Kuusisto was one of Finland’s most famous classical music composers. His symphony First and Last was left unfinished by the late artist in February.
Kuusisto died of a serious illness in February.
Vänskä is also part of the reason why it was decided to create the symphony in the first place.
Vänskä says that the American Minnesota orchestra once toured South Africa, and arrangements of African folk songs were needed for the choir and orchestra. He asked his friend Jaakko to join him, because he knew he was a great arranger.
However, Kuusisto said he didn’t have time.
– I said that if he promises to do the arrangements, I will order a symphony from Jaako for the Minnesota orchestra. Three seconds passed, and Jaakko agreed, Vänskä recalls.
The symphony premiered in Minnesota in June.
Vänskä is happy to be conducting the symphony for the second time. He says that Kuusisto’s symphony is a journey that includes the spectrum of life, but also sound images of a difficult illness that Kuusisto was diagnosed with in 2020.
– The expectations were for great music and they have been fulfilled. Jaakko composed the first part at the end and in the second part Pekka stepped in to do the final work on the last part. You have to admire how Pekka has most likely found what Jaakko would have written himself.
There was no discussion about finishing the work
Pekka Kuusisto says that Jaako presented material from his symphony a few times.
However, Jaako’s illness worsened suddenly, and he did not have time to finish the symphony completely.
– One day Jaakko felt he was fully capable of writing a symphony, and the next day not at all. At no point was it discussed that I would finish the symphony.
Pekka Kuusisto’s overriding feeling was that the symphony must be finished as well as possible.
– The work’s genre and general aesthetics were already so clearly nailed to the score that it had a solid sled to jump on. It was practically just a continuation of Jaako’s work.
Pekka Kuusisto says that finishing the symphony was a situation he did not imagine he would be in beforehand. Jaako’s passing was a situation he never expected to find himself in.
Still, he describes symphony work as a gift: Peka’s previous compositional work has focused on smaller-scale projects with relaxed schedules and the compositional processes of music for television series under great pressure. Compared to them, this experience was different.
– If something positive can come from a terrible thing, then at least I’m a symphony player now. It’s the kind of thing I’d be happy to give Jaakko an eye for in the afterlife, Pekka laughs.
\”He was a great person in everything he undertook\”
Osmo Vänskä describes Jaakko Kuusisto as a prolific composer. He considers the musical legacy he left powerful.
Vänskä says that his and Jaako’s friendship has been great, and with this work it continues to this day.
– Jaakko said that kindness always pays off. That’s nicely said. He was also a person who bore responsibility for society. He was a great person in everything he did, Vänskä says.
According to Pekka Kuusisto, the symphony fits naturally into the continuum that Jaakko has already started in the past with his orchestral works: finely composed, expertly orchestrated music that knows its way exactly.
Pekka hopes that he himself would still be able to conduct his brother’s symphony.
According to both Vänskä and Pekka Kuusisto, the fact that the symphony will have its premiere in Oulu, performed by the Oulu Sinfonia, is the right solution.
– Jaakkohan was extremely committed to the Oulu way of life on many levels, both as a politician and as a long-term festival director and Oulu resident. I think Jaakon thinks this is going exactly as it should, Pekka reflects.