Abstract:
This study locates and describes the programmatic meanings in Rautavaara s
piano suite, Ikonit, Op. 6. It makes use of an interdisciplinary paradigm that
borrows perspectives gathered from the new musicology . The various contexts
that inform this analysis and interpretation include the composer s biography
and style, the Russian Orthodox tradition of iconography and the compositional
structure of Ikonit. The study constructs a biographically and culturally sensitive
interpretation of the suite, which can contribute to better-informed
performances and readings of the music. It contributes to English language
scholarship on Rautavaara s music.
