Fiddlers

The Pelimannit (Fiddlers, 1952) suite, numbered opus 1, was the first “real” composition by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016), written even before he was accepted by the Sibelius Academy to study composition. He originally scored it for the piano, but later made an arrangement for string orchestra. Before taking the Academy's entrance exam, he had been reading about the ancient church modes in The History of Music by Heikki Klemetti, and the examples quoted by Klemetti were Ostrobothnian melodies. Their boisterous, primitive, archaic quality made a strong impression on Rautavaara, whose background lay deep in the Ostrobothnia of his forefathers.

The work of a totally self-taught composer, the suite was an immediate hit in which Rautavaara, with an almost medium-like assurance, succeeded in capturing the spirit and essence of the original tunes in a fresh way that appealed to the imagination. The suite continues to be one of his most frequently-performed and best-loved compositions and has still lost none of its freshness.

The renewed edition (2025) is based on the composer's manuscript, incorporating corrections and comments by composer's hand in various sources. This product includes a full score and a set of string parts (3.3.2.2.1).