Sometimes called a choral symphony, Sibelius's Kullervo was premiered in 1892, receiving a mixed reception from an audience that didn't know what to make of the score. The work received a few more performances the following year, but was soon overshadowed by the First Symphony. Only in the 1970s did it became more widely known, at which time the score caused something of sensation. Faithful to the urgency and brutality of the score, the present recording was made at live performances at Symphony Hall in Minneapolis, with Osmo Vänskä directing the forces of the Minnesota Orchestra, joined by their Finnish guests Lilli Paasikivi, Tommi Hakala and the eminent YL Male Voice Choir.