Track listing
26 tracks · 56:31Listen to samples on selected tracks.
Toivo Kuula
- 1 Aamulaulu (Morning Song) 1:26
Oskar Merikanto
- 2 Kullan murunen (You Are a Nugget of Gold) 1:23
- 3 Pai, pai paitaressu (Bye Bye My Sweet Swaddled Baby) 2:40
- 4 Soi vienosti murheeni soitto (Play Softly, Thou Tune of My Mourning) 2:11
- 5 Kottarainen (The Starling) 1:03
- 6 Ma elän! (I Am Alive!) 1:29
- 7 Omenankukat (Apple Blossom) 1:20
- 8 Kevätlinnuille etelässä (To The Spring Birds in The South) 1:51
- 9 Kansanlaulu (Folk Song) 2:03
- 10 Laula, tyttö (Sing to Me, Girl) 0:51
- 11 Kun päivä paistaa (When the Sun Shines) 1:59
Erkki Melartin
- 12 Mirjamin laulu I (Miriam's Song I) 1:47
- 13 Mirjamin laulu II (Miriam's Song II) 2:53
Toivo Kuula
- 14 Syystunnelma (Autumn Mood) 2:57
- 15 Tuijotin tulehen kauan (Long Gazed I into the Fire) 4:51
- 16 Marjatan laulu (Marjatta's Song) 4:19
- 17 Kesäyö kirkkomaalla (Summer Night in the Churchyard) 2:55
- 18 Imandran laulu (Imandra's Song) 2:37
- 19 Sinipiika (The Forest Maid) 2:52
Yrjö Kilpinen
- 20 Laululle (To The Song), Op. 52/3 1:46
- 21 Suvilaulu (Summer Song) 1:22
Traditional
- 22 Minun kultani kaunis on (Ah, How Fair My Sweetheart Is) 1:32
- 23 Hilu hilu (Hullabaloo) 1:09
- 24 Soittajapaimen (The Piper Shepherd) 2:15
- 25 Läksin minä kesäyönä (A Wandring on a Summer's Eve) 2:29
- 26 Tule, tule kultani (Come, Hurry My Darling) 2:31
About this recording
This CD features soprano Karita Mattila with a selection of art and folk songs by Toivo Kuula, Oskar Merikanto, Erkki Melartin and Yriö Kilpinen - young contemporaries of Jean Sibelius. Karita Mattila is partnered on piano by Ilmo Ranta.
Features
Booklet with liner notes in English, German, French and Finnish, and the song lyrics in the original Finnish and in English
Press
Irresistible.
Hilary Finch, Gramophone, March 1998
Mattila's lovely voice and artistry are powerful advocacy for this music.
Vivian Liff, American Record Guide, July/August 1997
Karita Mattila is an ideal champion of her native country's music.
André Tubeuf, Diapason, January 1997, Diapason d'or
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.
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.
