El¿¿m¿¿ni Lauluja, A Finnish Songbook

by Matti Salminen

Overview

Matti Salminen's recital includes a generous selection of late Romantic Finnish art songs and folk songs, with orchestral accompaniment. The songs, with just a few exceptions, have the darkness and passionate yearning often associated with Slavic traditions, and the theme of most is the bleak despair of lost love. Within that limited range, though, the composers find a variety of nuances to their expressions of grief and loss, and many of the songs are exceptionally lovely. The two by Leevi Madetoja, "Dark-hued leaves" and "Sometimes weeping in the evening," are especially elegant, with a more subtle and adventurous harmonic palette than most of the others, and with wonderfully delicate and evocative accompaniments. Sibelius' "The song of the Cross-spider," is also especially memorable. Salminen's earthy, dark, voluminous voice is ideal for this repertoire. He sings with the expressive range developed in his long operatic career, but he brings a rough-hewed abandon and passion to these songs by his countrymen. His formidable technique allows him to sing them with compete assurance, and his familiarity with them and affinity for them make his performance completely unmannered, just as is appropriate for music so close to its roots in folk traditions. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, under John Storgards, plays with warmth and deep understanding. Most of these songs were originally written for voice and piano, and the album includes the work of a number of arrangers who skillfully honor the simplicity of originals while providing orchestrally sophisticated new versions. The sound is full, clean, and present. ~ Stephen Eddins

Product Details

Release Date:	01/27/2009
Label:	ONDINE
UPC:	0761195113523

Tracks

1. Soi vienosti murheeni soitto (Play Softly, Thou Tune of My Mourning), song for voice & piano, Op. 36/3
2. Merell¿¿ (At Sea), song for voice & piano, Op. 47/4
3. Vallinkorvan laulu, Op 24/2
4. Row, row duck (Souda, souda, sinisorsa), for voice & piano
5. Driftwood (Lastu Lainehilla), song for voice & piano, Op. 17/7
6. The Fool's Song of the Spider, song for voice & piano (arranged from King Christian II), Op. 27/4
7. Yrtit tummat (Dark Hued Leaves), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
8. Itkisit joskus illoin (If You'd Sometimes Weep At Evening), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
9. Kes¿¿y¿¿ (Summer night), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
10. Vanha kirkko (The Old Church), for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 54/1
11. Rannalta I (On the Shore), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
12. Sunnuntai (Sunday)
13. H¿¿¿¿tanhu (Wedding dance), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
14. Tuijotin tulehen kauan (Long I Stared into the Fire), for voice & piano, Op. 2/2
15. Kes¿¿y¿¿ kirkkomaalla (Summer Night in the Churchyard), for voice & piano, Op. 6/1
16. Y¿¿ (Night), for voice & piano, Op. 22/3
17. T¿¿llaaselle poijalle (For a Boy Like This), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
18. Tuuli se taivutti koivun larvan (The Wind Bent Down), for voice & piano (or orchestra)
19. Niin kauan min¿¿ tramppaan (I'll Walk Around This Here Village), for voice & piano (or orchestra)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Matti Salminen   Primary Artist,Bass (Vocal)
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra   Ensemble,Orchestra
John Storgards   Conductor

Technical Credits

Juhana Henrik Erkko   Text
Jean Sibelius   Composer
Enno Maemets   Engineer
Toivo Kuula   Composer
Susan Sinisalo   Text Translation
Jaakko Maentyjaervi   Text Translation,Liner Note Translation
Seppo Siirala   Producer
Marco Borggreve   Photography
Yrjoe Kilpinen   Arranger,Composer
Viekko Antero Koskenniemi   Text
Kalevi Olli   Arranger
Seppo Hovi   Arranger
L. Onerva   Text
Jussi Jalas   Arranger
George L. Buckbee   Text Translation
Ilmari Kianto   Text
Martti Turunen   Composer
Josef Rauttenbacher   Arranger
Aarni Kouta   Text
Larin-Kyosti   Text
Mikko Hannuksela   Booklet Editor
Nils-Eric Fougstedt   Arranger
Reijo Kiilunen   Executive Producer
Oskar Merikanto   Composer
Aleksis Kivi   Text
Finnish Traditional   Composer
Vilho Luolajan-Mikkola   Composer
Martti Simila   Arranger
Eino Leino   Text
Yrjoe Jylhae   Text
Leo Funtek   Arranger
Aukusti B. Maekelae   Text
Heikki Arsa   Text
Maria Appelberg   Cover Design,Inlay Design
Pekka Hako   Liner Notes
Vilho Edvard Toermaenen   Text
Jukka Lehtinen   Cover Photo,Photography
A.V. Koskimies   Text
Aarre Merikanto   Arranger
Leevi Madetoja   Composer
Alex Bryan   Text Translation
Kim Borg   Arranger