Erkki Melartin - Violin Concerto; Suites (John Storgårds; Leif Segerstam)

Information

Composer: Erkki Melartin

• (01) Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 60
• (04) Lyric Suite No. 3, "Impressions de Belgique"
• (10) Sleeping Beauty Suite, Op. 22

John Storgårds, violin
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam, conductor

Date: 2020
Label: Ondine
https://www.ondine.net/index.php?lid=en&cid=2.2&oid=2450

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Review

Erkki Melartin (1875-1937, an exact contemporary of Ravel) composed his Violin Concerto between 1911 and 1913, overhauling it in 1930. It is a good example of how he managed to escape being caught in Sibelius’s stylistic orbit despite some superficial similarities. The sweetly lyrical solo part is delivered most persuasively by John Storgards, who edited the work following its rediscovery in 1997. Not the most structurally coherent concerto ever penned, the prolixity is most pronounced in the jolly finale, though the first movement could also have benefited from pruning. The slow movement is lovely, however, and one can forgive Melartin much for the quality of his melodic writing.

I wish I could say the same about the accompanying suites. Impressions de Belgique is a cliche-ridden travelogue inspired by a 1914 trip to Bruges. Buried within its near 26-minute span are some fine ideas, as in the ‘Nocturne’ and ‘Scherzo’, or the mysterious opening to the otherwise trite final ‘Hymne’. The ‘Wedding March’ from the music to Topelius’s Sleeping Beauty (1911) is very popular at Finnish weddings and one can see why (Segerstam has recorded it separately for Ondine), but the whole suite is too chocolate-box for my taste. However, the pieces are delivered most attractively by the Tampere players, and Segerstam (usually associated with rather heavier fare: Mahler, Pettersson or Sibelius) displays a light touch throughout. Sound is very good, but the programme disappoints after earlier, compelling Ondine releases, such as Izumi Tateno’s excellent piano recital or Leonid Grin’s survey of the six symphonies (12/94).

-- Gramophone

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Erkki Melartin (7 February 1875 – 14 February 1937) was a Finnish composer. He was a pupil of Martin Wegelius from 1892 to 1899 in Helsinki and of Robert Fuchs from 1899 to 1901 in Vienna. As well as composing, Melartin also taught and directed music at the Helsinki Music College, later the Helsinki Conservatory. Although Melartin was chiefly a lyricist, the symphony was central to his musical output. He wrote six symphonies and was the first Finnish composer to bear Mahler's influence. His output also includes an opera, a violin concerto, four string quartets, and many piano pieces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erkki_Melartin

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John Storgårds (born 20 October 1963 in Helsinki) is a Finnish violinist and conductor. Storgårds studied violin with Esther Raitio and Jouko Ignatius, and study conducting with Jorma Panula and Eri Klas at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He was Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra from 2008 to 2015. Storgårds was also Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra from 2006 to 2009. He has made a number of international recordings for Ondine, Sony and BIS Records, including recordings of music by Andrzej Panufnik, John Corigliano, and Per Nørgård.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Storg%C3%A5rds
http://www.johnstorgards.com/

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Leif Segerstam (born 2 March 1944 in Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland) is a Finnish conductor, composer, violinist, violist and pianist, especially known for his 309 symphonies, along with his other works in his extensive œuvre. Segerstam has conducted in a variety of orchestras since 1963, mostly American, Australian and European orchestras. He is widely known through his recorded discography, which includes the complete symphonies of Blomdahl, Brahms, Mahler, Nielsen, and Sibelius, as well as many works by contemporary composer, such as Einojuhani Rautavaara, Allan Pettersson and Alfred Schnittke.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leif_Segerstam

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