Composer: Einojuhani Rautavaara
Performer: Jorma Hynninen, Helena Juntunen, Peter Nordman, Lasse Poysti, Arttu Kataja, Eeva-Liisa Saarinen, Lassi Virtanen, Gabriel Suovanen, Marcus Groth, Jaakko Hietikko, Jussi Miilunpalo, Hannu Ilmolahti, Jeremias Erkkila, Young Finns
Orchestra: Jyvaskyla Sinfonia
Conductor: Markus Lehtinen
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Ondine
Catalogue: ODE1000-2D
Release: 2002
Size: 402 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Aleksis Kivi
CD 01
Prologue
01. Introduction
02. Mi ikavyys mi hamaryys sieluni ympar, “Ikavyys” (Melancholy) (Kivi)
03. Sina! Ei kai nyt sentaan enaa … (Kivi)
04. Arvoisat kuulijat, kunnioitettu auditorium! (Ahlqvist)
Act I
05. Ahlqvist astuu sivulle kateerderiinsa (Ahlqvist, Charlotta, Hilda, Alexis)
06. Makeasti oravainen makaa sammalhouneessansa, “Laulu oravast” (Song about the Squirrel) (Alexis)
07. Voi mitten kaunista se olikaan! (Charlotta, Hilda, Alexis)
08. Nyt hurratkaamme huikeasti huutaen: hurraa! (Junki, Siivo, Kristo, Krasse, Olvi, Alexis, Kuku, Old Pagan)
09. No niin, mina voisin onnitellakin ylioppilas Stenvallia (Ahlqvist, Alexis, Charlotta, Hilda)
10. Siis taytyyko niin olla? Taytyyko oravaisen lopultakin yksin jaada? (Hilda, Alexis, Charlotta)
11. Niinko siis on – ja lahden minakin? (Alexis)
12. Niin, Alexis, ehka kuitenkin on paras meidan nyt hyvastella – niin, meidankin (Charlotta, Alexis)
13. Eron hetki on kalveakasvo unien tyhjassa valtakunnassa … (Charlotta)
CD 02
Act II
01. Herra Professori, ne kaksi naytelmaa ja runokokous ovat parhaat kun koskaan ennen matkaansaatoin … (Kivi)
02. Missa han on? (Junki, Siivo, Krasse, Kristo, Olvi, Kuku, Old Pagan, Ahlqvist)
03. Niin siis on, etta minulla on vain roskatavaraa (Kivi, Junki)
04. Sinne se meni (Ahlqvist)
Act III
05. Oi maailma, elama, sa ihmeellinen! (Kivi)
06. Silla suon sumusta, tulen loimusta kohoaa loitsu (Mythagos, Kivi)
07. Kas siina heidan kulttuurihenkilonsa! (Ahlqvist, Runeberg)
08. Nous ylos nummisuutari! (Mikko, Sakeri, Ahlqvist)
09. Kas kas! (Mikko, Sakeri, Kivi)
10. Mita viela! Kas rikas huone ja rakas huone ne yhtalailla voi vankilaksi muuttua, vankilaksi … (Kivi, Mikko, Sakeri)
11. Ah, katovaista on reimu kuin unten hailyva parvi (Mikko, Drinkers)
12. Terve, ruskee ohranneste! (Kivi, Drinkers)
13. Astu esiin ilman pelkoa, sina kaunis daami! (Kivi, Charlotta)
14. Kuka se on? (Kivi, Devil-Ahlqvist)
15. Nyt niinkuin aamun koitto otsansa loistelee (Chorus, Kivi)
16. Kay sisaan vaan, sa Suomen runotarkin! (Ahlqvist, Public, Runeberg)
17. Knaakka (Ahlqvist, Runeberg, Public)
Epilogue
18. Voi en loyda kotiani … en loyda … kotiani … (Kivi, Alexis, Charlotta)
19. Rauhallisesti! Rauhallisesti vain (Doctor-Ahlqvist, Charlotta, Kivi)
20. Tuonen lehto, oinen lehto!, “Sydameni laulu” (Song of My Heart) (Kivi)
Idyll turned to nightmare, optimism to disillusionment, creative fruitfulness to barren schizophrenia and premature death. The tragic fate of the founder of Finnish-language literature has haunted Rautavaara ever since his youth. The opera Aleksis Kivi (1995-6) was the melodious crystallisation of a lifetime’s pondering. Kivi (1834-72) was active while Swedish words still predominated in Finnish literature, the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg having been the best-known Swedish-language exponent of the genre. Kivi’s descent from lyrical flights of pastoral fancy to mental derangement was caused in part by damning assessments of his work from the poet and aesthetician August Ahlqvist, the only speaking role in the opera. Ahlqvist is portrayed here by the actor Lasse Pöysti, whose rhythmically inflected recitation is utterly bewitching.
Musically Aleksis Kivi calls on a varied array of styles. The Prologue depicts Kivi as despondent, despairing and deranged, the music dark and grainy, with a reptilian clarinet in the foreground and a skilfully deployed synthesiser. The scoring is economical throughout (strings, clarinets, percussion) but those who gravitate most readily to his ‘angel’ orchestral works will likely respond best to the First Act, music filled with mellow light which reflects, in its rich, constantly shifting hues, the protagonist’s inspirational flights. The performance is consistently good, the mezzo Eeva-Liisa Saarinen excelling as Charlotta. Confidently conducted, keenly played and vividly recorded, Aleksis Kivi is a powerful narrative written with the kind of descriptive facility that Bartók employed for Bluebeard’s Castle.