A partly snow-covered landscape in Kittilä, Finnish Lapland, in October 2017. Finland has become the world’s first country to publish a national soundscape, a collection of 15 compositions commissioned from composer Lauri Porra. The soundscape is intended to highlight, among other things, the serenity and accessibility of nature in Finland. (Otto Ponto – Str / Lehtikuva)
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FINLAND has become the world’s first country to release a national soundscape.
Commissioned from composer Lauri Porra, the soundscape consists of 15 compositions inspired by the country, its people and their characteristics. Porra, who travels a lot for work, said the soundscape is based on the musical memories he relied on to alleviate his home-sickness when travelling abroad.
“I missed the four seasons, the way light and colour work there, and the calmness and space. I started to create musical snapshots of Finland that I could listen to on my trips, in order to relax and create a little Finnish bubble around me,” he recounted in a press release issued by the Finnish government.
“This understated, minimalist music is meant to create a certain atmosphere,” he elaborated. “What’s being depicted is space. There’s space to think, feel and live in Finland – not only in nature, but also in the Finnish way of life.”
Called Ääniä (Eng. Sounds), the soundscape was unveiled at Finnish embassies around the world on Independence Day, 6 December. It is available online here.
Finnish officials responsible for country branding hope that series of compositions creates an image of a country that brings together serenity and proximity to nature on one hand, and expertise and high quality on the other. The soundscape is also intended to increase awareness of Finnish culture, which according to surveys is the least well known aspect of the country image.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
