Grieg & Sibelius: Songs

1	Autumn Evening (Höstkväll
2	Sunrise (Soluppgång), son
3	And I Questioned No Furth
4	Arioso, for voice & orche
5	Spring is flying (Våren f
6	Peer Gynt, incidental mus
7	Peer Gynt, incidental mus
8	Fra Monte Pincio (From Mo
9	En Svane (A Swan), song f
10	Våren (Last Spring), song
11	Luonnotar (The Spirit of
12	Det første møte (The Firs
13	The Maiden in the Tower (
14	Belshazzar's Feast (Belsa
Grieg & Sibelius: Songs
1.	Autumn Evening (Höstkväll), for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 38/1 5:16
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
2.	Sunrise (Soluppgång), song for voice & piano, Op. 37/3 2:00
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
3.	And I Questioned No Further (Se'n har jag ej frågat mera), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 17/1 2:15
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
4.	Arioso, for voice & orchestra, Op. 3 4:24
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
5.	Spring is flying (Våren flyktar hastigt) song for voice & piano, Op. 13/4 1:37
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
6.	Peer Gynt, incidental music, Op. 23: Solveigs sang, op. 23 no. 19 4:58
	Composed by Edvard Grieg
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
7.	Peer Gynt, incidental music, Op. 23: Solveigs vuggesang, op. 23 no. 26 4:26
	Composed by Edvard Grieg
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
8.	Fra Monte Pincio (From Monte Pincio), song for voice & piano, Op. 39/1 4:50
	Composed by Edvard Grieg
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
9.	En Svane (A Swan), song for voice & piano, Op. 25/2 2:16
	Composed by Edvard Grieg
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
10.	Våren (Last Spring), song for voice & piano, Op. 33/2 4:45
	Composed by Edvard Grieg
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
11.	Luonnotar (The Spirit of Nature), tone poem for voice & orchestra, Op. 70 9:44
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
12.	Det første møte (The First Meeting), song for voice & piano, Op. 21/1 3:57
	Composed by Edvard Grieg
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
13.	The Maiden in the Tower (Jungfrun i tornet), opera in 1 act: Scene 2. Sancta Maria, mild och nåderik 4:27
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo
14.	Belshazzar's Feast (Belsazars gästabud), suite for orchestra (or piano), Op. 51: Den judiska flickans sång 3:20
	Composed by Jean Sibelius
	Performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Karita
	Conducted by Sakari Oramo

Barnes & Noble

Not since Barbara Bonney's Diamonds in the Snow has there been such a fine collection of Scandinavian songs. But while Bonney focused on the crystalline beauty of the Nordic musical tradition, Finnish soprano Karita Mattila taps into a deeper, darker vein. Sibelius' songs are often viewed as light fare, but Mattila's fervent reading of "Höstkväll," the opening selection, creates a dramatically fiery intensity that turns this song into a miniature operatic scene. Kirsten Flagstad also brought a tone of profundity -- not to mention sheer vocal splendor -- to this music, but Mattila's voice is more agile, and her response to the texts reveals even more detail. In the Grieg songs, on the other hand, Mattila's approach is more straightforward, bringing out the folk-like qualities of "Solveigs vuggesang," for instance, or the luminous grace of "En Svane." The program's main attraction, though, is certainly Sibelius' shimmering, mysterious vocal tone poem "Luonnotar." With marvelously subtle playing from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sakari Oramo, this may well be the most atmospheric version yet. Mattila is perfectly in tune with the music's bizarre, vivid imagery -- visual and musical -- and the result is especially noteworthy for its haunting delicacy. Recorded in the superb acoustics of Birmingham's new concert hall, this is quite simply a ravishing disc. Urgently recommended. Andrew Farach-Colton

New York Times

Ms. Mattila's exciting soprano voice has a cool Nordic radiance that ideally suits the songs of both her compatriot Sibelius and her Norwegian neighbor Grieg. The young Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo, leading the responsive and excellent City of Birmingham Symphony, proves equally sensitive to the melancholic cast and wistful lyricism of these haunting songs. Anthony Tommasini

Birmingham Post

Mattila's intonation over a wide range and her emotional involvement [are] highly gripping.... Sakari Oramo...conducts with a natural ear for colour and sympathy with the soloist, and the CBSO responds to this attractive music with flair and sensitivity. Christopher D. Morley

Classic FM Magazine

Mattila’s strength of personality matches her beauty of tone – a big, open, cream-rich sound with a seemingly infinite array of emotional variety. Alongside her, Oramo draws playing of exquisite detail from the CBSO. Jessica Duchen