01. - 05. Kullervo. Symphonic Poem, op.7 [78'29]
Randi Stene- mezzo-soprano, Peter Mattei- baritone, National Male Choir of Estonia, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Paavo Jarvi
Virgin Classics/Erato 628652-2 (recorded March 1997; first CD issued 1997; digital download 2010)
(Digital download; flacs, cover, and inlay scans - no booklet)
Recording venue: Konserthuset, Stockholm
Recording engineer: Mike Hatch; Producer: David R Murray
This recording of Kullervo has the rather strange distinction of being one of the very few with no Finnish input at all, apart from the composer, of course. Originally issued on the Virgin Classics label, it was rebranded as Erato when EMI was subsumed by Warner Music and has been issued with at least four different covers at different times.
Whilst the performance of the "symphonic cantata" overall doesn't match his father's for BIS, let alone Jorma Panula for Naxos nor Paavo Berglund in Bournemouth for EMI. But I do very much like the two soloists Randi Stene and Peter Mattei in the third movement - and find them even more to my taste than even the excellent ones on other recordings. So this recording does enhance Kullervo's claim to being unjustly neglected for so many years and reinforces its originality and powerful effect on the listener even though it can seem at times to be too slow. Especially in the last movement, which I find overblown. But overall Paavo Jarvi does make the work sound thoroughly Sibelian which some other conductors struggle with.
Download from MEGA.