Two Mythical Scenes

Two Mythical Scenes for orchestra was completed in 1956, when Sallinen was Aarre Merikanto's composition student for his second term. The work received its premiere performance only after a good deal of pressure from Prof. Merikanto's side, and was finally premiered in a concert by the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jussi Jalas. The work received opus number 1, as it was the first publicly performed work by Sallinen.

The composer has told that he was inspired by a 1947 book published by the Finnish Literary Society (SKS) Myytillisiä kuvia (Mythical Scenes/Images). The second movement of the work, Kalmanväen joulukirkko (The Christmas Service of the Dead) is based on the stories in which the dead rise from their graves early in the Christmas Day morning to attend their own special ceremony led by a dead priest. The opening movement Kulkue (Procession) depicts the dead in a procession towards the church.

In 2020 Sallinen revised the score slightly. In his own words ”with very small changes helping the sixty years younger and less experienced self”. The revisions mostly concerned nuances and dynamics, bowings and some bridges. The original structure, rhythmic and harmonic world is still the same as they were when young Sallinen composed the work in 1956.