Whisked Whistle for Symphony Orchestra

The sounds of the string section carry along my first orchestral composition, ten-minute Whisked Whistle (2011), commissioned by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Actually, one of the extended string playing techniques even lent the work its title!

The variation of and tension between contrasting timbres propels the piece along, on equal terms with the six-part harmony developed by me and other more traditional devices such as melody, harmony, rhythm and orchestration. Timbre, in the context of this piece, should be understood broadly as an umbrella term for all the components of a sound event. The hoots, wails, hisses, gushes, whispers, crackles and buzzes heard in the piece are thus by no means effects or seasoning added afterwards; they are an organic part of my musical expression.

I had for a long time imagined – but never actually heard – how wonderfully some extended string playing techniques would sound when skillfully performed by a large string section. Fortunately the commissioner, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra kindly offered me a 30-minute possibility to test just that before actually starting the compositional process.

So, in May 2011 I prepared a kind of a sound test drive score and parts for the orchestra and listened carefully it to be played in the concert hall in a rehearsal conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali and then went home to assess which techniques in my opinion worked well and which didn’t. I’m certain that this possibility was essential for the success of this composition.

As no one can claim copyright to a playing technique or a sound thus produced, it is more essential how a composer can use them in a personal, interesting and musical manner in her/his composition! I eventually decided to utilize seven extended string playing techniques and sounds produced with them in Whisked Whistle. Some of these techniques I think I might have invented myself and some others I might have seen and heard elsewhere.

Sul tasto ”pan”: Position bow moltissimo sul tasto, approximately in the middle point of the sounding string. This way of playing is intended to result in a hollow sound, somewhat like the sound of the pan flute (or perhaps the clarinet in a low register, played softly).

Circular bowing: The bow, positioned in the upper third, is to be swept in a direction parallel to the strings with a slightly circular, free movement, which starts from the upper arm. This bowing thenique is intended to result in a blowing-like sound which however has a short, pitched impulse for each note.

Whisked whistle: To be played sul pont./quasi flag). A fast, whisking, over-wide arm vibrato, with the left hand finger sliding rapidly along the string, still pressed only half way down, resluting in a whistling, piercing and whisking, electric quitar feedback-vib.-note like sound.

Crackle: Press the bow down very hard at the frog with flat hair so that the tip of the bow points to the up left. Now twist the bow slowly in its place, while maintaining the pressure, approximately 45 degrees so that the bow finally reaches its normal position. This way of playing is intended to result in a dry, crackling, granular, discontinuous sound, like anticipating some violent burst (for example breaking of a tree branch). Sparse crackle is produced by turning the bow very slowly, dense crackle is produced by turning the bow slightly faster.

Whistle staccato: Intended to result in high, short, whistling and piercing, somewhat arbitraty flageolet-like sounds. They are not ordinary natural flageolets, but are to be played sul pont./quasi flag, the left hand finger pressed only half way down. The bow should be “flying”, hitting the string from the air for a very short time while moving fast.

Rumble: Slow bow speed, exaggerated bow pressure, bow close to the fingerboard. Left hand finger pressure is less than normal. This way of playing is intended to result in the note sounding approximately an octave, or, depending of the bow pressure, a major seventh lower than written, with a rumbling sound quality. Brutality is not to be avoided!

Bursting: Crunch the bow from normal playing position towards the tail piece over the bridge and back, resulting in a bursting, machine-like sound. An arrow down denotes the movement of the bow towards the tail piece, an arrow up vice and versa.

You can watch and listen to me demonstrate these techniques and more on my viola via the links attached.

Whisked Whistle has been preformed twice so far. The world premiere was given in 25th of January 2012 at the Helsinki Music Center by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by talented and energetic Santtu-Matias Rouvali. I was immensely satisfied with the dedicated performance of the orchestra and especially with working with conductor Santtu Matias-Rouvali and his interpretation of my music.

The second performance was given at the ISCM World Music Days 2015 festival in 2nd of October 2015 in Slovenia, Ljubljana by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by intelligent and sensitive TaeJung Lee. It was a wonderful and lively performance indeed and I’m very glad that I was able to make it to Ljubljana and hear also the second performance live. Hopefully not the last!

The feedback after both performances of Whisked Whistle from both members of the audience and the orchestra has been overwhelmingly positive. Also many composer and musician colleagues personally told me that they had enjoyed the piece.

The reviews in the Finnish press were similarly positive, especially Mats Liljeroos of Hufvudstadsbladet wrote: “...Max Savikangas hit the jackpot with his snazzy orchestral piece Whisked Whistle, which in a seldom successful manner combined intricate complexity with clean-cut listener-friendliness. The viola player Savikangas’ clou was to demonstrate all conceivable, and unimaginable, ways in which string instruments can reasonably be treated, and although most of them have already been invented, he succeeded in convincing the listener that everything is his own unique invention. This at the same time as, which was the dramaturgically exemplary compact piece’s great advantage, the wild sound experiments never felt as an end in themselves but as an equally logical and naturally integrated part of the conceptual whole.”  (HBL 27.1.2018)

Frank J. Oteri of New Music USA wrote of the second performance in 2015: “Whisked Whistle...is chuck full of unusual sonic effects, but they also always have a clear musical purpose. At one point in this piece there’s a passage that’s very reminiscent of the persistent three-note tattoo in Christopher Rouse’s Symphony No. 1, but Savikangas assured me during the post-concert reception that he was not familiar with Rouse’s piece and the similarities are a coincidence. It is further proof that great ideas don’t belong to any one person but are rather out there in the universe to be discovered and explored.”

January 25 2012, Helsinki Music Centre, The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, cond. Santtu-Matias Rouvali.