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Kullervo (Sallinen)
''Kullervo'' is an opera in two acts, Op. 61, composed by Aulis Sallinen to his own libretto based on the story of Kullervo in the Finnish epic ''Kalevala''. The opera premiered on 25 February 1992 at the Los Angeles Music Center.Arni E. Kullervo. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 1997. Background The opera was commissioned by the Finnish National Opera and composed between 1986 and 1988. It was intended for the opening of a new national opera house in Helsinki, but building construction delays meant that the work was presented in Los Angeles as part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Finnish independence. The English version (1991) was by composer Stephen Oliver (who had already translated '' The Red Line'' and '' The King goes forth to France'' for Sallinen. ''Kullervo'' was first performed on 25 February 1992 at the Los Angeles Music Center with the soloists, chorus and stage production from the Finnish National Opera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aulis Sallinen
Aulis Heikki Sallinen (born 9 April 1935) is a Finnish contemporary classical music composer. His music has been variously described as "remorselessly harsh", a "beautifully crafted amalgam of several 20th-century styles", and "neo-romantic". Sallinen studied at the Sibelius Academy, where his teachers included Joonas Kokkonen. He has had works commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, and has also written seven operas, eight symphonies, concertos for violin, cello, flute, horn, and English horn, as well as several chamber works. He won the Nordic Council Music Prize in 1978 for his opera ''Ratsumies'' ('' The Horseman''). Childhood and studies Sallinen was born in Salmi. During his childhood the family moved several times for his father's work, and during the Evacuation of Finnish Karelia in 1944 the family relocated to Uusikaupunki, where he went to school. His first instruments were the violin and the piano. He learned to play both jazz and classical music. He spent much ti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koen Kessels
Koen Kessels (born 1961) is a Belgian conductor and pianist. He is music director of The Royal Ballet and of Het Balletorkest, affiliated with the Dutch National Ballet. Biography Trained as a pianist, Kessels studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. He became a repetiteur and an assistant conductor at the Vlaamse Opera. He founded the music ensemble HERMES in 1998 and continues to serve as its artistic director. He has served as music director for the Belgian summer opera festival Zomeropera Alden Biesen. Kessels became music director of Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2010. In 2015, he became music director of The Royal Ballet. In December 2023, Dutch National Ballet announced the appointment of Kessels as its next music director, which includes the posts of artistic director and chief conductor of Het Balletorkest, effective 1 August 2024. Kessels concluded his tenure as music director of Birmingham Royal Ballet on 30 June 2024. Kessels is an honorary professor a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jorma Hynninen
Jorma Kalervo Hynninen (born 3 April 1941) is a Finnish baritone who performs regularly with the world's major opera companies. He has also worked in opera administration. Life and career Hynninen was born on 3 April 1941 in Leppävirta, Finland.Forbes, Elizabeth. Jorma Hynninen in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (1997) p778. He studied from 1966 to 1970 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and also took lessons from Luigi Ricci in Rome and Kurt Overhoff in Salzburg. In 1969 he won first prize the Lappeenranta Solo Voice Competition and made his opera debut with the Finnish National Opera as Silvio in Leoncavallo's ''Pagliacci''. Hynninen sang his first public concert in 1970 in Helsinki and was a permanent member of the Finnish National Opera, where he until 1990. In 1971 he took first prize in the Scandinavian Singing Competition in Helsinki and in 1996 won the Cannes Classical Award. On the opera stage, his notable roles have included Count Almaviva in Mozart's '' Le n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the Greek language, Greek (), meaning "low sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second F below C (musical note), middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. Scientific pitch notation, F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second G below middle C to the G above middle C (G2 to G4) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of baritone include the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, ''Kavalierbariton'', Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, ''baryton-noble'' baritone, and the bass-baritone. History The first use of the term "baritone" emerged as ''baritonans'', late in the 15th century, usually in French Religious music, sacred Polyphony, polyphonic music. At t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ulf Söderblom
Ulf Arne Söderblom (5 February 1930 – 4 February 2016) was a Finnish conductor and music professor. He was the principal conductor of the Finnish National Opera from 1973 to 1993 and was a key figure in the revival of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. A champion of Finnish music, he has conducted the world premieres of several works by Finnish composers including Kokkonen's ''The Last Temptations'' and Sallinen's ''Kullervo'' and '' The Horseman''.Hillila, Ruth-Esther; Hong, Barbara Blanchard (1997)"Söderblom, Ulf."''Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland'', p. 283. Greenwood Publishing GroupDahlström, Fabian (2011)"Söderblom, Ulf."''Biografiskt lexikon för Finland''. Online version retrieved 17 February 2015 . Life and career Söderblom was born in Turku, the son of Arne Paulinus Soderblom and Gerda Mathilda Rajalin. He studied at the Åbo Akademi University in Turku with Otto Andersson from 1950 to 1952 and at the Vienna Music Academy with Hans Swarow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leevi Madetoja
