In the universe everyth ng is a circle (2020–21) draws inspiration from the novel by Sawako Nakayasu Settle Her. Nakayasu’s novel is written on a bus during one day, the thanksgiving, when she wanted to protest the meaningless festivities by sitting on a local bus circling the same route the whole day. Some fragments of Nakayasu’s text are woven into the contrabass clarinet textures. Occasionally the vocal qualities of the instrument as well as the electronics push towards the foreground. The piece is a journey in circles towards the stillness of the center. 

I th nk about all the occasions when people refuse or decline knowledge I c n count the prom nent inc dences of the on m two hands and usually there is som th ng I c n say about those moments when people say don’t tell m I don’t want to know. 
Sawako Nakayasu

in the universe everyth ng is a circle (2020)

Inspired by the vocal qualities of some extended string techniques, I created a sample library to be used in computer assisted orchestration. Unvoiced vocal sounds transcribe well to all sorts of rattling and fragile pressured string sounds. However, I feel the connection between the original breathing sounds and the bowing techniques on the instrument is hard to conceive – what it means to breathe as a live organism is lost in the transcription. Efforts to transcribe it develop into fascinating, multilayered sound that has a life of its own, but in another domain.

Performed by ensemble Suono Giallo
www.ensemblesuonogiallo.com

Chiara Franceschini, violin
Giacomo Piermatti, double bass

Recorded and mixed by David Giacchè

The piece written for and premiered at the context of the 5th edition of the ilSUONO Contemporary Music Week.
www.ilsuonoacademy.com

mask the absence (2021)

The mobiles by the sculptor Alexander Calder are built from delicate separate pieces connected together firmly, but in a way to ensure they can move from slightest breeze of air. Hanging in the air, they turn slowly and silently revealing new shapes as they move. At the same time their shadow is changing almost organically creating endless variations on the surrounding surfaces. 

The chamber ensemble piece Mobiles draws from the idea of endless variation and change of view point. At times the piece seems to be hanging delicately in the air, at times it grows firm roots into the ground. The first movement Timbre, with its gently fluctuating textures of colour change abruptly into a section of expressive instrumental solos titled Movement. The music is dense with attacks and sound. Gradually changing by omitting the sound tones, the texture morphs into delicate rattling noises and whispers. In the third movement Whisperings the different sections of the ensemble appear to be in a dialogue with each other. For this movement, and with the aid of computer assisted orchestration, I used the sound of a recorded human voice as a timbral model for the ensemble arrangements. From these fragments I gradually built a dense but delicate asymmetrical texture.

In the heart of the piece, the fourth movement Calm, the music stays still almost as if floating in the air. Two crystal singing bowls tuned slightly differently form a mesmerising fluctuating surface on which the other instrumental sounds float. Slowly turning and forming different shapes in the air the piece returns to its original shape. Timbre comes back with its gentle textures of colour with slight change of view point from the beginning. The piece ends with round and soothing multiphonics by the bass clarinet.

Performed by ECO Ensemble, conducted by David Milnes. Hertz Hall, Berkeley, 9th May 2022.

Mobiles (2022)

wind rustling through (version for flute and electronics, 2023)

Flutist Sofia Gantois has made a wonderful research into the inner, most silent and secret sounds of the flute. Through her findings she has created a separate tube she calls the ‘whirly tube’ that is placed inside the foot joint of the flute. With the whirly tube one can create very soft and beautiful multiphonic timbre as well as play the overtones in a soft wind-like sound quality. 

In wind rustling through I use my research in computer assisted orchestration (CAO) to create textures with the new timbral discoverings by Sofia. The piece begins with rattling noises that I created with the aid of CAO by using a recorded human voice as a timbral model. This fragile opening movement with the title Jazzy - Chatty is a sort of monologue where the original message loses its meaning and has become speech-like quirky musical gestures. In the 2nd movement, Calm – Singing the hidden inner world of timbre surfaces. Almost the opposite of the dense beginning, time stands still to unfold into slowly evolving timbral change. While creating it, I had in mind the wind that blows through a resonating object, where even the slightest change in direction or density of the gust, the timbre would change naturally and organically.

The version for prepared flute and electronics from 2023 is built around a poem by Chika Sagawa Shapes of Clouds translated into English by Sawako Nakayasu. The electronics multiply, reflect and juxtapose the amplified flute creating another delicate web of connections and crossroads in between the acoustic and electronic worlds. 

– Maija Hynninen


SHAPES OF CLOUDS

Pushing through an arch of silver waves,
A procession of people pass through.

Broken-down memories sparkle
Above the rocks, the trees, and the stars.

