Einojuhani Rautavaara
Vincent - Opera in Three Acts
Jorma Hynninen, vincent · Finnish National Opera Chorus · Finnish National Opera Orchestra · Fuat Manchurov, conductor
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Einojuhani Rautavaara
Thomas - Opera in Three Acts
Jorma Hynninen, thomas
Peter Lindroos, Johann von Gobyn
Matti Piipponen, Mäster Styver
Sini Rautavaara, maiden
Opera Festival Chorus
Joensuu City Orchestra
Pekka Haapasalo, conductor
Track listing
3 tracks · 98:16CD 1
Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Thomas - Opera in Three Acts
- 1 Act I 44:59
CD 2
Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Thomas - Opera in Three Acts
- 1 Act II 33:20
- 2 Act III 19:57
About this recording
This double CD contains the three-act opera Thomas by Finnish cult composer Einojuhani Rautavaara who also wrote the libretto. It tells the story of Thomas, Bishop of Finland 1230-1245 (died 1248), under whom Finland attained an independent church organization - a first attempt in Finnish history towards the nation's independance.
Rautavaara wrote the opera from 1982-1985 for the Joensuu Song Festival, dedicating it to its then Artistic Director Jorma Hynninen who performed the title role. One year after its world première, the opera was recorded live at the Joensuu Song Festival in June 1986.
The cast includes
Jorma Hynninen: Thomas, Bishop of Finland
Peter Lindroos: Johann von Gobyn, Knight of the Sword
Matti Piipponen: Mäster Styver, a merchant from Gotland
Sini Rautavaara: Maiden
Marko Putkonen: Doberanus, a Dominican
Antti Suhonen: Manhard, a Dominican
Anssi Hirvonen: Magus I
Hannu Sokka: Magus II
Jaakko Hietikko: Magus III
Anitta Juhala-Jolkkonen: Mother's voice.
This recording is the fourth in Ondine's history and was released in 1986 on LP and three years later on CD. The Finnish Broadcasting Company voted it 'Record of the Year 1986', which prompted Koch International to become Ondine's distributor for North America. Recording the music of Einojuhani Rautavaara has ever been one of Ondine's greatest successes.
Features
2 CDs; booklet with liner notes and synopsis in English and Finnish, and the libretto in the original Finnish and in English
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.
Opera Festival Chorus
The Opera Festival Chorus was founded in 1979 and served until 1992 as the resident choir of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. In 1995 the ensemble changed its name into Finnish Philharmonic Chorus.
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