Baltic Music

July 6, 2020, 7:00 pm

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Who knows what it is that makes the music of the Baltic region so recognizable and compelling? Many of us know and love the work of Jean Sibelius, Finland’s greatest musical export, but the countries around the Gulf of Finland have given us a wealth composers, some better known than others. In this week of shows we will explore music from a land of lakes & islands, isolated, self-contained, and full of beauty. Composers like Erkki Melartin, Leevi Madetoja, Jonas Kokkonen, Heino Eller, and Arvo Pärt, working in the long shadow of Sibelius, created violin concertos, symphonies, tone poems, choral works, and chamber works. So what is it that fascinates us about this distant northern region? Perhaps we will sum it up best with a fantastic piece by Uuno Klami’s called “Aurora Borealis.”

Playlist

Episode 1

Vanio Haapalainen: Fidler’s Portrait
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Okko Kamu
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Okko
Ondine ODE9372
3:19

Armas Järnefelt: Berceusefor Small Orchestra
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen
A Nordic Festival
Sony 46668
3:09

Armas Järnefelt: Preludium
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Ulf Soederblom
Armas JÄRNEFELT (1869-1958)
STERLING CDS1021-2
2:30

Erkki Melartin: Mirjamin Laulu 1
Karita Mattila, soprano; Ilmo Ranta, piano
Excellence – The Artistry Of Karita Mattila
Ondine 1054
1:51

Oskar Merikanto: Pan (Symphonic Poem)
RSO Segerstam/Saraste
Best of by Oskar Merikanto
Finlandia 349
11:48

Erkki Melartin: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 60:
I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante assai tranquillo
John Storgards, violin; Tampere Philharmonic/Leif Segerstam
Violin Concerto • Sleeping Beauty Suite • Lyric Suite No. 3
Ondine 923-2
11:35, 8:29

Erkki Melartin: Lyric Suite No.3, “Impressions de Belgique,”
V. Les Cloches

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra/Leif Segerstam
Violin Concerto • Sleeping Beauty Suite • Lyric Suite No. 3
Ondine 923-2
4:10

Olli Mustonen: Petite Suite: Pastorale
Tapiola Sinfonietta/Mustonen
Triple Concerto | Petit Suite | Nonets 1 & 2
Ondine 974-2
1:52

Episode 2

Erkki Melartin: Symphony No. 5 in A Minor, Op. 90, “Sinfonia Brevis”:
III. Intermezzo: Allegro Moderato Tampere
Philharmonic Orchestra/Leonid Grin
The Six Symphonies
Ondine ODE 931-2
6:02

Einar Englund: Symphony No. 4 for Strings and Percussion:
II. Tempus fugit

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Leif Segerstam
Finnish Flute Concertos
Finlandia Records ‎– 4509-95861-2
4:50

Einar Englund: The White Reindeer, Suite for Orchestra:
I.Overture
III. Reindeer Race
IV.Funeral March
V. Finale
Lahti Symphony/Osmo Vanska
BIS-CD-575
1:38, 1:32, 3:18, 3:01

Einar Englund: The Great Wall of China Suite: VII. Jazz-intermezzo
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra/Eri Klas
The Great Wall Of China, Symphonies 4 & 5
Ondine ‎– ODE 961-2
2:24

Joonas Kokkonen: Il Paesaggio
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vanska
Joonas Kokkonen: Durch Einen Spiegel; Wind Quintet; Sinfonia da
Camera; Il Paesaggio
BIS CD 528
9:21

Joonas Kokkonen: Il Paesaggio
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vanska 9:21
Uuno Klami: Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), Op. 38
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/John Storgards
Uuno Klami – Northern Lights, Kalevala Suite & Cheremissian Fantasy
Ondine ODE11432
18:35

Episode 3

Leevi Madetoja: Symphony #1 In F, Op. 29,
III. Finale: Allegro Vivace
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/John Storgårds
Madetoja: Symphonies Nos. 1/ 3
Ondine 1211-2
6:38

