Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947)

Started by vandermolen, December 22, 2008, 02:20:57 PM

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vandermolen

#40
February 26, 2017, 03:23:54 AM
Just thought I'd bump up this thread. I'm having a bit of a 'Madetoja weekend' having listened right through the Petri Sakari Chandos two CD set I'm now listening to the Segerstam/Rautio/Sarasate cycle on the Finlandia 'Meet the Composer' double CD set. Although Symphony two is the best I like symphonies 1 and 3 very much as well. Although writing in something of a conservative idiom I think that Madetoja and Klami are my two favourite Finnish composers after Sibelius, much as I like Rautavaara and Kokkonen as well. The Madetoja symphonies are conservative sounding but they are not without depth and slumbering power.
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"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#41
May 19, 2017, 11:21:08 PM Last Edit: May 19, 2017, 11:29:36 PM by vandermolen
I realise I'm responding to my own message here (not that unusual actually  ::) 8)) but I've been really enjoying symphonies 1 and 2 on the same Chandos CD. I'm getting to appreciate Symphony 1 in particular. It is in places a rather dark, atmospheric work but elsewhere cheerful and uplifting. I'm sure that having been lucky enough to go to Finland and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery of lakes and forests makes me appreciate this music even more:
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By the way, the original Chandos issue featuring symphonies 1 and 2 with a fine painting on the front, booklet containing a photo of the gloomy looking composer as well as detailed notes is available on Amazon UK for under £3.00 which is incredibly cheap. I can't get the photo to appear but will do a link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Madetoja-Syms-1-2-Various/dp/B000000AQM/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1495265102&sr=1-2&keywords=madetoja
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Christo

#42
May 22, 2017, 11:17:00 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on May 19, 2017, 11:21:08 PMBy the way, the original Chandos issue featuring symphonies 1 and 2 with a fine painting on the front, booklet containing a photo of the gloomy looking composer as well as detailed notes is available on Amazon UK for under £3.00 which is incredibly cheap. I can't get the photo to appear
;)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#43
May 22, 2017, 12:42:42 PM
Quote from: Christo on May 22, 2017, 11:17:00 AM
 
;)
That's the one! Thank you.  ;)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

SymphonicAddict

#44
May 03, 2019, 08:37:32 PM


I've had this composer a bit forgotten lately, so I remedied that by listening to his ballet Okon Fuoko. By judging for either the thematics, the name of the work or the cover art, one already detects that the music has a restrained nature, and certainly it is. Atmospheric, ritualistic, mystical, intimate and exotic are some adjectives that came to my mind when listened to this. It's not the typical ballet with soaring melodies, with full display of orchestral forces (though there are some intense passages in this work) or impassionate love themes, but it was worth listening, something different and deep to some extent.

vandermolen

#45
May 03, 2019, 10:12:47 PM Last Edit: May 03, 2019, 10:21:01 PM by vandermolen
This is my favourite Madetoja single CD for the wonderful 'Tragic episode and Rapids shooting from the opera Juha' (it packs in a great deal in under twelve minutes - a haunting, moving and poetic work) and the epic Symphony 2 as well as the Ostrobothnian Suite:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).
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