Sibelius, J.: Kullervo Soile Isokoski

• Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
• 1 I. Introduction: Allegro moderato 14:16
• 2 II. Kullervo's Youth: Grave 16:33
• 3 III. Kullervo and his Sister: Allegro vivace 24:39
• 4 IV. Kullervo Goes to War: Alla marcia (Allegro molto) - Vivace - Presto 09:47
• 5 V. Kullervo's Death: Andante 12:41
• Total Runtime 01:17:56

Info for Sibelius, J.: Kullervo

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra has a long and triumphant association with the music of Jean Sibelius, having premièred under the composer's baton almost all of his symphonic works. On this release, they perform, under their longstanding chief conductor Leif Segerstam, Sibelius's early choral symphony Kullervo. The work is based on the legend of Kullervo in the epic Kalevala, which tells the mythic history of the ancient Finns. The great success of the 1892 première in Helsinki - Sibelius conducted the Helsinki Philharmonic - turned out to be the breakthrough of the great Finnish composer's career who became a true national hero.

The sung parts in the third and fifth movement are performed by native speakers: the famous Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski whose Sibelius Orchestral Songs album on Ondine (featuring the Helsinki Philharmonic/Leif Segerstam) won both a BBC Music Magazine Disc of the Year Award and a MIDEM Classical Award in 2007; the acclaimed baritone Tommi Hakala, who won the 2003 BBC 'Singer of the World' award; and the internationally reputed YL Male Voice Choir, which in the year of this release looks back on 125 years of history and many commissions of Sibelius's best-known choral works.

„(…) the best solo singing the work has ever received. In particular, Soile Isokoski is simply miles away from the matronly mezzos who often take the part of Kullervo's sister.“ Artistic Quality 10 / Sound Quality 10 (David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com)

„This latest wholly Finnish production is up there with the best. (...) Leif Segerstam commands these elements with true authority, and the Helsinki Philharmonic responds with playing, by turns elemental and delicate. (...) The recording, made in Helsinki's Finlandia Hall, captures the epic scale of the work.“ (Matthew Rye, The Daily Telegraph)

Soile Isokoski, soprano
Tommi Hakala, baritone
YL Male Voice Choir
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam, conductor

Soile Isokoski
is recognized as one of the world's finest lyric sopranos and regularly appears on the most renowned stages and concert halls. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy, she gave her début recital in Helsinki in 1986 and subsequently won a number of important international singing competitions. She made her début at the Finnish National Opera as Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème and has since delighted audiences and critics alike at opera houses in Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, London, Milan and Paris, at The Metropolitan Opera and at music festivals in Salzburg, Savonlinna, Edinburgh and Orange.

Soile Isokoski has worked with numerous distinguished conductors such as Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Seiji Ozawa, John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Colin Davis, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Simon Rattle, Bernhard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, Valery Gergiev and James Levine. Her recent opera roles include Die Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), Eva (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Alice (Falstaff), Margarethe (Faust), Rachel (La Juive), the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro), Desdemona (Otello), Liù (Turandot), Elsa (Lohengrin), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos). She has an extensive concert repertoire, and she regularly gives recitals with her permanent accompanist Marita Viitasalo.

Soile Isokoski's recording, for Ondine, of Luonnotar and other orchestral songs by Sibelius with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam won the 2007 BBC Music Magazine Award ‘Disc of the Year', in addition to a MIDEM Classical Award (ODE 1080-5). Her rendition of Four Last Songs and other orchestral songs by Richard Strauss with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under Marek Janowski received a Gramophone Award in 2002 (ODE 982-2). Her 2006 Christmas album Jouluyö, juhlayö, featuring also the YL Male Voice Choir, became a gold-winning best-seller in Finland (ODE 1088-2).

In honour of her notable contribution to Finnish music, Soile Isokoski was awarded with the Pro-Finlandia medal in 2002. In September 2008, she received in Vienna the honorary title of 'Österreichische Kammersängerin'.

Booklet for Sibelius, J.: Kullervo