Kuusisto / Gothe / Beamish: Acknowledgments

Jaakko Kuusisto (1974–2022) is at the heart of “Ringraziamenti”. His “Wiima” for string orchestra grew out of the string quartet “Play III”; this is followed by the three-movement Cello Concerto op. 38, which is being recorded here for the first time. Jan-Erik Gustafsson takes on the solo part. Strings and percussion accompany him, with the percussionist switching between snare drum and vibraphone.

The second half of the album turns its gaze towards Ludwig van Beethoven. In “Ringraziamenti”, Mats Larsson Gothe takes the “Heiligen Dankgesang” from Beethoven’s A minor string quartet op. 132 as a starting point. In her four-movement “Opus California”, Sally Beamish refers to the C minor string quartet op. 18 No. 4 and combines its material with echoes of jazz. The version for string orchestra can be heard. The Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra performs it under the direction of Swedish violinist Malin Broman.