Malmsténin Aapinen. Rakkaimmat lastenlaulut
(Children Songs by Georg Malmstén)
Matti Salminen, vocalist · Eija Ahvo, vocalist · Thelma Romu, vocalist · Kameleonttikuoro · Tapiola Sinfonietta · Jyri Nissilä, conductor
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Jaakko Kuusisto
Koirien Kalevala (The Canine Kalevala) - A Family Opera in One Act
Toni Wahlström, Lemminkäinen (a cat)
Jukka Romu, Väinämöinen (a dog)
Juha Hostikka, Ilmarinen (a dog)
Eija Ahvo, Lemminkäinen's mother
Tiina Sinkkonen, Louhi (a wolf)
Mari Palo, tytti
Sami Vartiainen, Mr. Clutterbuck
The Canine Kalevala Choir
Kuopio Symphony Orchestra
Jaakko Kuusisto, conductor
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...based on the popular Finnish children\
Track listing
9 tracks · 69:00Jaakko Kuusisto
- Koirien Kalevala · The Canine Kalevala
- 1 Prologue & Scene 1 11:40
- 2 Scene 2 13:53
- 3 Scene 3 14:09
- 4 Scene 4 7:07
- 5 Scene 5 5:11
- 6 Scene 6 6:22
- 7 Scene 7 3:57
- 8 Finale 4:29
- 9 Credits 2:12
About this recording
This DVD Video features the one-act family opera Koirien Kalevala ("The Canine Kalevala") by Finnish composer-conductor Jaakko Kuusisto. The libretto by Sami Parkkinen is based on the same named book by Mauri Kunnas (official website) who in 1992 wrote an adaptation for children of the Finnish national epic Kalevala. Mauri Kunnas's children's books have been translated into 23 languages with over 5,5 million copies sold.
Jaakko Kuusisto: "Koirien Kalevala is probably one of the most popular Finnish children's books of all time, and with good reason. The wonderful insight of Mauri Kunnas in linking the Finnish national epic to his lovable dog characters appeals not only to children but to their parents too. And this is not the Kalevala, um, gone to the dogs - instead, the story is exactly like in the original, put across in an easily understandable way. Sami Parkkinen fashioned an opera libretto out of the version by Kunnas, keeping all the essential elements. The sets and costumes of the production featured on this disc also draw heavily on the visual world of Kunnas, and as such look very familiar to anyone who has ever read the book."
This DVD recording was made from live performances in July 2007 at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, where The Canine Kalevala had been premièred three years earlier to critical acclaim. Jaakko Kuusisto conducts a cast of known Finnish actors and singers. The production is staged by Minna Vainikainen and designed by Tarja Väätänen (sets), Riitta Röpelinen (costumes) and Max Wikström (lighting).
This DVD release was made in co-production with the Savonlinna Opera Festival. It includes full English subtitles and booklet notes in English and Finnish.
Features
1 DVD Video (PAL all regions; 16:9; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround / 2.0 Stereo); menu in Finnish/English; subtitles in English; booklet with liner notes, written by the composer, and synopsis in Finnish and English
The artists
Mari Palo
Mari Palo studied with Sirkka Haavisto at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatoire and has been a pupil of Marjut Hannula at the Sibelius Academy from 1996-2003. She has also studied with Elisabeth Norberg-Schultz, and Lied with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hartmut Höll, Mitshuko Shirai and Ilmo Ranta. She won third prize and the special prize of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) in the Lappeenranta Singing Competition in 1999 and second prize in the Merikanto Competition in 2001. Since then she has appeared with many orchestras and given Lied recitals of her own in Finland, Denmark, France and Hungary. Her operatic roles include Michaela in Carmen, Regina von Emmeritz in Kuusisto's The Royal Ring, the Girl in Juha T. Koskinen's The Old Woman, and the Squirrel in Kirmo Lintinen's Nuts about Nosh.
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Jukka Linkola
Hui kauhistus! (One Spooky Night) - A Family Opera in One Act
Jukka Romu, papa · Toni Wahlström, The Bogeyman · Mari Palo, Miss Sips (The Maid in the Castle) · Juha Hostikka, The Pirate Chief · Petteri Falck, Count Vampire · Angelika Klas, Witch Snaggletooth (Countess Alma) · Leena Liimatainen, The Witch's Broom (Vampire Ally) · Sami Vartiainen, Mr. Clutterbuck · One Spooky Night Choir · Kuopio Symphony Orchestra · Jukka Linkola, conductor
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