A wrinkled curtain by the window
Is gathered, then torn apart.

A single garland swaying
In the radiant light made by the city of marble.

Every day, fingertips thin like leaves
Are drawing maps.

— Chika Sagawa — translated by Sawako Nakayasu

wind rustling through (2023)

Anaïs Bertrand, mezzo-soprano
Maija Hynninen and Mikhail Malt, electronics
ESPRO, IRCAM, 6.4.2013

Après tel février – After a certain February  is in a way a study of the human voice and it’s manipulation with the means of electronics. The piece was a final work of Cursus 1 – an eight month course at the research center for electro-acoustic music IRCAM. Together with Mezzo-soprano Anaïs Bertrand we found a natural way for her to produce a broken, multiphonique tone. The poems of Elke de Rijcke, with the physical sensation they give, possessed the right kind of atmosphere and structure for this poweful, ripping yet beautiful timbre. 
	One main goals was to try to find a flexible way of handling time in the performance situation. That the performer would feel comfortable and free while performing with the electronics. This was achieved by using live electronics that follow the performer rather than the performer following the electronics. Another goal was to find very natural sounding ways to manipulate the human voice. The electronic part multiplies the singer into a small group of singers which are then set into dialogue with each other.
	The poem by Rijcke Après tel février – Piliers de béton is painting a portrait of a woman during the last months of pregnancy, when the badly slept nights start to govern the days. She doesn’t go out, but paces restlessly small circles inside her flat. The solemn but strong atmosphere of the poem is reflected in the fragile breaths and strong expressiveness.

Après tel février for female voice and electronics, 2013

Jozsef Hars, cond., Hanna Kinnunen, flutes, Lauri Sallinen, clarinets, Tommi Hyytinen, corno, Miikka Saarinen, tp, Saara Olarte, harp, Petteri Kippo, perc., Mirka Malmi, vl, Carmen Moggach, vla, Juho Laitinen, vc

While visiting New Holland  – a triangle of red brick buildings surrounded by the channels of St. Petersburg – I could sense the presence of different eras of history.
The past, present and future of this magnificent place serve as inspiration for different sections of my piece.
	 Today in ruins, New Holland was once a busy naval base. In the warehouses there was also one of the first radio stations of Russia. I have tried to capture a glimpse of the history of New Holland in the soundscape of my work. The submarine, morse code and analogue radio sounds gave inspiration to the rhytmic patterns, gestures, harmony and timbre of my work.
	The atmosphere of the present – stillness of the completely covered windows keeping the spaces inside hidden – governs the general character of the work. The shapes of the arcs of the hallways and windows transform into gliding harmonies, the sunlight on the walls flickers in beautiful timbres. 
	The glamour of the designed future for New Holland reflects in the urban jazz-inspired short and fast moving section in the middle of the piece. Towards the end of this section the illusion of the future evaporates slowly. The colorful paper lanterns of the present New Holland are slowly swinging in the wind. 


Commissioned by The St Petersburg Pro Arte Foundation for Culture and Arts. Recording made by Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.


New Holland for ensemble, 2013

Winnowing – separating the grain from the chaff, letting the wind blow the lighter parts away; or the sound made as the air ﬂows through the tail feathers of certain big species of bird during mating. My original idea was to compose music that would relate to Messiaens La Fauvette de Jardin; I started to plan the piece thinking of the relationship between birdsong and electronics. I was constantly traveling at the time and started little by little to think about the movement of birds: the migrating flocks of birds of the autumn and spring amongst the old maple trees of the central park in Stuttgart, wild geese and that single lonely swan which decided to spend its winter in Stuttgart taking off and landing on the subtly fluctuating surface of the pond: stir, quiver and slowly decreasing vibrations of water. Simultaneously I found myself to be more and more interested in the most subtle timbres of the piano. I listened the softly shivering piano harmonics through headphones and wanted to surround the audience with this gentle sound to let the audience experience the subtle timbre changes of these sounds and relax inside this fragile soundworld. 
	Winnowing is composed and dedicated to Jaana Kärkkäinen and it was composed with the support of The Finnish Composers Sibelius Foundation. The electronics were made at the Sibelius Academy SACMUS studios by the composer. The recording is made by Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.

winnowing (2010) for piano and electronics

Earthship (2015)
for ensemble and electronics
Earthship is a house that is designed to be in harmony with the surrounding nature. The building materials are natural and recycled – used tires, soda cans, bottles, clay, stone. The energy efficient building is designed to run mostly on solar power. The building collects its own water. Food is grown in its greenhouse. Rather than resisting the forces of nature, this building is nurtured by them. 

