁰⁾

   - This movement ends with more agitation, the chorus accompanied by percussion reciting:

We step and do not step into the same rivers; we are and are not.⁽¹¹⁾

The fifth movement Tata maailmanjärjestystä (This World order) sets a series of aphorisms concluding that everything is the same, being and non-being. It  begins with a brilliant orchestral introduction.  An excited chorus attributes the origin of the world to fire in the form of a recitative:

This world, which is the same for all, no one of gods or men has made; but it was ever, is now and ever shall be an ever-living fire, with measures kindling and measures going out.⁽¹²⁾

   - The movement continues without interruption, but after a pause the chorus repeats some of the lyrics and fades away into a final sustained note.

And it is the same thing in us that is quick and dead, awake and asleep, young and old; the former are shifted and become the latter, and the latter in turn are shifted and become the former. ⁽⁹⁾

The Finale starts with a vigorous orchestral introduction and contains various aphorisms.  The choir sings as a whisper, ending the repetition of the word sama, the same.

Human opinions are children's toys.⁽¹³⁾

It is hard to fight with one’s heart’s desire, for it will pay with soul for what it craves.⁽¹⁴⁾

Wisdom is one thing. It is to know the thought by which all things are steered through all things.⁽¹⁵⁾

What opposes unites, and the finest attunement stems from things bearing in opposite directions, ...⁽¹⁶⁾

   - After an orchestral interlude, the chorus repeats the aphorism about wisdom and ends in a coda with Fragment 60:

The way up and the way down is one and the same.⁽¹⁶⁾

Symphony No. 7 (1988) is in four movements (I. Allegretto, II. Andante, III. Moderato e quasi una danza tristezza, IV. Con moto) and coincided with the onset of the heart disease that would ultimately lead to the composer's death. In this symphony in neoclassical style Englund revealed once more his musical roots fixed in tradition. ⁽³⁾



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⁽¹⁾ Martin Anderson, "Obituary: Einar Englund." Obituary, Independent, 07/08/1999. (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-einar-englund-1105147.html (06/28/2016))
⁽²⁾ Heikki Aaltoila as quoted in Lance Nixon, "Einar Englund (1916-1999)." CD review, MusicWeb International website, 03/04/2004. (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Mar04/Englund2.htm (07/02/2016))
⁽³⁾ Free translation from Francesc Serracanta i Giravent, "Englund."Historia de la Sinfonia website, February 2007. (http://www.historiadelasinfonia.es/naciones/la-sinfonia-en-finlandia/los-compositores-mas-notables/englund/ (07/02/2016))
⁽⁴⁾ All fragments are quoted from "Fragments of Heraclitus." Translated by John Burnet, Wikisource page, translations published in 1912, unless otherwise noted.   (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fragments_of_Heraclitus#Fragment_88 (07/13/2016))  For a discussion of Heraclitus' concept of Harmony see Maria Michela Sassi, "How Musical was Heraclitus’ Harmony? A reassessment of 22 B 8, 10, 51 DK." Degruyter.com website, Rhizomata 2015; 3(1): 3–25. (http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle.fullcontentlink:pdfeventlink/$002fj$002frhiz.2015.3.issue-1$002frhiz-2015-0002$002frhiz-2015-0002.pdf?format=INT&t:ac=j$002frhiz.2015.3.issue-1$002frhiz-2015-0002$002frhiz-2015-0002.xml (07/17/2016))
⁽⁵⁾ Fragment 1, source Sextus Empiricus, Against the mathematicians, VII, 132 [s. A 16.].
⁽⁶⁾ Fragment 2, source Sextus Empiricus Against the mathematicians, VII. 133.
⁽⁷⁾ Fragment 10, source Aristotle On the World, 5. p. 396b20.
⁽⁸⁾ Fragment 76, source Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, IV, 46.
⁽⁹⁾ Fragment 88, source Ps. Plutarch, Consolation to Apollonius, 106 E.
⁽¹⁰⁾ The idea is that of an ever-changing river due to the incessant flow of water. Fragment 91, source Plutarch, On the E at Delphi, 392 B.
⁽¹¹⁾ Fragment 49a, source Heraclitus, Homeric Questions, 24.
⁽¹²⁾ Fragment 30, source Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, V, 14, 104, 2.
⁽¹³⁾ Fragment 70, source Iamblichus, On the soul, in Stobaeus, II, 1, 16.
⁽¹⁴⁾ Fragment 85, source Aristotle, Eudemian ethics, B 7, 1223 b 23 s.
⁽¹⁵⁾ Fragment 41, source Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of the philosophers, IX, 1.
⁽¹⁶⁾ Fragment 8, source Aristotle, Ethics, Book VIII, Part 1, 1155b 4. Translation from heraclitusfragments.com. (http://www.heraclitusfragments.com/files/en.html (07/17/2016))
⁽¹⁶⁾ Fragment 60, source Hippolytus, Refutation of all heresies, IX, 10, 4. This refers to the doctrine of cyclic recurrence of all things, including our lives. (See "Heraclitus and Parmenides. A Supplement to Ricardo Nirenberg's Fall 1996 Lecture on the Presocratics." University of Albany, 1996. (http://www.albany.edu/~rn774/fall96/philos3.html (07/17/2016))