December 8, 2023

20,000 vinyl LPs 343: Jean Sibelius ~ Kalervo (Tulen Synty / The Origin of Fire)

vinyl LP front cover
Cover, Artwork: Akseli Gallen-Kallela 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


Today is the birthday of the Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods, Jean Sibelius. He was born in the Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous part of the Russian Empire, on December 8, 1865.         


vinyl LP back cover
Cover, Artwork: Akseli Gallen-Kallela 
photo of album back cover by Styrous®
 

His most famous works are the very dramatic Finlandia, the frothy and delightful Valse triste, his Violin Concerto, etc. But my favorite by him is the choral work, Kalervo (Tulen Synty / The Origin of Fire); in particular the finale, Kullervo's Death. The work is scored for soprano, baritone, male chorus and orchestra; in this case, the Helsinki University Men's Choir.                 
 
Kullervo's Death begins almost imperceptibly quiet; then the orchestra slowly builds with lots of french horns, of course. It's a thrilling opus!             

Kullervo is an ill-fated character in the Kalevala, the 19th-century work of Finnish epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot. A future blog entry will contain more info about this.               
 
 The text of Kullervo is as follows: 
Truly fortunate man, never youthfully strayed from his own land, forsaking joys of his home, far from graves of the heroes. How can a man, mortal man, complain of the order of heaven? But my sad, tired, weary heart now wants to sigh for a while. As I remember the night, when the dear homeland faded away, my heart is still longing, my yearning eyes brimming with tears. Never will vanish, never, Northland from memory, where on hillsides I heard how Sampo and kantele sang. There men were toiling and singing those songs of Väinö they sang; Boys wrestled bears in forest's gloom. Clear were the wintry days, beautiful to behold, Northern lights in the heavens blazing, glorious to behold. Oh, the midsummer time, days without end, when sun fails to cease shining over water and land! Once more, Oh Fate, do take me there, I'd known all lakes and islands and bays, I'd know all heavenly stars and the moon. There's my heart and there's my childhood memories, all my friends, and most precious of all, my darling, every thing that I love. Let those who choose Alps to praise, let them rejoice in their praises. More precious by far is the land of my birth, my beautiful home.                  
Truly in the Romantic mood, I would say. There is some very fascinating information of incest, murder and other mischief in the links below. The boxed set came with a two page booklet that had a wealth of information about the work and the artists  involved.    

 

 
 

 
 

 


 
 

 
 

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 


 
 
 
 

 
A newer version of Kalervo was recorded in 1997 by Sir Colin Davis with soloists Hillevi Martinpelto and Karl-Magnus Fredriksson and the London Symphony Orchestra. It has received very favorable reviews.     

The set has two vinyl LPs, the first three sides are taken up by the Kalervo . . .
 
 
 
 
vinyl LP label, side 1 & 2
photos by Styrous®
 
 

vinyl LP label,  side 3
photo by Styrous®
 
 
. . .  the fourth side has four waltz pieces, the first of which is the aforementioned, Valse triste, that are incidental music for the ballet, Kuolema (Death), a drama by the Finnish writer Arvid Järnefelt.   
 

vinyl LP label, side 4
photo by Styrous®

 
   
Tracklist:
       
Side 1:
        
        Kullervo Symphony, Op. 7   
A1 - 1st Movement: Introduction (Allegro Moderato) - 13:45
A2 - 2nd Movement: Kullervo's Youth (Grave) - 13:55
       
Side 2:
        
3rd Movement: Kullervo And His Sister (Allegro Vivace) - 24:26

Side 3:
         
C1 - 4th Movement: Kullervo Goes To Battle (A La Marcia) - 8:44
C2 - 5th Movement: Kullervo's Death (Andante) - 9:56
 
Side 4:
        
D1 - Kuolema, Op. 44 - Scene With Cranes - 5:25
        Swanwhite - Incidental Music   
D2 - 2nd Movement: The Harp
Harp – Morfan Edwards - 4:20
D3 - 3rd Movement: The Maidens With The Roses - 2:52
D4 - 4th Movement: Listen, The Robin Sings - 4:10
D5 - 6th Movement: Swanwhite And The Prince - 3:31
       
Companies, etc.
       
    Recorded At – Southampton Guildhall
    Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc.
    Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Scranton
    Copyright © – Paavo Berglund
    Copyright © – Robert Layton
       
Credits:
       
