Jean Sibelius
Orchestral Songs
Jorma Hynninen, baritone · Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra · Leif Segerstam, conductor
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Track listing
25 tracks · 58:46Listen to samples on selected tracks.
Oskar Merikanto
- 1 Omenankukat (Apple Blossom) 1:22
- 2 Linnulle kirkkomaalla (To a Bird in the Churchyard) 1:52
- 3 Suvi-illan vieno tuuli (Summer Evening?s Breeze) 1:41
- 4 Muistellessa (Remembering) 3:55
- 5 Miksi laulan (Why I Sing) 1:11
- 6 Kullan murunen (You Are a Nugget of Gold) 1:37
- 7 Merellä (At Sea) 4:13
- 8 Myrskylintu (Stormbird) 3:03
- 9 Laatokka (Lake Ladoga) 3:30
- 10 Iltakellot (Evening Bells) 2:37
- Haudoilta-sarja (From the Graves) 10:28
- 11 Valkeat ristit (White Crosses) 2:39
- 12 Laulaja taivaan portilla (A Singer at the Gate of Heaven) 1:36
- 13 Käy kirkkomaata illoin (In the Churchyard at Eventide) 4:15
- 14 Päivännousu kultaa kirkkomaan (Sunrise Gilds the Churchyard) 1:58
- 15 Hyvästi! (Farewell!) 1:22
- 16 Hyvää yötä (Good Night) 2:22
- 17 Hämärissä (In the Twilight) 1:26
- 18 Elämälle (To Life) 2:13
- 19 Annina 3:32
- 20 Illansuussa (At Nightfall) 1:57
- 21 Nocturne 2:25
- 22 Balladi (Ballad) 2:38
- 23 Nuoruuden ylistys (Praise of Youth) 1:59
- 24 Soi vienosti murheeni soitto (Play Softly, Thou Tune of My Mourning) 1:54
- 25 Ma elän! (I Am Alive!) 1:29
About this recording
Jorma Hynninen is one of the most celebrated Finnish vocal artists. This disc contains the legendary baritone's very personal account of songs by his compatriot Oskar Merikanto (1868-1924). Many of the 25 songs remain to this day among the all-time favourite Finnish songs of any genre (such as the title song of this disc, Elämälle - 'To life').
During his lifetime, Oskar Merikanto was just as popular as Jean Sibelius. He was the co-founder of what would become the Finnish National Opera and composed major contributions to the song and opera repertoire: a real master of melody who incorporated elements of folk music into his works, Merikanto rightly provokes comparisons with such composers as Schubert and Mahler.
Jorma Hynninen has contributed not only to a renewal in the art of interpreting solo songs but also to the creation of contemporary operas by Rautavaara and Sallinen, to name but two composers. His greatest musical love though has always been Lieder, a genre on which he successfully concentrates on this new recording.
Pianist Ilkka Paananen has appeared numerous times together with Jorma Hynninen and is an equally appreciated Lied partner of Elina Garanca, Dilbèr, Matti Salminen and Gabriel Suovanen.
Features
Booklet with liner notes and the song lyrics in the original Finnish and in English
Press
A must-have recital disc.
Opera News, January 2009, The Best of the Year 2008
For everyone who loves the Romantic song literature, this is a must. (...) This is recommended with complete enthusiasm.
Henry Fogel, Fanfare Magazine, September/October 2008
Jorma Hynninen (...) brings great authority to this repertoire.
David Fanning, Gramophone, June 2008
Jorma Hynninen brings to his compatriot's songs a voice of craggy grandeur and an acute sensitivity to colour and atmosphere.
Richard Wigmore, Daily Telegraph, April 19, 2008
Oskar Merikanto composed himself – especially with his songs - into the hearts of Finnish people; Jorma Hynninen makes the same with his masculine, sensitive voice which has still grown richer.
Pentti Ritolahti, Sana, March 6, 2008
The artists
Jorma Hynninen
Baritone Jorma Hynninen is one of the most highly appreciated Finnish vocal artists of all time. His unprejudiced and profound approach to art has contributed not only to a renewal in the art of interpreting solo songs but also to the creation of a number of new contemporary operas. In Lied, he has concentrated on the song cycles of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Wolf and the solo songs of Sibelius, Oskar Merikanto, Toivo Kuula and Yrjö Kilpinen. He has appeared at innumerable distinguished venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Musikverein, the Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall and the festivals at Tanglewood, Ravinia and Salzburg.
Ilkka Paananen
Ilkka Paananen studied the piano with Jarmo Räty at the Kuopio Conservatory, with Eero Heinonen at the Sibelius Academy, with Phyllis Sellick in London and in masterclasses with Dmitri Bashkirov, Ralf Gothóni, Dalton Baldwin and others. He was the winner of the Maj Lind Piano Competition in 1982 and the Danish Sonning Foundation in 1985.
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Armas Järnefelt
Lieder
Jorma Hynninen, baritone · Camilla Nylund, soprano · Ilkka Paananen, piano
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Jorma Hynninen
Profile of a Great Career
Classic Stars Chamber Orchestra · Savonlinna Opera Festival Orchestra · Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor · Pekka Haapasalo, conductor · Jorma Hynninen, baritone · Kari Tikka, conductor · Ulf Söderblom, conductor · Pentti Koskimies, piano · Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra · Okko Kamu, conductor · Finnish National Opera Orchestra · Estonian Symphony Orchestra · Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra · Ralf Gothóni, piano · Aira Johansson, piano · Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra · Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra · Jorma Panula, conductor · Joensuu City Orchestra · Eri Klas, conductor · Markus Lehtinen, conductor
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