Jean Sibelius: Karelia Suite; Rakastava; Lemminkäinen Suite
On February 2, Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra are set to release an album featuring three masterful compositions of Jean Sibelius under BIS Records. This upcoming collection is highly anticipated for its exploration of Sibelius’ renowned works, including the compelling Karelia Suite, the emotionally charged Rakastava, Op. 14, and the evocative Lemminkäinen Suite, Op. 22. This collaboration serves as a testament to Mälkki’s commitment to preserving and evolving the legacy of Finnish classical music, solidifying the profound link between the conductor, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and the timeless creations of Jean Sibelius who premiered many of his works with the HPO.
For those interested in securing a copy, the album is currently available for pre-order here.
Critical acclaim
“Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra produce well-crafted, beautifully detailed accounts.”
“This CD, dedicated to Jean Sibelius, brings together lesser-known works by the composer. Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic deliver exciting interpretations. The conductor and the orchestra give each piece the necessary restraint or dynamism and allow the listener to immerse himself in the special atmosphere of Sibelius’ compositions. The performances are orchestrally brilliant, with skillfully dosed nuances and great inner tension.”
“Although the Op. 14 Rakastava was written just a year after Karelia, the final 1912 revised version (performed here) shows us developments in Sibelius’ orchestration. In The Lover (track 4), for instance, emotions come through via extremes in registrations. Mälkki and the ensemble highlight this dichotomy by leaning into the respective parts; what we get is a bold, vibrant sound that embodies poignancy and yearning.
[…] Mälkki and the Helsinki players do fine work across the board. Curation-wise, a program of this sort featuring early works is both interesting and important to understanding a composer’s musical trajectory—and this album has shed light convincingly on Sibelius’ creative spirit.”
“…Mälkki understands the structure perfectly, as well as its clear narrational aspect, aligning it clearly to the genre of the tone poem. The piece – and the performance here – is bracing.
[…]
This is a phenomenal disc, full of energy and perfect in its mix of the famous and lesser-known pieces.”
“Conductor Susanna Mälkki and the members of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra well capture and amplify the deep sorrow within its pages, and project a sonic image of a swan drifting in and out of heavy mist and fog.”
“Susanna Mälkki’s discography with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) has, thus far, veered in the direction of Béla Bartók. Their latest offering, though, changes course pretty dramatically, showcasing a trilogy of suites by Jean Sibelius.
The biggest one of those is the Lemminkäinen Suite, a mid-1890s score that depicts various scenes from the life of the hero of Finnish mythology. Unsurprisingly, Mälkki and her forces infuse its four movements with color and life.
“Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of the Island,” for instance, boasts playing that’s both consistently well-balanced and wonderfully flexible. As a result, Mälkki cuts through its dense layers of thematic and rhythmic content; indeed, they sing and dance with becoming clarity.
In the central movements, she presides over a hypnotic, plaintive account of “The Swan of Tuonela” and forcefully draws out the elemental qualities of “Lemminkäinen in Tuonela”; rarely does the latter unfold with such organic logic. In this context, “Lemminkäinen’s Return” stands as a limber, invigorating romp.
Mälkki and the HPO bring a similar attention to detail to Rakastava, Sibelius’s strange 1912 essay for strings and percussion. Here, the ensemble’s lean textures and searching energy culminate in a discreetly dovetailed yet impressively tight reading of the concluding “Good night!…Farewell!”
Less fraught is the Karelia Suite. Under Mälkki’s guidance, the outer movements of this 1893 favorite snap with muscular spirit, especially the swaggering final march. In between comes a warm, floating Ballade, among whose highlights count an attractively limpid oboe solo just before the end.”
“…the three-movement suite drawn from Rakastava, originally written for tenor and male choir in 1894 and radically recast later for strings, timpani and triangle. It’s exquisitely handled here, Suzanna Mälkki’s Helsinki Philharmonic strings heart-stopping in the tiny central “The Path of His Beloved”, one of the most sheerly Sibelian things that Sibelius composed. It’s gorgeous. As is Mälkki’s Karelia Suite, the “Intermezzo” opening in wonderfully mysterious fashion before the trumpets enter and things perk up. The “Ballade” is perfectly paced”