The destruction of nature leads to extinction, the most fragile animals and insects have already started to disappear. As the destruction spreads the diversity of our surrounding world will start to fade. Like the building, Earthship (2015) builds on natural and recycled material. It travels through rich natural habitats and draws portraits of its residents. The electronic part is built of the sounds of endangered
species of insects and animals.

Written for composition competition Feeding Music, premiered by Divertimento Ensemble at EXPO Milan 2015.

Recording by Eco Ensemble, cond. David Milnes, Hertz Hall, Berkeley 9.5.2016.

Earthship for ensemble and electronics, 2015

Ina Donna Coolbrith (March 10, 1841 – February 29, 1928) was an American poet based in San Francisco. She was a prominent figure in the literary circles, but forced due financial reasons to work long hours as a librarian. Some of her poetry reflect on the longing for a life where she could have focused on her own writing – some of it is frantically merry.

After reading Coolbrith’s work (https://archive.org/), rather than concentrating on one poem I wanted to make a portrait of her. I chose texts that I loved and that would be different in character, presenting and juxtaposing some of her most prominent thoughts. It was not easy to be a female artist in those days. But as I read along, the same thoughts about not getting ones voice heard or taken seriously surround female artist even today. In that perspective
Coolbrith’s writing is still current.

Juxtaposing Coolbrith’s poetry and my music, there are fragments of an antiphon by Hildegard von Bingen O viridissima virga, woven into the textures of Ownership.

The moon is in all its mystery and power spectacular! The moon is also something unreachable – something that one tries to reach for, but never fully does. I also wanted to have a moon in my piece, so I 3D printed one. There is a light source inside and it is controlled by the computer. The video playing in the middle of the piece is of making a moon lamp and is addressing the idea of making something that is not reachable – much like I feel that art is. We try to make something that is in some dimension unconscious and escaping all analysis and explanations. While reading her poetry, I felt strongly that Ina Coolbrith was yearning for having time and space to write, but couldn’t reach it due to her financial situation. She is looking through a window and seeing “How sweeter than all sweet it is”.

Ina Donna (2019)

Recorded from Taproot New Music Festival 2020. Performed by Quince Ensemble.

Text by Sawako Nakayasu, from collection Texture Notes 2003:

The weak texture of the air changing as a train pulls away from its
station and a hollow develops, a delayed breeze takes hold, and the
uneven bonds of the neighborhood shimmy into place.

A stronger texture of reason, or texture of the reason why I didn’t get
on that train, or texture of a frame-by-frame rendering of the thought
process leading to the decision to not get on the train, coupled with a
late, too late, arrival, large bags in tow or some such excuse. What heaps
up against both sides of the closing train doors.


This poem by Japanese American Sawako Nakayasu expresses heaviness with lightness. There is a dramatic event that lead to a decision to not respond, “to not get on that train.” Yet it’s expressed with delicacy of a breeze creating a hollow, an emptiness (or is it relief) when the opportunity has been passed. Writing for the Quince Ensemble, I think it’s also given that there needs to be virtuosity, and drama as well as humour involved in the same package. I approached these from the perspective of different textures, timbre as well as spatial movement and depth that come from the placement and movement of the singers on stage. Although the piece is fully written, I wanted to weave into it the immediate and spontaneous, sometimes also surprising.

2020-01-30: Taproot Festival, Quince

Texture Notes: weak/strong

Little Wings of Gold (2020), a miniature for flute solo. The title is from a poem by a San Francisco poet Ina Coolbrith (1841–1928): "Mine, to loose or to hold, I held it, thus, in my hand, Mine to fetter or free – Which should it be? Dear little wings of gold." (from Freedom)

Jaume Darbra Fa, flute, Mixtur Festival 2020

Little wings of gold (2020)

Bounce for cello and piano is the first movement of a larger piece Rebound. Written for prepared piano and detuned cello, the timbre and textures are inspired by a ping-pong ball dropping on the floor.

The fabulous Eeva Rysä, cello and Jouko Laivuori, piano.

This is live recording made 1.11.20 Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki.

bounce (2020)

Composer, sound artist
• freelance composer 22-
• lecturer at University of the Arts, Helsinki 22-
• PhD UC Berkeley and CNMAT 2016–22
• M.Mus Sibelius Academy 2011
• IRCAM Cursus 2012–13
• Acanthes 2011

As a composer I'm interested in ambiguity of timbre, when the sound source or origins of the sound can't be identified. In my acoustical and electronical works I'm striving for unique moments where the parameters of this world are slightly altered to allow a glimpse of another reality to be present. It can be a moment where the timbre of purely acoustical writing gives surprising results or when electronics project sounds into another domain, another space and reality.

MaijaHynninen

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