Symmetry and retrospect: a stylistic and analytical review of Three Works for Solo Piano by Einojuhani Rautavaara

Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928 – 2016) is one of Finland’s most well-known composers. He is widely respected for his compositions in the genres of opera, symphony, and vocal works, yet he has a significant body of work for solo piano that goes mostly unrecognized. Among Rautavaara’s work is a set of three pieces composed late in his life that appeared nearly twenty-five years after his last prior composition for solo piano. Narcissus, Passionale, and Fuoco reveal a composer that developed a very personal and highly referential sense of musical style and sound conception. Furthermore, these works reflect the many influences and stylistic models that Rautavaara experienced over his lifetime. The analytical discussion of these three compositions will illustrate the specific elements that Rautavaara incorporated into his late compositions and the various sources of inspiration that he assimilated over the years of his career. Study of these works will demonstrate a composer who is able to integrate a truly eclectic set of techniques into one distinctive voice. Rautavaara’s stylistic approaches to composition throughout his career are mirrored in these final pieces, which act as a microcosm of his development as a composer