Madetoja: "The Ostrobothnians" opera Saraste conducting the FRSO

[dhibbard]

I just finished enjoying this wonderful "live" work of Leevi Madetoja's opera.   Madetoja is such an Unsung composer.   I happened to find this in a recycled bookstore and it had been on my shelf for over a year, but due to the Covid19 emergency, I am finding that I now have the time  to get to those recordings.

Are there any other recordings of this opera on LP or CD?   I would be interested in comparing it to those.

Also, what is going on with Finlandia Records?   Since Warner bought them out, I'm now seeing some of the Finlandia recordings issued on Elatus budget label? 

Thanks

[CelesteCadenza]

Are there any other recordings of this opera on LP or CD?   I would be interested in comparing it to those.

I am unaware of another commercial release but a performance from the Finnish National Opera (Helsinki, 2010) was broadcast and off-the-air recordings have circulated. The cast:
Jaakko Kortekangas
Tove Aman
Jorma Silvasti
Riikka Rantanen
Maria Kettunen
Ilkka Hämäläinen
Finnish National Choir and Orchestra
Kari Tikka, conductor
Finnish National Opera (Helsinki) 4 December 2010

[Alan Howe]

Apparently there is an earlier recording also on Finlandia, conducted by Panula.

[tpaloj]

Sadly, at least to my knowledge there are no further recordings of the full opera besides those already mentioned here. There's a sort of video adaptation conducted by Leif Segerstam, on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmDBbPiNKeE

[Alan Howe]

Saraste's recording is very fine - wonderful orchestral playing, excellent singing, etc. The work itself is also atmospheric, full of variety and much better written for voices than certain of Madetoja's contemporaries that I could mention. However there's just one problem: despite its many beauties, it just doesn't have enough memorable melodic material. For that reason alone I can't see it ever establishing itself internationally. However, this recording - if you can get hold of a copy - makes as good a case for the work as one might conceive.

[Alan Howe]

...as a postscript, I've always thought that the only really memorable piece that Madetoja wrote was his 2nd Symphony - and the irony there is that its possibly his most Sibelian work.

[Jonathan]

I've always enjoyed the suite that Madetoja compiled from "The Ostrobothnians" - lots of good music there too.  I don't know how this fits into the opera though.

[M. Yaskovsky]

I've this one in my collection. I'm happy with it, never heard the Saraste recording https://www.amazon.com/Madetoja-Finnish-National-Opera-Orchestra/dp/B000ENPK1C

[Alan Howe]

What do you think of the opera?