Sallinen, born in 1935, has become one of the Finnish composers best known internationally since the death of Jean Sibelius. Although he started out using all the experimental methods of twentieth century music, he came to reject twelve tone and other audience-unfriendly techniques in favor of firm tonality and communicative, meaningful melody, and slowly developed a personal and original style within that framework.

Chamber Music II is in that style, which tends to use a musical idea with some connection to folk music, and then repeats its main motives in different contexts. The main idea only gradually emerges, like a crystal that coalesces around a small kernel in a solution that containts its dissolved molecules. After that, it dissolves away again. This entry in Sallinen's series of works called "Chamber Music" is particularly notable for its use of the alto flute.

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