Saariaho ORION

The organ part in Orion Instrument The organ part may be played either on the concert hall pipe organ (where available) or on an electronic organ. An instrument with two manuals is sufficient for this piece.

If an electronic organ is chosen, it could be, for example, one of the Allen Organs. The Renaissance Classic series (34 stops or bigger: from 44 stops the Pedal includes a 32 foot stop) or the Renaissance Theatre series (R-311 or bigger: starting from the George Wright series 319, the Pedal has a 32 foot stop) include suitable models.

Registration The detailed choice of registration is left to the organist. One should bear in mind that the organ is used here as an orchestral instrument, and it should not stand out as a soloist even in the richest passages. Some general comments concerning the different sections of the piece are given below.

The various manuals should be considered here as different instruments from the same family, and may always have slightly different registrations. Too many clearly audible octave doublings should be avoided, but the Pedal organ should always be 8'+16'.

I Memento mori The organ entrance in measure 51 at letter E: massive organ sound built on foundation stops, chorus reed stops and mutation stops. The two manuals and the Pedal sound can all have an individual character.

Depending on the instrument, the selection of stops can change as the volume changes.

II Winter Sky Here the registration of the upper manual should include Celeste stops, or Tremulants with Flute stops, or both: a microtonal cluster effect should be included. Generally the sound should be more transparent than in the first movement.

Measure 113 onwards: both manuals 8'+ 4'.

The Pedal organ from the beginning of this part until measure 67 should be 8'+16'+32' (when available), then 8'+16'.

III Hunter Here the sound should be even less complex (though the keyboards can still have different colours) than in the preceding movements, consisting maybe of flute stops only, which change octaves as follows: Measures 175–179: Manuals 8'+ 4', Pedal 8'+16'+32' (when available) Rehearsal letter GG: Manuals only 8', Pedal 8'+16' Rehearsal letter HH: Manuals 8'+ 4', Pedal 8' Measure 259: Lower manual 8'+ 4', Upper 4'+ 2'