It starts with the lone beating of a heart, before plangent strings sing out their sombre requiem for the world. A world that billions of years ago was born out of the cosmos, which has witnessed the miracle of life emerge from the seemingly random joining of atoms, and that has not only seen the rise of mankind but also, into the future, has seen the inevitable fall too.
Revered Finnish composer and musician Lauri Porra has captured this dramatic joining of science and philosophy in the emotional score of ‘Requiem Mundi (Matter Is Not The Only Thing That Exists)’. It is hushed chorale scored for strings, which builds through a swelling orchestral climax to culminate in a state of deep love and gratitude.
The accompanying video captures vast scenes from the depths of space and across planet Earth which depict the beautiful and dramatic circle of life. This is interspersed with footage of the piece being performed live by Finland’s acclaimed Vantaa Orchestra, conducted by Dalia Stasevska at the Helsinki Musiikkitalo as part of Helsinki Festival
‘Requiem Mundi’ is taken from the remarkable new album Matter And Time, out April 19th via Platoon and available to pre-order here. The composition is a musical love letter to the universe, using the words of the celebrated astronomer and writer Esko Valtaoja, as spoken by the actor, author and broadcaster Stephen Fry. The music is performed by the Vantaa Orchestra, conducted by Dalia Stasevska, with vocals from Helsinki-based singer Ringa Manner, and lyrical contributions from Paula Vesala.
Scored for narrator, large orchestra, choir, electric ensemble and vocal soloist, Matter And Time finds Porra bringing together an array of musical influences to create a hugely ambitious work, in both scope and sound. At times reminiscent of the work of Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, John Williams or Hans Zimmer, Matter And Time creates a sense of narrative and atmosphere as if Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds had in fact been narrated by Stephen Fry and based around a scientific treatise on the nature of the cosmos instead of an alien invasion.
Woven through this cinematic score are moments that bring to mind the likes of Björk, Sigur Rós, Dead Can Dance and even Kate Bush at her most cosmic on the track ‘Consciousness’. Searing guitar solos pay testament to Porra’s rock credentials as he takes us on a voyage from the very beginnings of the universe, the birth of the carbon atom and the first murmurings of life on earth.
Over its 40 minutes across 10 tracks, we travel through the lifespan of our solar system and 100s of billions of years onward as the universe starts to die. What survives us is the love we have for one another—spelt out in binary ones and zeros. Science and human experience in perfect harmony.
Originally composed in 2018, Matter And Time was commissioned and premiered by Finland’s Vantaa Orchestra, and draws on many of Porra’s musical influences, from rock and pop to cinema, and the great orchestral scores of the 20th century. In 2024 it is now released in recorded form for the very first time.
In addition to being a hugely respected orchestral composer, and a direct descendent of the legendary composer Sibelius, Lauri Porra is well-known to rock and metal audiences around the world as the bass-player in the ‘power-metal’ band Stratovarius, with whom he has recorded six albums and performed concerts in over 50 countries.
“I always think of music as a toolbox,” says Porra of his diverse musical background in classical, rock, metal, jazz and film music. “People create sound to evoke a reaction – that is the basis of music. It doesn’t change because of its style or purpose, or because of where the music is made. For me, all music is the same.”
MATTER AND TIME TRACK LISITING
Beginning
Attraction
Energy
Evolution
Consciousness
The End
Fall Of Man
Requiem Mundi (Matter Is Not The Only Thing That Exists)
Epilogue
Future