The Music of Joonas Kokkonen

Joonas Kokkonen (1921-1996) has been one of the most performed Finnish composers during the past 25 years, both within Finland and abroad. The author's study of Joonas Kokkonen is the first full-scale account in English.

Starting with a brief survey of Finnish music during the 20th century, the book then devotes a separate chapter to each of the major genres in which Kokkonen composed: symphonic, orchestral, vocal, chamber, and keyboard. Illustrated with over a hundred music examples, The Music of Joonas Kokkonen seeks to overturn his reputation in some quarters as a conservative, even old-fashioned, composer, and argues that Kokkonen created an interesting and refreshing approach to dodecaphonic composition and pitch organisation.

With a full chronological listing of works and bibliography, this book is the most important reference source to date on Kokkonen and his music.

Book Description: One of the most performed Finnish composers during the last 25 years, Joonas Kokkonen (1921-1996) was also instrumental in the development of the nation's system of music education. In this study, the author (music, U. of Lethbridge, Canada) examines Kokkonen's compositions in each of five major genres: symphonic, orchestral, vocal, chamber, and keyboard.