Uljas Pulkkis
Tales of Joy, Passion, and Love
On the Crest of Waves
Vernal Bloom
Gabriel Suovanen, baritone
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Orchestral
Vocal
Finnish contemporary
Booklet with liner notes in English and Finnish
CD
Released:
June 2011 (Finland)
August 2011 (internationally)
Catalogue No.:
ODE 1176-2
EAN/UPC Code:
0761195117620
Pulkkis can chuck an orchestra around with Respighian sure-handedness and Straussian textural warmth. (...) The Tampere Philharmonic under Hannu Lintu plays (...) with sure-footed ease, even though the Fabergé precision of Pulkkis's orchestral writing must be murder to co-ordinate. (...) The infectious enthusiasm of this music should win it many friends.
Martin Anderson, International Record Review, December 2011
Splendid performances in magnificent a recording of this attractive music. (...) This is a fine release that should appeal to all with a liking for Debussy and Ravel.
Hubert Culot, MusicWeb-International.com, August 2011
On the Crest of Waves (...) shows a mastery of the orchestra that even that wily old fox Richard Strauss might have envied; (...) it has colour, good humour, energy and the odd island of calm, and Hannu Lintu's Tampere musicians give it their thrilling best.
Martin Anderson, Finnish Musical Quarterly, 3/2011
Uljas Pulkkisin On the Crest of Waves on herkkupala uusromanttisen orkesterimusiikin ystäville: teoksen loisteliaat tekstuurit, pehmeä harmoniat ja selkeä kokonaiskaarros luovat voimakkaan hyvänolontunteen. Klarinettikonsertto Tales of Joy, Passion, and Love alkaa soinnillisten leikkien merkeissä, mutta saa loppua kohti herkän introverttejä sävyjä. Kari Kriikku esittää soolo-osuuden loisteliaasti, ja myös Tampere Filharmonian soitto vakuuttaa.
Lauri Kilpiö, Suomen Kuvalehti 36/2011
Vernal Bloom (...) se révèle d'une beauté sidérante. (...) un compositeur de grande classe. (...) Son étonnant de puissance, d'impact, de définition.
Luc Nevers, Classica, septembre 2011, ****
(...) nous tenons là un créateur que l'histoire de la musique finlandaise comptera avec fierté parmi ses plus illustres représentants. (...) Une nouvelle fois le virtuose Kari Kriikku s'engage sans faille dans la défense brillante de la musique de ses contemporains (...) Une musique qui vit. Indispensable.
Jean-Luc Caron, ResMusica.com, 12 juillet 2011
This recording features Kari Kriikku ("a physically flamboyant player of Olympian virtuosity" - The New York Times) as soloist in Uljas Pulkkis' both cheerful and meditative clarinet concerto, Tales of Joy, Passion, and Love. Its concluding movement, Tales of Love, includes the setting of a poem by Thomas Moore ("She sang of Love" from Irish Melodies), featuring baritone Gabriel Suovanen as co-soloist.
The Romantic and Impressionist dimensions in Uljas Pulkkis' music are further showcased in the seven orchestral fantasies of On the Crest of Waves, as well as in the tone poem Vernal Bloom.
Ondine herewith continues Kari Kriikku's acclaimed recording series of clarinet concertos, which have been written for and performed by this muse to a number of Finland's high profile composers. Previous releases include concertos by Magnus Lindberg (2006 BBC Music Magazine Award & Classic FM Gramophone Award; ODE 1038-2), Jukka Tiensuu (ODE 1166-2 and ODE 778-2), Kimmo Hakola (ODE 1063-2), and Jouni Kaipainen (ODE 778-2), with Kaija Saariaho's D'om le vrai sens to follow in the autumn.
The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, here led by its chief conductor Hannu Lintu, has made several award-winning recordings of contemporary music.