Sibelius: Kullervo

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Lintu energizes the work whenever he can, and the excellent recorded sound makes the performance more vivid. The two vocal soloists are first-rate. — Fanfare, March/April 2020 More…

Release Date: 4th Oct 2019
Catalogue No: ODE1338-5
Label: Ondine
Length: 72 minutes

International Classical Music Awards

2019

Nominee - Choral

This item is currently out of stock at the UK distributor. You may order it now but please be aware that it may be six weeks or more before it can be despatched.

Sibelius: Kullervo, Op. 7

Work length1:12:24

Album only

Johanna Rusanen (soprano), Ville Rusanen (baritone)
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Male Choir, Polytech Male Choir
Hannu Lintu

I. Introduction

Track length12:39

$3.00

$3.85

$5.25

II. Kullervo's Youth

Track length15:18

$4.00

$5.15

$7.00

III. Kullervo and His Sister

Track length23:01

Album only

IV. Kullervo Goes to War

Track length9:26

$2.00

$2.60

$3.50

V. Kullervo's Death

Track length12:00

$3.00

$3.85

$5.25

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A fresh new recording of Jean Sibelius’ early breakthrough work by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under its conductor Hannu Lintu. This recording with two male choirs, the Estonian National Male Choir and the Polytech Choir, brings up the full drama of this gigantic 70-minute work which during Sibelius’ lifetime was often referred to as a “symphony”. The work tells the story of Kullervo, a tragic hero drawn from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. While a student in Vienna, Sibelius started planning to write a large work that would crystallize the rising Finnish national feeling in music. It was in the cosmopolitan surroundings of Vienna where Sibelius finally discovered the Finnish sound for his orchestral works to follow. Until that moment the art music of his country, even works based on folklore characters such as found in the Kalevala poetry, had been largely influenced and dominated by German Romanticism. For his work Sibelius drew inspiration from traditional Finnish folk music and by studying the Kalevala epic on his own. From the 50 songs of the Kalevala, Sibelius chose passages from the most tragic sections of the work telling the story of Kullervo, an ill-fated young man. With the premiere of this work in Helsinki in 1892, Sibelius became a national hero – and also won the favour of his future father-in-law. Although the work was not performed never again in Sibelius’ lifetime after the following year, the work was a milestone for Sibelius himself in his development as a composer and a symphonist. It was the composer’s first serious attempt in composing a large-scale orchestral work. Kullervo is work by a young composer filled with inspiration, ideas, and drama. Conductor Hannu Lintu recently won the Gramophone Award and ICMA Award for his recording of the Bartók Violin Concertos together with Christian Tetzlaff and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Reviews

March/April 2020

Lintu energizes the work whenever he can, and the excellent recorded sound makes the performance more vivid. The two vocal soloists are first-rate.

November 2019

A most impressive account of Kullervo in superb sound.

Sibelius: Kullervo

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