Erkki Jokinen
Erkki Jokinen (b. 1941) is an independent spirit in Finnish musical life, not first and foremost because the techniques he adopts indicate a striving for the radically new, but rather because he has elected for seclusion from the social mainstream of music making. In recent years, however, his works have found a place in concert programmes at home and abroad with increasing ease. Erkki Jokinen was born in Tervakoski, and studied composition under Erik Bergman and Joonas Kokkonen at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, graduating in 1970. He also graduated with diplomas in class music teaching and instrumental teaching. Composition eventually took first place to practical musicianship and Jokinen continued compositional studies in Holland under Ton de Leeuw. His own succesful teaching career started at the music college of his home town H?meenlinna, but since 1981 he has taught music theory and composition at the Sibelius Academy where he holds the post of lecturer.
Erkki Jokinen’s output is the outcome of a compositional process subjected to the fiercest self-criticism and in consequence it is not large. Cello Concerto (1970), the central work of his diploma folio, is tied closely to his study years. By contrast, his First String Quartet, dated Bilthoven 1971, breaks both physical and spiritual links with the Helsinki Conservatoire environment. The string quartet form later becomes an important outlet for Jokinen’s musical expression. The Second Quartet, completed in 1976, was heard at the ISCM World Music Days in Helsinki 1978, while The Third Quartet (1988) was the compulsory work for the international Tulindberg competition for string quartets in 1989.
Characteristic of the quartets, and indeed of Jokinen’s music in general, is the alternation of richly endowed textural fields with rhythmically active, even aggressive, sections. Jokinen uses the entire chromatic pitch lattice without selectivity, employing an apparent randomness and inclination towards aleatorics; but broadening the expressive spectrum to include quarter-tones, glissandi and non-pitched sounds.
Jokinen was featured composer at the Helsinki Festival in 1987. In addition to performances of his two first string quartets, the festival hosted first performances of his Concerto for Accordion and Chamber Orcbestra (1987), a great success at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in 1988 and Face for Flute, Harp, Harpsichord and String trio (1983).
Voyage, Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (1990) and Voyage 2 for Chamber Orchestra (1991) are rich works which open new fields of possibilities for Jokinen’s compositional career. The clarity and (in terms of the traditional aesthetic) beautiful sonic world of the violin concerto Voyage highlight the new dimensions into which Jokinen’s composition is travelling: ever more original and unexplored corners of the aural consciousness.
- Ilari Laakso (translated by - Andrew Bentley) (FIMIC).