Oulu Symphony Orchestra & Arvo Volmer - Madetoja: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 (CD)

Release Date: 01/01/98

Of the three symphonies the second stands superior above its successor and its predecessor. One can see why Alba launche

Of the three symphonies the second stands superior above its successor and its predecessor. One can see why Alba launched the series with it. In addition the playing time on this disc is generous by comparison with Vol. 2 (Symphony No. 1 etc).Before the symphony come two assemblages of material from the operas Pohjalaisa and Juha. Both are seriously attractive pieces of music. The Suite is one of the most atmospheric sound-pictures of the tundra. One can see where Rautavaara's Cantus Arcticus began. The overhung tragedy and whiplash attack of the two Juha scenes are well worth hearing. You must not be surprised if after hearing these items you want to catch the complete operas (Juha on ODE and Pohjalaisa on Finlandia). This is all extremely accessible in a Karelian (track 7 1.30), En Saga and Lemminkainen Legends accent.While I have a passing reservation about the speed (a shade too hurried) with which the enchanting Allegro moderato (I) is swung by Volmer it is certainly strongly done. Bask in the sunshine of a work that was clearly influenced by Sibelius 1 and Kullervo and Balakirev's Symphony No. 1 and Tamara. The work was premiered by Kajanus, the dedicatee of the First Symphony and a key supporter of Sibelius as well as a composer in his own right. You must not miss this symphony. Its tragic strain, hinted at in the first movement, is transformed by sorrow and fury (Madetoja's borther Yrjo and his friend and fellow composer Toivo Kuula were killed within month of each other in 1918). It is an essential acquisition and this is an excellent version. Rob Barnett