There are three late works by Kaija Saariaho on the disk.  Indeed I think the orchestration of the Saarikoski Songs is pretty much the last  music she wrote. Those songs are settings of rather depressing texts about environmental destruction by Finnish poet Pentti Saarikoski and were written originally for voice and piano between 2013 and 2020; an orchestral version being created in 2020/1.  There are five songs.  “LLuonnon kasvot” (The Face of Nature) is the story of the destruction of ancient forests told by the voices of extinct birds.  There’s a lot of high vocalise; almost screaming with quite dramatic orchestration.  “Jokaisella on tämänsä” (Everyone will have their own this) depicts a society where everyone holds to their own truth.  It’s dramatic, high and, again, almost screaming against shimmering orchestration.  “Kaikki tämä” (All of this) – is a brooding and much more lyrical piece offering some hope amid environmental destruction.  “Lintu ja käärme” (Snake and bird) is pretty weird with declamatory vocals over an orchestra hammering on A.  “Sumun läpi” (Through the Mist) has interstitial time petrifying into mountains of mist.  There’s a long brooding orchestral introduction prefacing a lyrical vocal line.  The last two songs were composed during COVID and seem to reflect the spirit of the times.  The performance is by Anu Komsi (soprano) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Aramo and it’s a live recording.