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- Erkki-Sven Tüür
Symphony No. 10 “Æris” (2021)
(for horn quartet and orchestra)- Henry Litolff’s Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (World)
- 4f-hn + 3(II:afl.III:pic).3(III:ca).0(III:bcl)+3bb-cl.2+cbn/0.0+3ctpt.3.1/timp.3perc/hp/str
- Horn in F, Horn in F, Horn in F, Horn in F
- 27 min
Programme Note
In Latin, ÆRIS means brass, which is also the name of a certain instrument group in the symphony orchestra. However, AERIS means ‘air’ and without this essential element, not a sound would come out of brass instruments. Thus, the title of my tenth symphony focuses mainly on the brass sound that carries the weight of this composition.
The symphony begins by exhibiting this sound, which seems to be arriving from beyond the horizon. The illusion of an “upward stretching” axis pitch formed by quarter tones is the first sign of a mysterious group of guests who will soon start playing a decisive role in the entire development process.
The increasingly dense layer formed mainly by the woodwinds presents a contrasting material to the slowly stretching sound axis of the French horns. In turn, this contrasting material later forms the basis for the theme of the French horn quartet.
The symphony is divided into four movements that transition without clear separation. Every movement expresses a different development between the ensemble of soloists and the orchestra. Sometimes their motifs spread into the orchestra like memes that start changing and gradually take on lives of their own; sometimes they enter a debate without reaching common ground; sometimes there is a dialogue between the soloists and the ensembles within the orchestra, creating the impression of shared development principles...
The French horn quartet may be regarded as messengers, bringing prophecies of imminent irreversible changes. Will their message be understood? What will be the reaction and how will it impact communication? Where did they come from anyway? What did they want to tell us? Let every member of the audience deal with these questions according to their social compass and imagination. It is not up to me to paraphrase my music and I won’t bother anyone with my composition techniques or creative methods – that is a topic for special seminars. What I wish is for the audience to take this journey with an open mind.
I am extremely grateful to the French horn quartet German Hornsound who came to me with the idea of composing such a piece.
Erkki-Sven Tüür
Translation: Pirjo Jonas
Scores
Reviews
At the beginning of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Æris (Latin for “air” and for “brass”), the Konzerthausorchester starts witch scattered sounds, with a high-pitched flute, deep bassoon, fluttering bird calls, and skewed motifs — until the soloists of German Hornsound rush in, firing up the musicians with upwards spiraling quarter tones, igniting an explosive atmosphere in the hall.
The four-movement symphony poachs on a variety of styles, at times sounding like unleashed minimal music, at others a psychedelic soundscape, distorted late Romanticism, a hystericized Ligeti, or end time jazz. Occasionally, the orchestra, guided confidently through the virtuosic work by Andris Poga, resembles an XXL synthesizer. Estonian composer Tüür, born in 1959, constantly expands the spectrum of sound, opening up spaces.
This can be taken quite literally. At the end, horn players Christoph Ess, Andrés Aragón, Stephan Schottstädt, and Timo Steininger stand on the galleries in the corners of the hall. Quarter tones and glissandi encircle the audience, until the diminuendo dissolves into the soft trickling of a rain stick. The music finds its peace in noise.
More Info
- Record release and performance of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Symphony No. 10 „Æris“
- 7th May 2025
- On May 9 & 10, horn quartet german hornsound and Konzerthausorchester Berlin conducted by Andris Poga perform Symphony No. 10 „Æris“ by Erkki-Sven Tüür.