Metsän Poika
Toivo KUULA (1883 - 1918)
Twelve South Ostrobothnian Folk Songs Op.17b (1908/9, orch. Hakola
2012)a [20:18]
Prelude Op.16b/1 (1909, orch. Sulho Ranta) [2:19]
Intermezzo Op.16b/2 (1909, orch. Sulho Ranta) [2:58]
The Song of the Sea Op.11/2 (1909, orch. Pekka Helasvuo) [8:40]
Wedding March Op.3b/2 (1908, orch. Juho Näykki) [4:52]
Kimmo HAKOLA (b. 1958)
Seven Songs to texts by Aleksis Kivi (2007, orch. 2011)a
[22:33]
Jorma Hynninen (baritone)a
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra/Juha Kangas
rec. Kaustinen Church, 20-23 February 2012
ALBA ABCD 348 SACD [62:39]
Toivo Kuula's early and untimely death after a hunting accident deprived
Finnish
music of a more than promising talent. During his short life he managed not
only
to collect numerous Finnish folk songs that he and other composers used in
their
own works but also to compose a fairly substantial body of works in many
genres.
His very last work, the substantial Stabat Mater - once
available
on Finlandia - was in fact completed by Leevi Madetoja and first performed
long
after Kuula's death.
He obviously has the lion's share in this release and the most sizeable work
of
his here is the set of Twelve South Ostrobothnian Folk Songs
Op.17b.
It was arranged as a cycle in 1908 and 1909 and is heard here in a very
attractive
scoring for harp and strings made by Kimmo Hakola. These folk songs are all
varied
and contrasted. They make for an enjoyable sequence encompassing a huge
range
of human emotions. They tell of life and death, of unrequited love, sad and
joyful,
full of dashing spirit and also meditation.
All the other pieces by Kuula are heard in arrangements for strings by
different
Finnish musicians. The Prelude Op.16b/1 and the
Intermezzo
Op.16b/2 were originally composed for organ as was the somewhat
earlier
Wedding March Op.3b/2 whereas the fairly impressive Song
of
the Sea Op.11/2 was originally for mixed chorus. The latter was
deemed
too difficult to sing, although the Suomen Laulu choir nevertheless
performed
it with the celebrated Heikki Klemetti conducting. The rather dense
contrapuntal
writing may be more easily rendered through the medium of the string
orchestra
especially when played by so outstanding an ensemble as the Ostrobothnian
Chamber
Orchestra.
Those of you who may have followed Kimmo Hakola's career will know that he
started
as a fairly radical composer. He was unafraid to use modern techniques,
sometimes
stepping into some wildly eccentric eclecticism. He then seemingly went
through
a rather severe stylistic crisis that eventually found its mark in the
monumental
Piano Concerto of 1996. This apparently unleashed new creative
powers
for Hakola has composed a number of major works such as the oratorios
Le
Sacrifice and Song of Songs as well as the opera
La
Fenice.
He composed his song cycle Kivi-laulut for Jorma Hynninen. The
original
version was for voice and piano but Hynninen later asked for two different
orchestral
versions: one for voice and orchestra and the other for voice, harp and
string
orchestra - the latter heard here. The music is remarkably straightforward,
warmly
melodic and nicely varied in order to suit the various moods suggested by
Kivi's
words. Going by the apparently excellent English translation. Kivi's poems
are
straightforward and full of nice poetic imagery. Although fairly simple they
are
in no way simplistic,. One of my favourites is the fourth song, Oravan
laulu
(“The Squirrel”). Its text might be worth quoting in full but
let
me just give you the second stanza as an example:-
“From its chamber up on high
It gazes over the world
Witnessing many a battle below
Waving an evergreen branch above
As a flag of peace.”
I now wish that our contemporaries were more on the squirrel's side than
that
of the wolf. Hakola's straight-to-the-heart music perfectly suits Kivi's
imagery
and it is not afraid of being a bit nostalgic when necessary as in the sixth
song
with its waltz rhythm. By the way why is this particular poem not
translated?
Hynninen sings wonderfully throughout, be it in Kuula's folk settings or in
the
Hakola. The Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra play with heart-warming
conviction
obviously relishing every particle of the music.
This is a very fine release that is really well worth exploring. I hope that
we might have still more of Kuula's music on disc before long.
Hubert Culot
See also review by Göran
Forsling
Beautifully straightforward and superbly crafted music that is really worth hearing.
Support us financially by purchasing this disc from |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|