Leevi Madetoja: Symphony #3 In A, Op. 55, IV. Pesante, Tempo Moderato, Allegretto
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra /John Storgårds
Madetoja: Symphonies Nos. 1/ 3
Ondine 1211-2
7:10

Einojuhani Rautavaara: Suite For Strings,
I. Presto

II. Andante
III. Vivace Assai (Alla Giga)
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra/Juha Kangas
Rautavaara – The 8 Symphonies
Ondine 991-2
3:04, 6:44, 2:54

Esa-Pekka Salonen: Violin Concerto,
II. Pulse 1

III. Pulse 2
Leila Josefowicz, violin; Finnish
Radio Symphony Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen
Out Of Nowhere: Violin Concerto / Nyx
DG B0017521-02
3:31, 5:22

Magnus Gustaf Adolf Lindberg: Parada, for orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen
The Music Of Magnus Lindberg: Cantigas / Cello Concerto / Parada / Fresco
Sony 89810
12:39

Leevi Madetoja: Okon Fuoko, The Dream Sorcerer Suite, Op. 58, 3. Dance Of The Puppets
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/John Storgårds
Madetoja: Symphonies Nos. 1/ 3
Ondine 1211-2
2:31

Episode 4

Balys Dvarionas: Elegie For Violin & String Orchestra
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Gidon Kremer
From My Home
Teldec 063014654-2
5:37

Pēteris Plakidis: Two Grasshopper Dances for solo violin.
I. Sad Dance

II. Happy Dance
Gidon Kremer, violin
From My Home
Teldec 063014654-2 2:04,
2:04, 0:56

Peteris Vasks: Symphony for Strings, “Stimmen”
I. Stimmen Des Lebens

II. Stimme Des Gewissens
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestar/Juha Kangas
Stimmen And Other Baltic Works For String Orchestra, Vol. 1
Finlandia 450997892-2
21:34

Vytautas Barkauskas: Partita For Violin Solo, Praludium
Scherzo
Epilog
Gidon Kremer, violin
From My Home
Teldec 063014654-2
1:00, 1:28 , 1:25

Pēteris Vasks: Musica Dolorosa
Marc Francoux, cello; Gidon Kremer, violin: Deutsche
Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
From My Home
Teldec 063014654-2
14:30

Episode 5

Heino Eller: Tone Poem, “Dawn”
Scottish National Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
RSNO / Jarvi – Music From Estonia, Vol. 1
Chandos 8525
8:16

Eduard Tubin: Symphony No.5, Allegro energico
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
Symphony No. 5 / Suite From The Ballet “Kratt”
Bis 306
9:55

Eduard Tubin: Suite from the ballet ‘Kratt’ Introduction
Peasant Dance
Dance of the Goblin
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
Symphony No. 5 / Suite From The Ballet “Kratt”
Bis 306
4:58

Veljo Tormis: Crosswind
Svanholm Singers Tormis/Sofia Soderberg Eberhard
VELJO TORMIS: WORKS FOR MEN’S VOICES
Toccata Classics 73
4:13

Veljo Tormis: Men’s Songs, Vol. 1
No. 5: Song of the Turkish War
No. 8: Dancing Song
Svanholm Singers/Sofia Soderberg Eberhard
VELJO TORMIS: WORKS FOR MEN’S VOICES
Toccata Classics 73
1:17, 2:37

Arvo Pärt: Fratres
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen/Gidon Kremer
From My Home
Teldec 063014654-2
11:03

René Eespere: Trivium (excerpt)
Camerata Tallinn
Northern Lights: Music Of Contemplation For A New Age
Finlandia 11421-2
3:29

Urmas Sisask: Maja (from Starry Sky Cycle)
Lauri Väinmaa
Northern Lights: Music Of Contemplation For A New Age
Finlandia 11421-2
1:29

Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel
Daniel Hope & Simon Mulligan
Shostakovich: Violin Sonata
Nimbus 5631
1:52