SCENES FROM THE KALEVELA: KLAMI, SIBELIUS, MADETOJA, PYLKKÄNEN, Lahti SO, Dima Slobodeniouk/BIS  The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot in 1835 from Finnish oral folklore and mythology and is considered one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. It has also been important in both the development of the Finnish national identity and as source of inspiration for many Finnish composers, four of whom are featured on this thrilling new recording from BIS. Unsurprisingly, it is the name of Jean Sibelius that first comes to mind with regard to the Kalevala, as early in his career he became aware of the many opportunities for musical expression that the epic offered. His first major work inspired by the Kalevala was the Kullervo symphony, once, but no longer, a rarity on disc and in the concert hall. Later the much revised Lemminkäinen Suite appeared, and on this SACD we have a world première recording of the original 1896 version of one of its movements, ‘Lemminkäinen in Tuonela’. This was originally placed as the second movement of the Suite but the composer placed it third in his 1939 revision of the work. Dima Slobodeniouk and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra give a compelling performance of the composer’s first thoughts that provide a fascinating comparison with the familiar and final version of the piece. The music of Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947) is rarely and inexplicably heard outside Nordic countries. He studied with Sibelius at the turn of the century and his late-romantic style has immediate appeal. He is represented here by his 14 minute symphonic poem ‘Kullervo’. This is a heroic and excitingly dramatic work full of contrasts and rich melodic invention. To me it seems to be the Nordic equivalent of Strauss’s Don Juan and as such its neglect is a cause for regret. Thanks, however, to Slobodeniouk’s blazing account here it should entice listeners to investigate more of Madetoja’s most attractive music. Recordings of his three symphonies from these forces would make a wonderful addition to the SACD catalogue.(BIS please take note!). When Uuno Klami (1900-61) decided to write his six movement ‘Kalevala Suite’ – the longest work on this disc – he described its background thus: “Conscious of the dangers of entering the territory ruled by Sibelius as an autocrat… I began to devise a completely different starting point”. As Kimmo Korhonen, the writer of the excellent liner notes suggests, Klami’s period studying in Paris in the winter of 1924-25 where he met Ravel and Florent Schmitt gave him exposure to cutting edge modernist works of the time. The music of Stravinsky is clearly a huge influence on this Suite. The ‘Rite of Spring’ looms large in the first two movements entitled respectively ‘The Creation of the Earth’ and ‘The Sprout of Spring’ while the lyricism and delicacy of ‘The Firebird’ characterises the two that follow. We return to the world of Sibelius or more accurately late-romanticism with Klami’s finale, representing ‘The Forging of the Sampo’ (a mythical wealth-making machine). This evocative movement exemplifies the composer’s command of the orchestra as it builds from a mysterious quiet opening to a triumphant peroration capped with pealing bells and sonorous brass.
The final work on the disc is ‘Kullervo goes to War’ composed by Tauno Pylkkänen (1918-1980) a pupil of Madetoja who early on, in what was to become a tragic life, achieved success as an opera composer (he was called the ‘Puccini of the North’). The music of ‘Kullervo goes to War’, written when the composer was just 24, has a cinematic quality that, with its energy, galloping rhythms and romantic horn calls, perfectly epitomizes its subject.
Dima Slobodeniouk and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra deliver all these pieces with the total commitment and flare one would expect from an orchestra steeped in this tradition.
All four works were recorded in the clean and spacious, if perhaps slightly chilly, acoustic of the Sibelius Hall, Lahti, Finland between September 2017 and January 2020 by the BIS recording team of Marion Schwebel and Sound engineer Christian Starke. I cannot recommend this imaginatively constructed programme and superbly executed release highly enough; collectors should find this recording a more than worthy addition to their shelves.

BRAHMS, MACMILLAN: ORCHESTRAL WORKS, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck/Reference RECORDINGS Though the pandemic has seriously curtailed both the concert and recording schedules of many orchestras world-wide, some recording companies have had earlier performances ‘in the can’ awaiting release. Such is the case with this latest Reference Recordings issue from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and their long time musical director Manfred Honeck. On his recordings for Reference over the past ten or so years, Honeck has continued to demonstrate unfailingly his ability to revitalize and illuminate many of the greatest, but for some collectors, over-familiar, mainstays of the classical repertoire. The 4^th Symphony of Brahms is a case in point as there are countless versions on disc of what is generally acknowledged to be the finest of the composer’s symphonic canon, and a work that lends itself to a myriad of valid interpretations. In the fulsome liner notes with this SACD, the conductor provides an exceptionally informative essay that begins by placing Brahms and his works in their historical context. He then moves on to consider the diverse reactions to the symphony from the composer’s contemporaries, his friend Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, Hans von Bülow and Hugo Wolf. Finally he provides his own personal insights into the work. Honeck’s account of the score displays his usual fastidious attention to detail and an overall conception of the symphony that is immensely satisfying. In the first two movements he adopts generally flowing speeds that allow appreciation of his orchestra’s cultivated sonority. The third movement is taken at an unusually fast and exhilarating pace that emphasises the contrast between this and the other three more profound movements. In the liner notes Honeck writes “I see this entire movement as a brilliant, multifaceted, fun fireworks display demanding the greatest virtuosity from the full orchestra”. Thanks to the players exuberant energy and crisp articulation this is a performance that really sets the pulse racing. The passacaglia finale is accorded a magnificent reading thanks to the conductor’s purposeful forward drive and his meticulous observance of Brahms’ dynamic markings. The playing of the PSO throughout is, needless to say, outstanding in its unanimity of attack, flexibility and chording combined with wonderfully true intonation and tonal homogeneity. When, as here, this is combined with Honeck’s clear and purposeful reading, the performance is a formidable one, even in the context of the considerable competition, not least from the orchestra’s earlier 2009 live account of the symphony with Marek Janowski. The companion piece to the Brahms on this SACD is James MacMillan’s ‘Larghetto for Orchestra’. It was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Manfred Honeck’s tenure as Music Director. As the composer explains in the liner notes, the piece is an orchestral arrangement of a ‘Miserere’ written in 2009 for The Sixteen and their conductor Harry Christophers. As is well known, spirituality and faith are of prime importance to both MacMillan and Manfred Honeck (both are devout Roman Catholics) so this solemn, contemplative and achingly beautiful work does not seem out of place in a celebratory context. The sustained and richly melodic string lines in the opening section are impeccably delivered by Pittsburgh players while the brass section, whether in their sonorous chordal passages or as soloists (horn, trumpet and trombone) intoning their cantilenas with a timeless devotional quality, demonstrate their eloquent artistry. Macmillan has composed a piece that undoubtedly has immediate audience appeal and Manfred Honeck’s eloquent performance of this impressive composition on this SACD is unlikely to be bettered. The two works on this SACD were recorded live in DSD256 and post-produced in DXD 352.8kHz/32 bit in the orchestra’s home – Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh. The MacMillan piece stems from its world premiere performance in October 2017 while the Brahms symphony is taken from concerts given in April 2018. As always the Soundmirror, Boston, recording team have applied their long standing familiarity with the venue’s acoustic to deliver a recording quality of incomparable clarity and warmth in both works. Whether this release represents the start of a complete Brahms cycle for Honeck and his orchestra remains to be seen, but discerning collectors should find this recording a more than worthy addition to their shelves. In short this is another unmissable release from Reference Recordings.