PDF - Elena Mîndru

I have always dreamed of recording an album with a string quartet – and here it is!
This lovely CD is my third album since an inspiring experience at the 2012 Montreux
Jazz Voice Competition. I am grateful for the chance to record at the legendary M1
Studio of YLE Radio in Helsinki with Markus Partanen as our producer.
Maija Linkola was the perfect choice for a project bringing together jazz and classical
music. Her artistry and experience, alongside the heritage of her father, spice up
the music in a very personal way. She leads her quartet with fervour and excitement,
bringing the music to life.
I am proud of my comrades in jazz, with whom I feel I can take up a sophisticated
musical journey of any type, any time. Sampo Kasurinen joined this project as a
special guest on the saxophone and also wrote two beautiful pieces.
Normally, things develop from micro to macro. But in this case they developed in
reverse – from a symphonic orchestra to a string quartet. Almost all these pieces were
originally written for a large orchestra with a rhythm section, and then adapted for
nonet. This was only made possible by all the talented composers who wrote for this
project.
Many thanks to my lovely husband Tuomas; to Sampo, Eero, Anssi, Maija, Laura,
Jussi, Sirja, Visa, Artturi, Alex, Andrei, Iulia, Maria and Markus; and to all who
supported me in creating Quartphonic!
Peace, jazz and love,
Elena
1.
LITTLE
EQUILIBRIST
MUSIC: VISA OSCAR, LYRICS: ELENA MÎNDRU
sometimes you get discouraged because i am so small / and i leave
my cute little fingerprints on furniture and walls. / then, when i wrap my
hand around your finger, / i see a smile in your heart and everything seems to be
clear for you. / everyday i’m growing, very soon i’ll be tall / then all these fingerprints
will be difficult to recall. / so, here’s a small handprint that you can keep around / so you’ll
know how my fingers looked on this special day. / i am a reflection of yourself / and through
my eyes you see what life is all about, / how it goes... i will grow! / i will fly away, / but
always i’ll be your little equilibrist. / with grown up wishes and dreams i’m off to find
/ my own world, dreams, fears and tears / i want to see, touch and hear. then
you’ll take that handprint and remember those times / when i was laying
my fingerprints on the walls, / on that special day when everything
seemed so clear for you / and even though there are
dangers, thoughts and fears, i’ll fly away. / so, capture
these moments when you feed me and you hold
me close / and when i feel cold and scared
and i’m wining just remember as i wll
sail my seas / that i always will
be your little equilibrist.
2
BORDERLINE
Music: Visa Oscar, Lyrics: Janne Lemusvuo
have you ever been in a big old house / where a gust
of wind comes through / and you hear all the posts
creak? / for the first time, / for the first time i’m aware
/ of the borderline / for the first time, / for the first time
i’m aware / of the borderline of my own existence / i
didn’t know i got wings / i didn’t know i got wings /
standing tall in the middle of flying debris / i grasp the
turbulent air around me and / i rise, higher / i rise, over
the rooftops / i rise, higher / i rise, over the rooftops
3
LET YOU BE
Music
and
have shown me my future over seas / but when will those dreams
come to reality? / i keep sailing, but when will i see the lighthouse? / the guiding light that shines above the night / the
guiding light that leads me to the harbour at night.
Mîndru
you should be here / so,
don’t you think you may
disappear / just wait,
Music and lyrics: Tuomas J. Turunen
not see / people are watching, but nobody is seeing me / my dreams
Elena
world has thought that
LIGHTHOUSE
i find today myself rather vague / i see today the things that i’d rather
lyrics:
you’ll see that things
will get clear / so, learn
that you will have to
fight! / stop complain
about your life! / don’t
lay around / don’t wait
around / do’t sit around
/ find your own path.
/ don’t let yourself / be
down again / ’cause otherwise / you’ll be a wrath. / from this moment / you’ll
have to follow your own dreams / let this world have all it’s magic / do not change
it, you just let it be! / let your soul feel all the freedom / learn to love it as it is.
