Album

Matti Salminen's recital includes a generous selection of late Romantic Finnish art songs and folk songs, with orchestral accompaniment. The songs, with just a few exceptions, have the darkness and passionate yearning often associated with Slavic traditions, and the theme of most is the bleak despair of lost love. Within that limited range, though, the composers find a variety of nuances to their expressions of grief and loss, and many of the songs are exceptionally lovely. The two by Leevi Madetoja, "Dark-hued leaves" and "Sometimes weeping in the evening," are especially elegant, with a more subtle and adventurous harmonic palette than most of the others, and with wonderfully delicate and evocative accompaniments. Sibelius' "The song of the Cross-spider," is also especially memorable. Salminen's earthy, dark, voluminous voice is ideal for this repertoire. He sings with the expressive range developed in his long operatic career, but he brings a rough-hewed abandon and passion to these songs by his countrymen. His formidable technique allows him to sing them with compete assurance, and his familiarity with them and affinity for them make his performance completely unmannered, just as is appropriate for music so close to its roots in folk traditions. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, under John Storgårds, plays with warmth and deep understanding.

Most of these songs were originally written for voice and piano, and the album includes the work of a number of arrangers who skillfully honor the simplicity of originals while providing orchestrally sophisticated new versions. The sound is full, clean, and present.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1
Oskar Merikanto Composer Soi vienosti murheeni soitto (Play Softly, Thou Tune of My Mourning), song for voice & piano, Op.36, No.3 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	Soi vienosti murheeni soitto (Play Softly, Thou Tune of My Mourning), song for voice & piano, Op.36, No.3	2:12			$0.99
Oskar Merikanto Composer Merellä (At Sea), song for voice & piano, Op.47, No.4 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
2	Merellä (At Sea), song for voice & piano, Op.47, No.4	5:42			$0.99
Oskar Merikanto Composer Vallinkorvan laulu, Op 24/2 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
3	Vallinkorvan laulu, Op 24/2	3:33			$0.99
Jean Sibelius Composer Row, Row Duck (Souda, souda, sinisorsa; song) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
4	Row, Row Duck (Souda, souda, sinisorsa; song)	1:18			$0.99
Jean Sibelius Composer 7 Songs, Op.17 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
5	7.Lastu lainehilla (Driftwood)	1:11			$0.99
Jean Sibelius Composer The Fool's Song of the Spider, Op.27, No.4 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
6	The Fool's Song of the Spider, Op.27, No.4	4:14			$0.99
Leevi Madetoja Composer Yrtit tummat (Dark Hued Leaves), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
7	Yrtit tummat (Dark Hued Leaves), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	3:16			$0.99
Leevi Madetoja Composer Itkisit joskus illoin (If You'd Sometimes Weep At Evening), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
8	Itkisit joskus illoin (If You'd Sometimes Weep At Evening), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	2:52			$0.99
Yrjö Henrik Kilpinen Composer Kesäyö (Summer night), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
9	Kesäyö (Summer night), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	2:16			$0.99
Yrjö Henrik Kilpinen Composer Vanha kirkko (The Old Church), for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op.54, No.1 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
10	Vanha kirkko (The Old Church), for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op.54, No.1	3:08			$0.99
Yrjö Henrik Kilpinen Composer Rannalta I (On the Shore), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
11	Rannalta I (On the Shore), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	3:35			$0.99
Martti Turunen Composer Sunnuntai (Sunday) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
12	Sunnuntai (Sunday)	3:29			$0.99
Vilho Luolajan-Mikkola Composer Häätanhu (Wedding dance), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
13	Häätanhu (Wedding dance), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	2:48			$0.99
Toivo Kuula Composer Tuijotin tulehen kauan (Long I Stared into the Fire), for voice & piano, Op.2, No.2 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
14	Tuijotin tulehen kauan (Long I Stared into the Fire), for voice & piano, Op.2, No.2	5:51			$0.99
Toivo Kuula Composer Kesäyö kirkkomaalla (Summer Night in the Churchyard), for voice & piano, Op.6, No.1 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
15	Kesäyö kirkkomaalla (Summer Night in the Churchyard), for voice & piano, Op.6, No.1	3:04			$0.99
Toivo Kuula Composer Yö (Night), for voice & piano, Op.22, No.3 Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
16	Yö (Night), for voice & piano, Op.22, No.3	2:40			$0.99
Finnish Traditional Composer Tällaaselle poijalle (For a Boy Like This), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
17	Tällaaselle poijalle (For a Boy Like This), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	1:37			$0.99
Finnish Traditional Composer Tuuli se taivutti koivun larvan (The Wind Bent Down), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
18	Tuuli se taivutti koivun larvan (The Wind Bent Down), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	2:51			$0.99
Finnish Traditional Composer Niin kauan minä tramppaan (I'll Walk Around This Here Village), for voice & piano (or orchestra) Work John Storgårds Conductor, Matti Salminen Bass, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
19	Niin kauan minä tramppaan (I'll Walk Around This Here Village), for voice & piano (or orchestra)	1:09			$0.99