November Night in Jakobstad · Violin Concerto No. 1

A violin concerto where a November night in Jakobstad leads to a strange journey through an enigmatic hotel between dream and reality. The story of this Violin Concerto was born one late November night in Jakobstad, Finland. I was Composer in Residence at the RUSK festival and had just finished a late dinner in town. Two friends and I were heading back to the hotel through the beautiful snowy night when a series of mystic events took place. I will recount it as I remember it, though some memories are a bit blurry… 1. Outside the Hotel (Trying to Get In – and Finally Succeeding), First Unaware of What Awaits There... In the starry, idyllic night, we wandered as a gentle snow fell. Its soft descent muffled all sound and covered the world in a quiet, white radiance. After a while, we reached the hotel but couldn’t get inside; it was locked due to the late hour. We tried to find the side entrance we’d been told about, but it wasn’t where they said it would be. Eventually, we found an entrance on a completely different part of the large building and managed to get in. (Listen for creaky sounds in the strings as the door finally opens!) But something was not right. We found no lobby, only a maze of corridors, and everything looked abandoned. We wandered around, hearing distant sounds from reality—a hotel bar where people were socializing and having a good time—but we couldn’t figure out how to get there. We kept drifting around, wondering where we were. Eventually, we entered some kind of kitchen area and suddenly lost each other amidst all the hallways. 2. Lost and Alone (?) in the Hotel Bar I was suddenly alone in an old abandoned bar. Strangely, the bottles were full, and in the dim light, I saw that the place must have once been a magnificent banquet hall. I felt sleepy and just wanted to close my eyes. I nodded off but was soon awakened by two strange, somewhat transparent gentlemen in antiquated clothes. They smiled and invited me for drinks. Everything was so odd—was I dreaming…? Weren’t there more people scattered at tables now? One of the men started telling old stories about his life, and the other about his. I just sat there listening as they refilled my glass and laughed. I grew sleepier and sleepier. Eventually, I rested my head on my arms at the bar, only to wake up alone again. Everything was silent. What had actually happened? I sat there paralyzed, afraid to move… 3. Friends Found Again but the Hauntings Continue... Suddenly, I heard my friends shouting my name, rushing into the room. Finally! How could we have lost each other? Everyone looked shaken, and no one said anything more about what happened while we were apart. Now we had to get out of here! The search for the way into the hotel we knew continued. We proceeded through swirling corridors that seemed to lead in circles or to dead ends. It was getting crazy—shadows grew, and strange sounds were everywhere. Then, without us quite understanding how, we found a door that led us into the “living” part of the hotel. Everything instantly felt familiar and calm again. Another guest came up the stairs and greeted us casually. We just looked at each other, breathed a sigh of relief, and laughed. What on earth had just happened? All three of us were exhausted and said goodnight, parting outside our rooms. I was completely worn out, quickly undressed and slipped into the cozy bed. I felt sleep washing over me, sinking into a soft, peaceful slumber. Then suddenly, I heard a creaking sound as if a door were opening again, and I’ll leave the end of the story to your imagination…