5
CE
I
L
A
6.
at
rld all
?
wo
/
is
yo
m
th
ur
ur ot
in
he
m
yo
u
i
n
r
n
’s
yo
d
/ o y, of
fa
is
re
it
ce
it ins
th
e
/a
al
a
e
/
se
n
r
e.
w
e
rre
ity
ll
ic
ho
e
wh
su
al
wi
/t
ov r /
ca
u
er
is
of
to
ry
ke
n
e
d
is
yo
a
s
a
t
c
/
/
e
th
n
oa
o
d
s
ev
e
r
e
s
n
iff
/ o
e?
wh
e
tro
er
er
ag
? , yo
ne
m
th
y
o
en
lt
al
u
ad
on
ar
yo
im thin
ke
re h
t
a
r
v
cy
ta
he
g
u
t m ice
i
e
e
ie
u
er
re
le
is
an
he
s t s th
fi
w
vo
al
yo o m
/i
st
/i
e
d
re
/f
!/
ly
ra
o
w
ur
it
ht
o
ity
/
w?
o
o
’
n
a
s
r
s n nig
t
/d
g
al
re
ge
nd
hi
/ the
en
s y e no
re
ha
si
s!
re
/ a et a
er
dl
/t
/i
e?
to
it
ss
w
’s
et
la
ou
?
ll
es
wi
he
n
n
rg
rm
t
s/
er
u
ed
th
re
s
h
o
s
s
d
o
r
n
a
,
a
y
t
e
r
r
ru
ea
?
ng
r
o
u
e
t
u
t
/f
ur
t
pa
h
i
c
re
al
/i
ck
u
n? ed
th
e
ha
yo
da
u
o
st
,b
an
se
fi
ity
he
at
th
ta
e
/f
in
tt
yo
ha san
e
d
e
o
c
l
s
se
ti
/w
or
o
g
a trecut demult timpul tumult, / nu mai vreau să știu deatunci. / am lăsat uitării, am șters memorii / totuși, simt
urme adânci. / de-acum, vreau să privesc doar spreacel drum / pe care nu apari oricum / și unde
nu-s urme de scrum / rămas din timpuri de
demult / când am aprins focul ce-a ars /
dorința din sufletul meu. / nu mai simt
ce-a fost, nu are rost / să privesc tot
spre trecut. / nu vreau să fiu o
inimă pustie / lipsită de orice
emoție / vreau să prind
aripi ca să zbor / încet
spre viitor / și sper
c-așa se vindecă
ușor / inima
singuratecă.
Music: Sampo Kasurinen, Lyrics: Ulriikka Heikinheimo
st
ju
O INIMĂ
Music: Alex Simu, Lyrics: Elena Mîndru
/ yo
g ur h
un
ai
o
ri
y
e
sw
im ex
so
hi
tt
ist
ill
a
t
te
s
s.
h
t
,y
t
/i
a ’s b
am get
et
tr
i
h
t
r
e
t
un
yo
t
o
e
e
r
f
n
y
u
ea
op s th
in
rd
ou
d,
h
l
y
e
ro
ce
o
e
v
a
o
e
n
e
ug
r
/
n
ns
wn
e
/
e
y
w
sa
h
h
wi
it
o
?
m
r
v
w
yo
nt
/f
o
on
l
a
g
/
l
y
r
c
ly
r e
re
ur
ly
e
g
r
n
e
i
v
f
o
m
/y
v
w
a
a
f
/
o
i
e
y
g
h
ng
hi
em
do
ou
s
a
a
n
u
l
e
e
w
er
n
l
o
g
b
i
st
u
y
yo
yo
n
k
so
er
sa
r
be
w
r
u
an
m
o
k
a
u
o
r
e
l
n
o
a
i
y
d
d
m
g
e
c
ve
d
ld
e
n
r
a
v
i
on
is
a
e
f
l
n
e
ry
b
in
v
y
e
i
e
d
e
/
a
l
a
t
i
k u
ge
v
n
yo
hi
d
ti
h
l
o
a
l
a
e
i
p
c
yo
ng
u
e
u
u
r
w
e
ic
l
e
?
a
s
l
r
o
i
o
m
u?
ll
/t
/b
/ w r he
/w
o
he an a
/y
/ w / wi
st
h
d
/
w
r
ad
n
!
h
i
ea
y
he
ill
si
s
c
s
te
,
’s o
t
e
i
e
e
e
e
d
l
,i
n
u
so
r
sa
m
k
r
gr
n
a
tc
ey
ey
yo
ru
pt
ne
m
av
he e yo
he
m
lic
yo
y
y
e
t
t
r
an
l
u
o
at
es
ity
l
p
/
o
e
m
i
m
u
d
r
w
,
o
n
i
.
n
h
ng
on
n
be
/d
n
e
o
n
f
e
i
a
/
s
r
a
n
w
e
f
o
n
i
fu
m
k
p
y
fo
ha
7.
willing ear, / pleased a simple tale to hear / long has paled that sunny sky: / autumn frosts have slain july. / still she haunts me, phantomwise, / alice moving under skies / never seen by waking eyes.
