Sibelius: Tapiola, En Saga, 8 Songs

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lintu, Hannu, Otter, Anne Sofie von

ODE 1289-5

This new recording by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Lintu, is an all-Sibelius programme, featuring the internationally renowned mezzo-sopranist Anne Sofie von Otter. The album includes two major tone poems by Jean Sibelius, Tapiola and En Saga, as well as several songs orchestrated by Aulis Sallinnen. This eight-part cycle was composed in 2015 to mark Sibelius' 150th birthday.

The tone poem Tapiola, written shortly after the 7th Symphony, can be seen as the culmination of a compositional period that began with the 5th Symphony - a phase in which Sibelius created music that organically evolved from small elements into large, sweeping sequences. Tapiola was completed in 1926 and marks Sibelius' last major orchestral composition. The composer said of his work, "My inspiration for Tapiola came entirely from nature, or more precisely from something that cannot be expressed in words."
The origins of En Saga, originally premiered in 1892, are shrouded in mystery, and even later Sibelius refused to give any detailed account of its contents. It is among the earliest orchestral works, and its original Swedish title, En saga, refers to ancient Norse sagas of heroes and gods. Although the composition is now one of Sibelius's most popular, the premiere was not a great success, so Sibelius revised the work in 1902.

SACD x 1

Ondine

2.10.2017

0761195128954

BBC Music Magazine: 'Orchestral Choice' (2018), Gramophone: 'Gramophone Choice' (2017), ICMA Award: 'Assorted Programs' (2017)