How To Measure Love: Kaija Saariaho and the Messiaen Myth

“It has been three months since the death of Kaija Saariaho. The riverbend is not far off. Talks of legacy and impact have already begun—as they should, because few artists have left so indelible a footprint on a field as the Finnish composer on new music. But floating in the water is a lingering piece of jetsam that I want to fish out and examine under closer light. It has slipped by in the torrents: I’m worried about what it means.”