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Cover: Jean Sibelius – Songs

Jean Sibelius

Songs

Karita Mattila, soprano
Ilmo Ranta, piano

ODE 856-2 · CD · October 1995

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Track listing

24 tracks · 58:42

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

Jean Sibelius

  1. 1 Illalle (To Evening), Op. 17/6 1:27
  2. 2 Var det et dröm (Did I Just Dream?), Op. 37/4 2:09
  3. 3 Demanten på marssön (The Diamond on the March Snow), Op. 36/6 3:22
  4. 4 Fågellek, Op. 17/3 1:44
  5. 5 Lastu lainehilla, Op. 17/7 1:12
  6. 6 Souda, souda, sinisorsa 1:20
  7. 7 Våren flyktar hastigt, Op. 13/4 1:36
  8. 8 Den första kyssen (The First Kiss), Op. 37/1 2:03
  9. 9 Men min fågel märks dock icke, Op. 36/2 2:32
  10. 10 Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (The Tryst), Op. 37/5 3:04
  11. 11 Arioso, Op. 3 4:44
  12. 12 Fåfäng önskan, Op. 61/7 3:20
  13. Song Cycle "Flower Songs", Op. 88 9:01
  14. 13 I. Blåsippan 0:57
  15. 14 II. De bägge rosorna 1:23
  16. 15 III. Vitsippan 1:20
  17. 16 IV. Sippan 1:09
  18. 17 V. Törnet 2:19
  19. 18 VI. Blommans öde 1:36
  20. 19 Norden, Op. 90/1 2:51
  21. 20 Kaiutar, Op. 72/4 3:30
  22. 21 En slända, Op. 17/5 5:13
  23. 22 Svarta rosor (Black Roses), Op. 36/1 2:03
  24. 23 Maj, Op. 57/4 2:40
  25. 24 Jubal, Op. 35/1 5:08

About this recording

This CD features Finnish soprano Karita Mattila with songs by Jean Sibelius, accompanied on piano by Ilmo Ranta. This disc has been the Finnish star soprano's first recital release.

Features

Booklet with English, French, German and Finnish and the song lyrics in the original language and in English

Press

Mattila recreates powerfully the sensuous urgency of Sibelius's settings of his bleoved poet J.L. Runeberg.
Hilary Finch, The Times, January 20, 1996

miniature masterpieces (...) sung by such a lustrous, creamy-toned soprano, all repay repeated listening.
John Allison, BBC Music Magazine, December 1995

The artists

Karita Mattila

Winner of the first 'Singer of the World' competition in Cardiff, Karita Mattila is recognised as much for the beauty and versatility of her lyric voice as for her extraordinary stage ability. Under such conductors as Claudio Abbado, James Levine, Sir Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen, she has sang in all the major opera houses and festivals of the world performing repertoire which encompasses Mozart, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner and Janácek. Her affinity with the dramatic side of opera has produced marvellous results when working with fine stage directors such as Luc Bondy who helped her to achieve a remarkable performance in his highly acclaimed Don Carlos, seen in Paris, London and at the Edinburgh Festival. Likewise, Lev Dodin in his productions of Elektra for the Salzburg Easter Festival and Pique Dame and Salome at the Opera Bastille, Peter Stein for his production of Simon Boccanegra in Salzburg, Robert Carsen in his production of Lohengrin at the Bastille and Jürgen Flimm for his Fidelio in New York.

Full biography

Ilmo Ranta

lmo Ranta studied at the Sibelius Academy with Liisa Pohjola and received his diploma in 1984. He went on to complete further studies in Munich with Klaus Schilde and with György Sebök, Dmitri Bashkirov, Ralf Gothóni and Hartmut Höll. Currently, Ranta teaches chamber music and piano at the Sibelius Academy.

Full biography

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