SIBELIUS Saarella palaa (Fire on the Island)
Mixed student choir sing ubiquitous and rare Sibelius
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Jean Sibelius
Magazine Review Date: 02/2013
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: BIS-CD-1889
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Rakastava |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (6) Partsongs, Movement: The Broken Voice (wds. from Kanteletar, Canto 57) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (6) Partsongs, Movement: The boat journey (wds. Kalevala) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (6) Partsongs, Movement: Fire on the Island (wds. from Kanteletar, Canto 18 |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (6) Partsongs, Movement: The song of my heart (wds. Kivi) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (6) Partsongs, Movement: To the Fatherland, JS98a/b (wds. Cajander) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Busy as a Thrush (Min rastas raataa) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Italian Folk Song Arrangements, Movement: Oje Caruli (Oh Caroline) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Italian Folk Song Arrangements, Movement: Trippole trappole |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Listen to the Water Mill (fragment) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Not with lamentation (In memory of Albert Edelfelt |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Men from Plain and Sea (Män frän slätten och |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (A) Child is Born Unto Us (On lapsonen syntynyt meille) |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Hail, O Princess |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (The) Landscape Breathes |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| May the hymn of honour now resound |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Contrapuntal Exercises, Movement: Thou Makest the Outgoings of the Morning and Evening to Rejoice |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Contrapuntal Exercises, Movement: The King Saw a Dream |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Contrapuntal Exercises, Movement: This is the Day which the Lord Hath Made |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Contrapuntal Exercises, Movement: The Waters Saw Thee |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Contrapuntal Exercises, Movement: Lord, You are a Rock |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| (3) Introductory Antiphons |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
| Finlandia-hymni, 'Finlandia Hymn' |
Jean Sibelius, Composer
Dominante Choir Folke Gräsbeck, Musician, Piano Harri Viltanen, Musician, Organ Jean Sibelius, Composer Jorma Hynninen, Singer, Baritone Monica Groop, Singer, Mezzo soprano Seppo Murto, Conductor, Organ |
Author: Guy Rickards
My favourite collection of Sibelius choruses is ‘Songs for Male Voice Choir’, peerless singing by YL (Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat – the Helsinki University Chorus – nla). Several songs recur on this BIS mixed choral newcomer: Rakastava, the sublime Finlandia Hymn, Isänmaalle (‘To the Fatherland’) and all six Op 18 Songs; Sibelius only arranged Nos 1, 3, 4 and 6 for mixed chorus. Monica Groop, a guest soloist here, also featured on BIS’s previous recording of Rakastava for mixed chorus, part of a fine programme from the Jubilate Choir. The two discs are of such high quality that, with under a third duplicated, there is room for both on the shelves.
Where the newcomer scores is in a clutch of real rarities, the least of which – the five student Contrapuntal Exercises written in 1887-90 – are fascinating (and also very taxing to sing). A 1913 group of recast sections from earlier choral works and three Introductory Antiphons for baritone, chorus and organ (1925) offer more recognisably Sibelian textures and are sung with great refinement, the last with veteran Jorma Hynninen. Later still is On lapsonen syntynyt meille (‘A Child is born unto us’, 1929), a subtle carol-like piece with metrical complexities that unsettle the flow deliciously. The pick of the performances are the sprightly Min rastas raataa (‘Busy as a thrush’, c1898), the folk-like English-language fragment Listen to the Water Mill (1905-06) and Män från slätten och havet (‘Men from land and sea’, 1911), a remarkable choral tone-poem originally sung by a choir of 1300! Dominante’s 40 do it proud, Christian Starke’s sound superbly capturing throughout their finely nuanced interpretations.
SIBELIUS Saarella palaa (Fire on the Island)
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