Konsta Jylhä – Konstan parempi valssi (”Konsta’s Major Waltz”)

 

Konstan parempi valssi is one of the best known Finnish traditional folk songs. It was composed in summer 1964. It was the composer Konsta Jylhä’s second composition and it is an instrumental waltz. The song is usually played with violins, double bass and organ. This kind of folk music was already played in the 1800s but Konsta Jylhä recreated Finnish Pelimanni-style folk music. Pelimanni means a musician (usually a fiddler) who is an excellent improviser and does not play straight from notes. Finnish people got interested in Jylhä’s playing style and it became famous. This song is a good example of this style of traditional music.

                      Konsta Jylhä was born 14 August in 1910 and he was one of the most famous Finnish musicians at that time. He is the symbol of Finnish folk music and Kaustinen folk music festival. Konsta was a very modest and humble man who didn’t want to be famous. However, the hall was always full when Konsta played with his orchestra Kaustisen Purpuripelimannit. Konsta Jylhä has won numerous Finnish awards, such as Pro Finlandia –medal, director musicaes –title, master pelimanni -title and Finland’s president invited him to the Independence Day party. Konsta said that he does not deserve them but the truth was different. He had created a piece of Finnish tradition. His most famous works were Vaiennut Viulu (“Silent Violin”) and this Konstan parempi valssi. He played the violin all his life and his final performance was in 1978. He had suffered some heart attacks and died in September 1984. He got a state funeral, which was held only for a composer Jean Sibelius before that.

                      Konstan parempi valssi shows Jylhä’s virtuoso playing. It is a basic Finnish waltz but there is an interesting change between major and minor chords in the song. This is normal for Finnish folk music. The main melody of the song is happy but there are also really sad moments in the middle of the song. The song is less than 4 minutes long but it tells a story even though it is an instrumental. I decided to choose this song because Konstan parempi valssi is a very good example of Finnish Pelimanni-music and Konsta Jylhä is one of the Finland’s most known compositors and musicians in folk genre.

Listen to the song: Konsta Jylhä - Konstan parempi valssi

Konsta Kauppinen