This album presents three orchestral works by Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen, performed by the Malmö Symphony Orchestra conducted by Okko Kamu. Sunrise Serenade (1989) offers a haunting yet restorative atmosphere, with offstage trumpet calls, subdued strings, and introspective lyricism—emerging from the shadow of the composer’s darker operatic themes. Symphony No. 2 (1972), subtitled “Symphonic Dialogue for Solo Percussion and Orchestra,” showcases Gert Mortensen in a virtuosic battle of rhythmic wit and power against the orchestra, alternating between aggression, eerie waltzes, and moments of cantabile beauty. Symphony No. 6 (1989–90), inspired by Sallinen’s travels in New Zealand, paints vivid sonic landscapes—from the shimmering “Islands of the Sounds” to the evocative “Kyeburn Diggings” and the finale’s Allen Curnow-inspired voyage “in a new direction.” With Kjell-Åke Pettersson and Per Falck on trumpets, and Mortensen on percussion, these performances combine precision and expressive depth, bringing Sallinen’s contrasts of light and darkness vividly to life.