Leevi Antti Madetoja (; 17 February 1887 – 6 October 1947) was a Finns, Finnish composer, music criticism, music critic, conductor (music), conductor, and teacher of the Romantic music, late-Romantic and modernism (music), early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant Finnish contemporaries of Jean Sibelius, under whom he studied privately from 1908 to 1910. The core of List of compositions by Leevi Madetoja, Madetoja's ''oeuvre'' consists of a set of three symphony, symphonies (Symphony No. 1 (Madetoja), 1916, Symphony No. 2 (Madetoja), 1918, and Symphony No. 3 (Madetoja), 1926), arguably the finest early-twentieth century additions to the symphonic canon of any Finnish composer, Sibelius excepted. As central to Madetoja's legacy is The Ostrobothnians, ''Pohjalaisia'' (''The Ostrobothnians'', 1923), proclaimed Finland's "national opera" following its successful 1924 premiere and, even today, a stalwart of the country's repertoire. Other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kullervo (Sibelius)
''Kullervo'' (sometimes referred to as the ''Kullervo Symphony''), Op. 7, is a five- movement symphonic work for soprano, baritone, male choir, and orchestra written from 1891–1892 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Movements I, II, and IV are instrumental, whereas III and V feature sung text from Runos XXXV–VI of the ''Kalevala'', Finland's national epic. The piece tells the story of the tragic hero Kullervo, with each movement depicting an episode from his ill-fated life: first, an introduction that establishes the psychology of the titular character; second, a haunting "lullaby with variations" that portrays his unhappy childhood; third, a dramatic dialogue between soloists and chorus in which the hero unknowingly seduces his long-lost sister; fourth, a lively scherzo in which Kullervo seeks redemption on the battlefield; and fifth, a funereal choral finale in which he returns to the spot of his incestuous crime and, guilt-ridden, takes his life by fall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several Russification of Finland, attempts at Russification in the late 19th century. The core of his oeuvre is his Discography of Sibelius symphony cycles, set of seven symphonies, which, like his other major works, are regularly performed and recorded in Finland and countries around the world. His other best-known compositions are ''Finlandia'', the ''Karelia Suite'', ''Valse triste (Sibelius), Valse triste'', the Violin Concerto (Sibelius), Violin Concerto, the choral symphony ''Kullervo (Sibelius), Kullervo'', and ''The Swan of Tuonela'' (from the ''Lemminkäinen Suite''). His othe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Kajanus
Robert Kajanus (2 December 1856 – 6 July 1933) was a Finnish conductor, composer, and teacher. In 1882, he founded the Helsinki Orchestral Society, Finland's first professional orchestra. As a conductor, he was also a notable champion and interpreter of the music of Jean Sibelius. Life Kajanus studied music theory with Richard Faltin, violin with Gustaf Niemann in Helsinki, with Hans Richter, Carl Reinecke and Salomon Jadassohn in Leipzig and Johan Svendsen in Paris. His music drew on the folk culture, folk legends of the Finnish people. He worked in in the year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kuningas Lear
''Kuningas Lear'' (King Lear) is an opera in two acts by Aulis Sallinen, with a libretto by the composer, based on the play by William Shakespeare and premiered in 2000; it was Sallinen's sixth opera. Background ''Kuningas Lear'' was commissioned by and first performed by Finnish National Opera on 15 September 2000 at the Finnish National Opera House. Sallinen has spoken of the major thought that went into recreating the dramaturgy of the piece, shortening sections and deleting characters from the cast. His aim was in general to remove as much as possible of the narrative elements and mainly concentrate on the "very strong poetical scenes". He insisted that the work requires "big singing". Sallinen was particularly inspired by knowing the cast from the start, especially leading Finnish singers Matti Salminen Matti Kalervo Salminen (born 7 July 1945) is a Finnish operatic bass, now retired, who has sung at the most important opera houses of the world, including the Met ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aleksis Kivi
Aleksis Kivi (; born Alexis Stenvall; 10 October 1834 – 31 December 1872) was a Finnish writer who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language, '' Seitsemän veljestä'' (''Seven Brothers''), published in 1870. He is also known for his 1864 play, '' Nummisuutarit'' (''Heath Cobblers''). Although Kivi was among the very earliest writers of prose and lyrics in Finnish, he is still considered one of the greatest. Kivi is regarded as the national writer of Finland and his birthday, 10 October, is celebrated as Finnish Literature Day. Life Aleksis Stenvall was born in Palojoki village, Nurmijärvi, Grand Duchy of Finland. His parents were the village tailor Erik Johan Stenvall (1798–1866) and Anna-Kristiina Hamberg (1793–1863). Aleksis had three older brothers – Johannes, Emanuel, and Albert – and a younger sister, Agnes, who died in 1851 at the age of 13. In 1846, Kivi left for school in Helsinki. In 1859, he was accepted into the University of Helsinki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
