Rautavaara: Song of My Heart; Orchestral Songs

• Main performer: Gabriel Suovanen
• Booklet languages: English, German, French, Finnish
• Time: 57:41
• Release Date: 2006

Review

Known for his symphonies and above all for his sui genesis Cantus Arcticus for taped bird songs and orchestra, Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara has also written a considerable body of vocal music. This disc unites five sets of songs for baritone and orchestra -- the "Three Sonnets" with texts by Shakespeare, the "Five Sonnets to Orpheus" and "The Lovers" with texts by Rainer Maria Rilke, "God's Way" with a text by Swedish poet Bo Setterlind, and "Three Songs" with texts by Aleksis Kivi from the opera Aleksis Kivi. Most of the music is from early in Rautavaara's career, although much of it was subsequently revised. But all the music, earlier or later, melancholy or joyful, tender or assertive, is easily identifiable as Rautavaara's. The strong but supple melodies, the stark but effective forms, the hard but brilliant colors, the tonally influenced but thoroughly modernist harmonies all sound like no one else but the Finnish postwar master. Baritone Gabriel Suovanen has a powerful voice with a nuanced delivery, and he seems to intuitively grasp the meaning of the texts. Conductor Leif Segerstam, himself a composer of note, directs the Helsinki Philharmonic in performances that glow with the fire of inspiration. Ondine does its standard standout job of presenting the music in amazingly vivid sound. ~ James Leonard, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Sonnets (3) of Shakespeare, song cycle for high or medium voice & piano (or orchestra)	7:52
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Sonnets (5) to Orpheus, for medium voice & orchestra (or piano)	12:31
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Die Liebenden, song cycle for high voice & chamber orchestra (or string orchestra, or string quintet)	18:35
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Guds väg (God's Way), song cycle for high or medium voice & piano (or orchestra)	6:27
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Songs (4) from the Opera Aleksis Kivi, for voice & piano (or orchestra) (1. Ikävyys (Melancholy))	4:45
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Songs (4) from the Opera Aleksis Kivi, for voice & piano (or orchestra) (2. Laulu oravasta (The Squirrel))	3:20
Einojuhani Rautavaara	Songs (4) from the Opera Aleksis Kivi, for voice & piano (or orchestra) (3. Sydämeni laulu (Song of My Heart))	4:11

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Next:	Rautavaara: String quartet No2; Kokkonen: String quartet No1