Cantus Arcticus
Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61, is a 1972 orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. It is one of his best-known works.

Subtitled "Concerto for Birds and Orchestra", it incorporates tape recordings of birdsong recorded near the Arctic Circle, and on the bogs of Liminka, in northern Finland.

The work is in three movements: "The bog" opens with a flute duet, after which the other woodwinds join in, followed by the birds. The second movement, "Melancholy", features a slowed-down recording of the song of the shore lark. The final movement, "Swans migrating", takes the form of a long crescendo for orchestra, with the sounds of whooper swans. At the end both birdsong and orchestra fade, as if into the distance.

"Cantus Arcticus" was commissioned by the University of Oulu for its first doctoral degree ceremony and premièred on 18 October 1972 with Stephen Portman conducting.
Q385271
Op.
Concept
Q42998
orchestral
Concept
Q36834
composer
Concept
Q433592
Einojuhani Rautavaara
PER
Q1126556
birdsong
Concept
Q176609
Arctic Circle
LOC
Q1681353
bog
Concept
Q985461
Liminka
LOC
Q209554
flute
Concept
Q181247
woodwind
Concept
Q207249
shore lark
Concept
Q113558
crescendo
ORG
Q25612
whooper swan
Concept
Q1357517
University of Oulu
ORG
Q47089009
Stephen Portman
PER
Q5034079
Cantus Arcticus
MEDIA
Q5034079
Cantus Arcticus
MEDIA
1972-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1972
DATE
1972-10-18T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
18 October 1972
DATE
+61^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
61
NUMBER
composer
publication date
commissioned by
date of first performance
occupation