/ children yet, the tale to hear, / eager eye and willing ear, /
lovingly shall nestle near. / dreaming as the days go by, /
dreaming as the summers die / in a wonderland they
lie. / ever drifting down the stream / lingering in
the golden gleam / life, what is it but
a dream?
hand / then when you
r ey
your
o
t
es
in
are
ternity.
er
e
o
t
w
m
in
lfo
e
oi
im
a
t
st
nd
ng
o
y
be
evening of july / children three that nestle near, / eager eye and
Music: Artturi Rönkä
Lyrics: l: V. A. Koskenniemi
translated in English by
Börje Vähämäki
adapted for the music by
Elena Mîndru
ng spring larks and pu
r
i’ll si
p
le g
g/
lea
rlin
ome / i’ll sing y
m
da
new h
ou
r
/
b
to a
my
i’ll
ri g
ou
g
h
y
si
t
in
so
ke
ul
ta
’ll
/
/i
a boat beneath a sunny sky, / lingering onward dreamily / in an
BEYOND
TIME
rn
Music: Sampo Kasurinen, Lyrics: Lewis Carroll
w
stars
for
yo
a
r
d
g
e
e
n
s
o
o
r
f the
ur
ake a
l an d
ev
m
l
en
i’l
/w
/
in
w
h
o
e
g
r
re
r
o
s
y
o
ith
ts clear moonlig
and / i
h
t
/
ight
f or
yo
ur n
ur
i’ll sing the world in
yo
o t. /
o
t
o
for
w
t
y fo
he
n
tin
nd
d
m
r
i
sta
o
/a
ou
nc
ty
e
se
u
LIFE IS BUT
A DREAM
i’ll sing
ELENA MÎNDRU THIRD STREAM PROJECT
It was an amazing journey. The songs on this album were originally recorded
in a radio session, where the production time is always limited. And as
you will hear, this is not simple music: there are very challenging parts and
arrangements, even fully improvised sequences by the strings, so there was
some danger that we could run into the rocks. But the skilled musicians, the
clear vision of Tuomas and Elena, and foremost Elena’s astonishing vocalism
took the session home in the most beautiful way. Bon voyage - enjoy!​
- Markus Partanen, radio producer​, YLE Radio
One important mission of April Jazz has been to present local emerging
musicians to our audience. Thus we are delighted to have the album release concert of this talented artist at our 30th anniversary festival. The fresh
sound of this ensemble is inspiring.
- Matti Lappalainen​, festival director, ​April Jazz​
Elena Mîndru
voice, compositions
Sampo Kasurinen
soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, compositions
Tuomas J. Turunen
piano, compositions
Eero Seppä
double bass, electric bass
Anssi Tirkkonen
drums
Maija Linkola
violin 1
Laura Airola
violin 2
Jussi Tuhkanen
viola
Sirja Nironen
cello
1. Little E
quili
bris
t
, l:
ar
sc
6:0
9m
inen, l: Ulriikka
:V
o Kasur
p
H
m
e
isa
ikin
Sa
:
h
m
O
e
2
i
m
:4
o7
10
.L
Mîndru
ice
a
l
i
n
f
Ele
.A
by
sic
mu
e
th
rline 5:52 m: Visa O
Borde
scar
, l:
Jan
ne
L
eh
4 m: Sampo Kasurin
m
en,
us
l: L
vu
e
w
is
Ca
rro
ll
5:3
am
dre
.
ima 6:01 m: Alex S
imu
. O in
, l:
ru 5
Ele
ind
M
na
a
n
M
e
l
înd
B
ö
y
r
b
j
E
e
h
V
s
i
ä
l
häm
ng
l:
ru
E
ä
n
i
ki
&
d
6
a
e
da
m
lat
s
p
n
te
a
r
d
it
f
or
em
ta
bu
is
u2
ndr
Mî
na
Ele
e
o
nen 4
:T
m&l
. Le
t Yo
6:43
u
use
B
ho
e4
ht
m: Artturi Rönkä
:3
, l: V
e 7:33
Lig
9
.A
Tim
.
3.
K
os
nd
ke
yo
nn
Be
i
8.
uomas J. Turu
www.elenamindru.com
EMR-75-230416
Total playing time: 53:13
Recorded September 29-30, 2015 at Studio M1 of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle). Recording engineer Hannu Perälä. Originally produced for Yle by Markus
Partanen. Mixed by Paavo Malmberg. Mastered by Jaakko Viitalähde @ Virtalähde Mastering.
Photos and graphic design by Andrei Budescu www.fotografic.ro
© & ℗ EM Records // 2016. All rights reserved. Unauthorised copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited. Made in EU.