Track listing
19 tracks · 59:01Toivo Kuula
- 1 Suutelo (The Kiss) 5:07
- 2 Lyö sydän (Beat, My Heart) 1:39
- 3 Yli kukkien (She Walks on Flowers) 1:31
- 4 Syystunnelma (Autumn Mood) 3:12
- 5 Aamulaulu (Morning Song) 1:34
- 6 Tuijotin tulehen kauan (Long Gazed I into the Fire) 4:50
- 7 Yö (Night) 2:21
- 8 Yö nummella (Night on the Moor) 2:51
- 9 Ave Maria 3:20
- 10 Paimenet (The Herdsmen) 4:12
- 11 Kohtalo (Fate) 3:08
- 12 Lauantai-ilta (Saturday Evening) 4:08
- 13 Karjapihassa (In the Cattleyard) 2:42
- 14 Kesäyö kirkkomaalla (Summer Night in the Churchyard) 2:59
- 15 Sinipiika (The Forest Maid) 2:51
- 16 Epilogi (Epilogue) 2:32
- 17 Jääkukkia (Frost Flowers) 3:06
- 18 Vanha syyslaulu (Autumn Song) 3:56
- 19 Tule, armaani (Come, My Love) 3:02
About this recording
A rare collection of 19 solo songs by Finnish composer Toivo Kuula: real hits in Finland and worth discovering for their tales of human passion. The powerful music combines romantic tonality with folk elements from Ostrobothnia, impressionistic colors and elegiac melodies. The songs are mostly settings by the contemporary poets Eino Leino and V.A. Koskenniemi.
Features
Booklet with liner notes in English, German, French and Finnish, and the song lyrics in the original language and in English
Press
A superbly engineered recital of songs by a little-known Finn. (...) Ondine's thoughtful selection is an excellent place to start getting to know this remarkable music.
Guy Rickards, Gramophone, December 2006
The artists
Tommi Hakala
Tommi Hakala, BBC Singer of the World in 2003, graduated from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and studied in Karlsruhe before starting his career as a baritone in Germany and his native Finland. A regular guest of the Finnish National Opera and the Savonlinna Opera Festival, he has held positions at the Nuremberg Opera (1998-2001) as well as the Leipzig Opera (2001-2004).
Kristian Attila
Kristian Attila (b. 1969) is one of Finland's most sought-after Lied pianists. He frequently appears with leading Finnish singers such as Tommi Hakala. He studied with Margit Rahkonen at the Sibelius Academy and with Hans Pålsson at the Malmö Music Academy, completing his diploma at the Sibelius Academy in 1995. In 1993-94, he studied at the opera studio of the Finnish National Opera. Attila has been the house pianist at several singing competitions (including Lappeenranta in 2002, 2004 and 2006, and Mirjam Helin in 2004), and he accompanied Tommi Hakala in Cardiff in 2003. He has also been involved in several masterclasses given by teachers such as Prof. Dorothy Irving. He has given recitals at the Finnish National Opera, at major Finnish festivals and elsewhere in Europe.