Crusell was not the only able Finnish composer before Sibelius, even if he is probably the best known. Regular organised concerts had begun, at least in Turku, from around 1770, of which homegrown talent took advantage as well as the Swedish settlers. The four composers here were all active in these early stages and into the early part of the 1800s, yet there is little immediately Nordic in tone about the works themselves. Even in the Minuets and Contradances by Erik Ferling (1733-1808), probably written – like Bystrom’s tiny Quadrille and the two arias by Fredrik Lithander (1777-1823) – to celebrate the Swedish king’s birthday, the shadows of Haydn and Mozart loom large; indeed the Lithander arias might be off-cuts from The Magic Flute. The two concertos also show Mozart’s influence, probably from the keyboard concertos, though the brilliant solo writing in Ferling’s Concerto (partly reconstructed by Anssi Mattila) owes something to Vivaldi.
Of this group, Erik Tulindberg (1761-1814) is probably best known in Britain, not least due to occasional broadcasts of one or two string quartets and the Violin Concerto (his First, the Second is missing). Written in 1782-3, this is an appealing debut work that lovers of the early classical period would do well to get to know. The performances from the period-instrument Sixth Floor Orchestra (whose name is not explained) are all crisp, with Kreeta-Maria Kentala the zestful soloist in the concertos. The use of a fortepiano as continuo instead of the more usual harpsichord gives the orchestral texture a distinctive sheen. Recorded sound is excellent. Recommended