Toivo Kuula from Dutton

[albion]

For imminent release:



Merenkylpijäneidot op.12 (1909 orch 1910) ('The Sea-bathing Nymphs') SG
South Ostrobothnian Suite no.2 op.20 (1912-13)
Four Songs with orchestra SG
Kesäilta (1907 orch 1917) ('Summer Evening')
Prelude and Fugue op.10 (1909)
Tuijotin Tulehen Kauan op.2 no.2 (1907) ('Long I Stared into the Fire') (orch Aarre Merikanto)
Karjapihassa op.31a no.2 (1917 orch 1918) ('In the Cattle Yard')
Purjein Kuutamolla op.31a no.1 (1917 orch 1918) ('Sailing in the Moonlight')
Concert Suite: Orjan Poika op.14b (1912) ('Son of a Slave')
Impi Ja Pajarin Poika op.18 (1911 orch 1912) ('The Maiden and the Son of a Boyar') SG

World Premiere Recordings (in these versions)

BBC Concert Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins (conductor)
SG Susan Gritton (soprano)

Recorded at Air Studios, Hampstead, London, 24-26 January 2011

CDLX 7272

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, John, for giving this its own thread.

[britishcomposer]

So Dutton starts to venture beyond the Britain! Quite risky - though I wish them good luck!

Why haven't Finlandia, Ondine, Alba or BIS bothered much about Kuula? Yes, there are two recordings of the massive piano trio, choral works and piano pieces but very little orchestral works.
Alba released the original Orjan Poika cantata some years ago. Quite a powerful work!

Though I am glad about a new recording of the South Ostrobothnian Suite no.2 I would have prefered to have the 1st one. The 2nd has been broadcast several times (Euroclassic Notturno), the 1st only once. Has anyone recorded it?

[M. Henriksen]

I could find a Caprice record including one movement; Pohjalainen kansanlaulu, from Kuula's 1st South Ostrobothnian suite (I'm not sure, but I guess it's the 3rd movement).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ostrobothnian-Chamber-Orchestra-Erik-Fordell/dp/B000025W2T/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1309083255&sr=1-5
(Even if the track-list says South Ostrobothnian Suite no. 1, it's just one movement from the suite included on the disc)


Morten

[britishcomposer]

That typical... Complete Sibelius, Nielsen and Grieg suites - all of them available in many recordings - and just bits of Madetoja and Kuula. I HATE such discs... 

[M. Henriksen]

I could agree on that one!


Morten

[giles.enders]

I have recently purchased the Kuula disk and for me it is a shear joy.  The sound world of Richard Strauss mingled with Gurrelieder. 

[britishcomposer]

I really love the music of Kuula but if I hadn't heard of him before I would definitely NOT buy this CD after reading your comment!
Strauss is not my cup of tea, nor are the Gurrelieder. For heavens sake, just too German!
Like Madetoja Kuula is much more influenced by Russian masters like Rimsky - perhaps Glazunov  - than German composers, don't you think?
Of course you have to mention Sibelius as an obvious influence but he was not a small Sibelian. His songs e. g. are much superior to most of Sibelius. (Same accounts for Madetoja.)

[Paul Barasi]

I know it's the music that counts, but all the same it seems a pity that such a great label as Dutton can't manage a website home page as well designed as their CD covers. (Mind you, in the case of this one, I'm not convinced by whoever they got for the mermaid, either.)