    Baritone Vocals – Usko Viitanen
    Bass Clarinet – Anthony Godwin (2)
    Bassoon – Christopher Gale (2)
    Bassoon [Double Bassoon] – David Johnson (42)
    Bassoon [Principal] – Eric Butt
    Cello – Alison Myers, Andrew Clunies-Ross, Christopher Magnus, Douglas Morris (3), Gillian Kaye, Helen Reynolds, John Hursey, Stefan Revesz, Walter Hanesworth
    Cello [Principal] – Joseph Koos
    Choir – Helsinki University Men's Choir*
    Chorus Master – Ensti Pohjola
    Clarinet – Anthony Godwin (2), Patrick Dingle
    Clarinet [Principal] – Raymond Carpenter
    Composed By – Jean Sibelius
    Conductor – Paavo Berglund
    Cor Anglais [Principal] – Jeffrey Brown (2)
    Cover, Artwork – Akseli Gallen-Kallela
    Double Bass – Barry Glynn, Bernadette Hume, Graham Beazley, Hubert Downs, Keith Wood (4), Laurence Gray, Lyndon Thomas (2)
    Double Bass [Principal] – George Folprecht
    Engineer [Balance Engineer] – Stuart Eltham
    Flute – Peter Baird (2)
    Flute [Principal] – Laurence Beers
    Harp – Morfan Edwards
    Horns – Donald Froud, Ian Thompson (13), Joseph Currie, Malcolm Pfaff, Peter Hastings (2)
    Horns [Principal] – Timothy Brown (2)
    Liner Notes – Paavo Berglund, Robert Layton
    Liner Notes [English Translation] – W. F. Kirby
    Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Raili Kostia
    Oboe – Peter Walden
    Oboe [Principal] – John Williams (18)
    Orchestra – Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Percussion – Michael Froud
    Percussion [Principal] – Jacqueline Gush
    Photography By [Booklet] – Alexandra Chappell, Bournemouth*
    Piccolo Flute – Kenneth Smith (6)
    Piccolo Flute [Principal] – John Braddock (2)
    Producer [Recording Producer] – Brian Culverhouse
    Soprano Clarinet [E♭ Clarinet] – Patrick Dingle
    Timpani [Principal] – Andrew Smith (30)
    Trombone – Alwyn Green, Evan Watkin, Malcolm Warne-Holland
    Trombone [Principal] – Denis Wise
    Trumpet – Barrington Latchem, Brian Foreshaw, Graham Coote, William Kitchen (3)
    Trumpet [Principal] – Rodney Senior
    Tuba [Principal] – Alan Sinclair (3)
    Viola – Alan Dancey, Cedric Morgan, Daphne Maxwell, Eric Joseph (2), Ian Pillow, Richard Willetts, Sally Brown (4), Sidney Todd, William Hallett, William Huddart
    Viola [Principal] – Mary Samuel
    Violin [First Violins, Leader, Principal] – Brendan O'Brien (2)
    Violin [First Violins, Sub-Leader, Principal] – Donald Macdonald (4)
    Violin [First Violins] – Alan Cutter, Alfred Jupp, Aoife Froud, Caroline Berthoud, Charles Thorgilson, David Shean, Jeffrey Plenty, Josephine Barnes, Judith Rodmell, Roger Foxwell, Sheila Whitmore, Sonya Dancey*, Susan Smith (6), Valentine Abaza
    Violin [Second Violins, Principal] – Colin Verrall
    Violin [Second Violins] – Charles Barnes, Edwin Paling, George Harrington-Kidd, Ian Harvey (4), John Butterworth (3), John Fulker, Julia Brocklehurst, Leslie Musk, Marilyn Downs, Molly Kirby, Peter Witham, Robert Colman (2), Timothy Colman
       
Notes:
       
Kullervo Symphony, Op. 7 - symphonic poem for soloists, chorus and orchestra

Cover: Detail from "Kullervo goes to Battle" by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Published by kind permission of the Students' Union of the University of Helsinki.

Recorded in the Guildhall, Southampton.

Auto-coupled.
8-page booklet includes liner notes, photographs and lyrics in Finnish and English.

(Booklet)
℗ 1971

The photographs of Sibelius, his associations, etc., are published by courtesy of The Otava Publishing Co., Uudenmaankatu 8-12, Helsinki, Finland. An English version of the book from which the photographs were taken, with a text by Robert Layton, has been published by Thames & Hudson.

The English translation by W. F. Kirby of Runo XXXV and Runo XXXVI of the Finnish national epic poem "Kalevala" is reproduced by kind permission of J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.

(Center labels, back cover) Manufactured by Capitol Records, Inc., a subsidiary of Capitol Industries, Inc., U.S.A.
(Booklet, back cover) Printed in U.S.A.

Durations:
Side 1: 27:40
Side 2: 24:26
Side 3: 18:45
Side 4: 20:38
       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
       
Other (Library of Congress catalog card number): 71-752437
    Matrix / Runout (Center labels, record 1 (sides A and D)): SB-3778-1
    Matrix / Runout (Center labels, record 2 (sides B and C)): SB-3778-2
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side A): S-1-36797
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side B): S-1-36798
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side C): S-2-36798
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side D): S-2-36797
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side A): 2YEA-4223
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side B): 2YEA-4224
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side C): 2YEA-4225
    Matrix / Runout (Center label, side D): 2YEA-4226
    Matrix / Runout (Runout, side A): S1-36797-F2 IAM [in a triangle]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout, side B): S1-36798-F1 IAM [in a triangle]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout, side C): S2-36798-F1 IAM [in a triangle]
    Matrix / Runout (Runout, side D): S2-36797-F1 IAM [in a triangle]
 
Jean Sibelius, Helsinki University Men's Choir*, Raili Kostia, Usko Viitanen, Paavo Berglund, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – Kullervo & Incidental Music To Strindberg's "Swanwhite"
Label:  Angel Records – SB-3778
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP
Box Set
Country: US
Released: 1971
Genre: Classical
Style: Romantic

         
Viewfinder links:        
         
Paavo Berglund          
Colin Davis            
Akseli Gallen-Kallela        
Arvid Järnefelt         
Hillevi Martinpelto         
Jean Sibelius        
        
Net links:        
Classics Today ~ Sibelius: Kullervo/Davis SACD               
eclassical ~ Jean Sibelius ~ Kalervo        
Gramophone ~ Sibelius Kullervo Symphony         
NY Times ~ Kalervo      
Sibelius website ~ Kullervo        
        
YouTube links:        
         
Kullervo (Complete) (1 hr, 12 min.)      
Kullervo (Sir Colin Davis) (1997) (Complete) (1 hr, 19 min.)                 
Kullervo's Death (12 min., 20 sec.)      
        
        
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Friday, December 8, 2023       
       
 
 




















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