1. Prelude
2. Return Of The Flames And Dance
3. Grotesque Dance
4. Dance Of The Winds And Fires
The work has a unique backstory, connected to the unfinished masterpiece of another Finnish classic, Uuno Klami.
Klamy was working on the ballet `Whirlpools` (Pyërteitë) based on scenes from the Karelian-Finnish epic `Kalevala,` but only managed to complete the second act. The first act remained as a piano score, and there was no material at all for the third act.
In 1988, Aho completely orchestrated Act I of Clamy`s ballet. In 2000, to enable a full production of the ballet, Aho undertook to compose Act III from scratch, relying solely on Clamy`s original script libretto. The ballet`s stage premiere fell through, so Aho reworked this Act III he had created into a standalone concert suite.
This is how “Symphonic Dances” appeared in 2001.
