Content:

Einojuhani Rautavaara
Aleksis Kivi - Opera in Three Acts



Artists:
Jyväskylä Sinfonia
Markus Lehtinen, conductor
Jeremias Erkkilä, tenor
Marcus Groth, buffo
Jaakko Hietikko, bass
Jorma Hynninen, baritone
Hannu Ilmolahti, baritone
Helena Juntunen, soprano
Arttu Kataja, bass
Jussi Miilunpalo, tenor
Peter Nordman, baritone
Lasse Pöysti, spoken role
Eeva-Liisa Saarinen, mezzo-soprano
Gabriel Suovanen, baritone
Lassi Virtanen, tenor

Genres:
Opera
Finnish contemporary

Features:

2 CDs; booklet with liner notes, written by the composer, and synopsis in English, German, French and Finnish, and the libretto in the original Finnish and in English and French

Format:
CD

Released:
August 2002

Catalogue No.:
ODE 1000-2D

EAN/UPC Code:
0761195100028

Track listing

CD 1 46:25
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016)
Aleksis Kivi - Opera in Three Acts (1996)
1 Prologue and Act I 46:25


CD 2 51:21
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016)
Aleksis Kivi - Opera in Three Acts (1996)
1 Act II, Act III and Epilogue 51:21



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Awards

ClassicsToday.com '10/10'

Complete description

This double CD contains the three-act opera Alexis Kivi by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara who also wrote the libretto. It tells the story of the Finnish national author Aleksis Kivi (1834-1872) who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language, Seven Brothers (Finnish title: Seitsemän veljestä; completed in 1873 and translated into more than thirty languages).

Rautavaara wrote the opera from 1995-1996 for the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The commission was instigated by Jorma Hynninen, who had been instrumental in the genesis of Thomas and Vincent too. He also created the title roles in all three operas. Aleksis Kivi was premiered in the rock cavern concert hall at Retretti Art Centre near Savonlinna on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the death of Aleksis Kivi in 1997. This recording was made five years later, in April 2002, at the Suolahti Hall in Lahti.

The cast includes:
Jorma Hynninen: Aleksis Kivi
Lasse Pöysti: August Ahlqvist
Eeva-Liisa Saarinen: Charlotta
Helena Juntunen: Hilda
Gabriel Suovanen: Alexis (as child)
Marcus Groth: J. L. Runeberg
Lassi Virtanen: Mikko Vilkastus
Jaakko Hietikko: Sakeri (the uncle)

Young Finns (also Mythagos, drinking fellows, student chorus, theatre audience):
Jussi Miilunpalo: Junki
Peter Nordman: Siivo
Hannu Ilmolahti: Kristo
Lassi Virtanen: Krasse
Arttu Kataja: Olvi
Jeremias Erkkilä: Kuku
Jaakko Hietikko: Old Pagan