This Ondine release marks the world premiere recording of Veli-Matti Puumala’s (b. 1965) opera Anna Liisa, based on a popular 19th c. Finnish play concerning the tragedy of the protagonist caught between the norms of the surrounding society and her own moral conscience. The music is characterized by a clash of intense and energetic textures with quiet landscapes with a quite different timescale. In addition to Jan Söderblom conducting the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the opera features several well-known Finnish opera artists. Mr. Puumala is Prof. of Composition at the Sibelius Academy.