BIS
Kortekangas: Migrations - Sibelius: Kullervo / Vanska, Minnesota Orchestra
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Details
- Composer
- KORTEKANGAS SIBELIUS
- Artist
- Vänskä, Paasikivi, Hakala
- Format
- SACD
- Discs
- 2
- Label
- BIS
- Released
- Feb 03, 2017
- Catalog #
- BIS-9048
- UPC
- 7318599990484
About
REVIEW:
Osmo Vänskä recorded a superb Kullervo Symphony in Lahti–indeed, that was and remains a reference version. It featured a particularly brave, because very slow but also remarkably powerful, account of the second movement, Kullervo’s Youth. Unlike Vänskä’s other Sibelius symphony remakes in Minnesota, which are replete with annoying little mannerisms and surprisingly dead passages, this performance is excellent. It’s also virtually identical, down to the second, to the conductor’s previous effort. There’s even an authentic Finnish chorus, the YL Male Voice Choir, imported from Helsinki for the occasion. The group has performed and recorded Kullervo something like a thousand times already, so we know exactly what to expect.
Why, then, bother with this new release at all? Well, Kullervo fits on a single disc, as it did previously, but for this series of performances the Minnesota Orchestra commissioned Finnish composer Olli Kortekangas to write a “companion” to Kullervo–in this case a 25-minute piece called Migrations. It is written for the same forces as the Sibelius, setting poems inspired by Finnish immigration to Minnesota (of which there was a lot, in case you didn’t know). The English poems, by Sheila Packa, are both sensitive and moving, the use of language often lovely. Kortegangas sets four of them, separated by three orchestral interludes. You also get as an encore one of the various versions of Finlandia with (male) choir, if you care.
The problem with this release, as I see it, is twofold. First, Kortekangas shows far too much respect to Packa. These are longish poems, the settings themselves relatively brief. This means that there is a lot of talking going on, however accessible and attractive the music (and it is both); but as with so many choral pieces with lots of text to get through, the words are practically unintelligible, and so you can’t really enjoy the poetry at all as it is sung. Second, I doubt that anyone except hardcore patrons of the Minnesota Orchestra–and friends and relatives of Kortekangas–wants this set principally for Migrations. It requires a (very short) second disc. Logically, therefore, the package should have been offered at two discs for the price of one to make it at least competitive with Vänskä’s first recording of Kullervo.
– ClassicsToday (David Hurwitz)
Osmo Vänskä recorded a superb Kullervo Symphony in Lahti–indeed, that was and remains a reference version. It featured a particularly brave, because very slow but also remarkably powerful, account of the second movement, Kullervo’s Youth. Unlike Vänskä’s other Sibelius symphony remakes in Minnesota, which are replete with annoying little mannerisms and surprisingly dead passages, this performance is excellent. It’s also virtually identical, down to the second, to the conductor’s previous effort. There’s even an authentic Finnish chorus, the YL Male Voice Choir, imported from Helsinki for the occasion. The group has performed and recorded Kullervo something like a thousand times already, so we know exactly what to expect.
Why, then, bother with this new release at all? Well, Kullervo fits on a single disc, as it did previously, but for this series of performances the Minnesota Orchestra commissioned Finnish composer Olli Kortekangas to write a “companion” to Kullervo–in this case a 25-minute piece called Migrations. It is written for the same forces as the Sibelius, setting poems inspired by Finnish immigration to Minnesota (of which there was a lot, in case you didn’t know). The English poems, by Sheila Packa, are both sensitive and moving, the use of language often lovely. Kortegangas sets four of them, separated by three orchestral interludes. You also get as an encore one of the various versions of Finlandia with (male) choir, if you care.
The problem with this release, as I see it, is twofold. First, Kortekangas shows far too much respect to Packa. These are longish poems, the settings themselves relatively brief. This means that there is a lot of talking going on, however accessible and attractive the music (and it is both); but as with so many choral pieces with lots of text to get through, the words are practically unintelligible, and so you can’t really enjoy the poetry at all as it is sung. Second, I doubt that anyone except hardcore patrons of the Minnesota Orchestra–and friends and relatives of Kortekangas–wants this set principally for Migrations. It requires a (very short) second disc. Logically, therefore, the package should have been offered at two discs for the price of one to make it at least competitive with Vänskä’s first recording of Kullervo.
– ClassicsToday (David Hurwitz)
Tracklist 13 tracks
- Disc 1
-
1 I. Introduction: Allegro moderato 12:46
- Track
- 1
- Title
- I. Introduction: Allegro moderato
- Duration
- 12:46
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
2 II. Kullervo's Youth: Grave 19:05
- Track
- 2
- Title
- II. Kullervo's Youth: Grave
- Duration
- 19:05
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
3 III. Kullervo and his Sister: Allegro vivace 25:55
- Track
- 3
- Title
- III. Kullervo and his Sister: Allegro vivace
- Duration
- 25:55
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Performer
- Lilli Paasikivi, Tommi Hakala
- Ensemble
- YL Male Voice Choir, Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
4 IV. Kullervo Goes to War: Alla marcia (Allegro molto) - Vivace - Presto 09:41
- Track
- 4
- Title
- IV. Kullervo Goes to War: Alla marcia (Allegro molto) - Vivace - Presto
- Duration
- 09:41
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
5 V. Kullervo's Death: Andante 11:19
- Track
- 5
- Title
- V. Kullervo's Death: Andante
- Duration
- 11:19
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Ensemble
- YL Male Voice Choir, Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
- Disc 2
-
1 I. Two Worlds 03:40
- Track
- 1
- Title
- I. Two Worlds
- Duration
- 03:40
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Ensemble
- YL Male Voice Choir, Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
2 II. First Interlude 02:57
- Track
- 2
- Title
- II. First Interlude
- Duration
- 02:57
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
3 III. Resurrection 05:10
- Track
- 3
- Title
- III. Resurrection
- Duration
- 05:10
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Performer
- Lilli Paasikivi
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
4 IV. Second Interlude 03:27
- Track
- 4
- Title
- IV. Second Interlude
- Duration
- 03:27
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
5 V. The Man Who Lived in a Tree 02:19
- Track
- 5
- Title
- V. The Man Who Lived in a Tree
- Duration
- 02:19
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Ensemble
- YL Male Voice Choir, Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
6 VI. Third Interlude 03:29
- Track
- 6
- Title
- VI. Third Interlude
- Duration
- 03:29
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Ensemble
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
7 VII. Music That We Breathe 04:20
- Track
- 7
- Title
- VII. Music That We Breathe
- Duration
- 04:20
- Composer
- Olli Kortekangas
- Performer
- Lilli Paasikivi
- Ensemble
- YL Male Voice Choir, Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä
-
8 Finlandia, Op. 26 (version for male choir and orchestra) 08:19
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Finlandia, Op. 26 (version for male choir and orchestra)
- Duration
- 08:19
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Ensemble
- YL Male Voice Choir, Minnesota Orchestra
- Conductor
- Osmo Vänskä