Sibelius, J.: Orchestral Songs Soile Isokoski

• Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
• 1 6 Songs, Op. 72: No. 4. Kaiutar (The Echo Nymph) (arr. for soprano and orchestra) 03:07
• 2 Luonnotar, Op. 70 08:49
• 3 No. 2. Men min fagel marks dock icke (But my bird is nowhere to be seen) 02:47
• 4 No. 4. Sav, sav, susa (Reed, reed, rustle) 02:32
• 5 6 Songs, Op. 36: No. 6. Demanten pa marssnon (The Diamond on the March Snow) (version for soprano and orchestra) 02:36
• 6 7 Songs, Op. 13: No. 4. Varen flyktar hastigt (Spring is Flying) (version for soprano and orchestra) 01:35
• 7 7 Songs, Op. 13: No. 1. Under strandens granar ('Neath the Fir Trees) (arr. for soprano and orchestra) 05:10
• 8 No. 1. Den forsta kyssen (The First Kiss) 01:58
• 9 No. 3. Soluppgang (Sunrise) 02:17
• 10 No. 4. Var det en drom? (Was it a dream?) 02:22
• 11 No. 1. Hostkvall (Autumn Evening) 04:54
• 12 No. 2. Pa verandan vid havet (On a balcony by the sea) 03:39
• 13 Arioso, Op. 3 04:38
• 14 No. 6. Illalle (To Evening) 01:21
• 15 No. 7. Lastu lainehilla (Driftwood) 00:58
• 16 Souda, souda sinisorsa (Row, row, duck) (arr. for soprano and orchestra) 01:17
• 17 7 Songs, Op. 17: No. 1. Se'n har jag ej fragat mera (Then I questioned no further) (version for soprano and orchestra) 02:43
• 18 7 Songs, Op. 17: No. 5. En slanda (A Dragonfly) (arr. for soprano and orchestra) 04:02
• 19 8 Songs, Op. 57: No. 6. Hertig Magnus (Baron Magnus) (version for soprano and orchestra) 03:18
• Total Runtime 01:00:03

Info for Sibelius, J.: Orchestral Songs

This release features the Finnish star soprano Soile Isokoski with her first all-Sibelius recording of works for voice and orchestra, including the tone poem Luonnotar and eighteen of Sibelius's orchestral songs. Luonnotar (Daughter of Nature), completed in 1913, is a powerful tone poem for soprano and orchestra. Based on an excerpt from the Finnish national epic Kalevala, the song tells of the mythical creation of the earth and the sky. Performed in their original language (Swedish, Finnish), this recording contains almost all the songs of Sibelius that were orchestrated by the composer himself (the only missing song being out of Ms. Isokoski's vocal range). Almost all the other songs featured on this recording were orchestrated by Jussi Jalas, Sibelius's son-in-law, (tracks 1, 7, 10, 14-16, 18) or by his close contemporaries Ernest Pingoud (3), Ivar Hellman (4) and Nils-Eric Fougstedt (8).

„A thrilling performance of Luonnotar in which Isokoski's sonorous soprano is matched by atmospheric playing from the Finnish orchestra. The rest of the disc makes you wonder why Sibelius's orchestral songs occupy one of the most unjustly neglected corners of his output.“ (Erik Levi, BBC Music Magazine)

„Soile Isokoski has never made a more beautiful recording than this. She offers what must be accounted, hands down, as the finest performance of the tone poem Luonnotar currently available. (…) A marvelous release in every respect.“ Artistic Quality 10 / Sound Quality 10 (David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com)

„Soile Isokoski's voice has matured into a powerful instrument without losing its distinctively plangent expressiveness and intense way with words - both in Finnish and Sibelius's favoured poetic language Swedish. Segerstam (...) here provides spacious yet vividly dramatic support, with superb orchestral playing. And the recording, excellent in CD stereo, is utterly stunning in multichannel SACD: airy, large-scale, immediate and detailed with diamond clarity. (...) this whole disc's a Sibelian essential.“ (Michael Scott Rohan, BBC Music Magazine)

Soile Isokoski, soprano
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam, conductor

Soile Isokoski
is recognized as one of the world's finest lyric sopranos and regularly appears on the most renowned stages and concert halls. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy, she gave her début recital in Helsinki in 1986 and subsequently won a number of important international singing competitions. She made her début at the Finnish National Opera as Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème and has since delighted audiences and critics alike at opera houses in Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, London, Milan and Paris, at The Metropolitan Opera and at music festivals in Salzburg, Savonlinna, Edinburgh and Orange.

Soile Isokoski has worked with numerous distinguished conductors such as Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Seiji Ozawa, John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Colin Davis, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Simon Rattle, Bernhard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, Valery Gergiev and James Levine. Her recent opera roles include Die Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), Eva (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Alice (Falstaff), Margarethe (Faust), Rachel (La Juive), the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro), Desdemona (Otello), Liù (Turandot), Elsa (Lohengrin), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos). She has an extensive concert repertoire, and she regularly gives recitals with her permanent accompanist Marita Viitasalo.

Soile Isokoski's recording, for Ondine, of Luonnotar and other orchestral songs by Sibelius with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under Leif Segerstam won the 2007 BBC Music Magazine Award ‘Disc of the Year', in addition to a MIDEM Classical Award (ODE 1080-5). Her rendition of Four Last Songs and other orchestral songs by Richard Strauss with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under Marek Janowski received a Gramophone Award in 2002 (ODE 982-2). Her 2006 Christmas album Jouluyö, juhlayö, featuring also the YL Male Voice Choir, became a gold-winning best-seller in Finland (ODE 1088-2).

In honour of her notable contribution to Finnish music, Soile Isokoski was awarded with the Pro-Finlandia medal in 2002. In September 2008, she received in Vienna the honorary title of 'Österreichische Kammersängerin'.

Booklet for Sibelius, J.: Orchestral Songs