Melartin, Erkki

(1875-1937)

Erkki Melartin (7.2.1875-14.2.1937) was one of the most prolific Finnish composers of all times, with an oeuvre running to more than thousand items. In addition to composing, he was principal of the Helsinki Music Institute and Conservatory (predecessor of the Sibelius Academy) for a quarter of a century, and travelled widely in Central and Southern Europe and even as far away as North Africa, Egypt and India.

A learned musician, Melartin was in full command of his stock in trade and the art and technique of composition. He also possessed an unquenchable thirst for new musical trends, never marking time and constantly working on his idiom to produce a synthesis of the lexicon of the Late Romantic and the invention of Impressionism and Expressionism.

His extensive output for orchestra includes six symphonies, symphonic poems, a violin concerto, two ballets and music for a dozen or so plays, among them music for the play The Sleeping Beauty. On top of these he wrote chamber music for various combinations of instruments as well as hundreds of piano pieces and songs. Melartin’s songs are of rare stylistic diversity, ranging from lyrical, nature-inspired mood pictures to impressionistic and at times even highly expressionistic pieces. His choice of texts reflects his broad education, for he was equally at home in both Finnish and foreign poetry.

Melartin’s opera Aino (1909), “a Kalevalaic mystery”, was one of the first great Finnish operas to find a place in the permanent repertoire. In musical idiom the opera is Late Romantic, but it also has Impressionistic overtones, and Melartin also made flexible use of Wagnerian leitmotiv technique.

Aino - Overture (alkusoitto)

2(II+picc)2(II=ca)2(II=bcl)2(II=cfg)-4231-11(trgl)-hp-str

Duration: 6

Aino [complete opera]

(1909)

Opera in two acts with epilogue

Soloists + orchestra: 2(I,II+picc).2.(II=c.ing).2(II+bcl).2(II+cbn)-4.3.3.1-1.2-hp(+kantele)-str

Duration: 120

Aino. Interlude

from Act II

for orchestra

2(II=picc).2(II=c.ing).2(II+bcl).2(II=cfg).4.3.3.1-1.1(Triangolo, Gran cassa)-hp-str

Duration: 9

Aino.Tuli kevät, tuli toivo (Ainon aaria koivulle)

Aino's aria (Act II scene 1) (1907)

for soprano and orchestra

22(II=ca)22-4000-hp-str

Duration: 7

Butterfly Waltz (from the Suite Sleeping Beauty)

Perhosvalssi sarjasta näytelmään Prinsessa Ruusune

for orchestra

2(II=picc)222-2000-02-hp-str Percussione: Triangolo, Silofono

Duration: 2

Butterfly Waltz (version for salon orchestra)

Perhosvalssi from the play The Sleeping Beauty

for salon orchestra

1010-0110-01-str(no vla)

Duration: 2

Elegy / Elegia

(1913)

for violin and orchestra

2222-2210-10-str

Duration: 3

Fest March / Juhlamarssi (for saloon orchestra)

from the music for The Sleeping Beauty (1904)

for saloon orchestra

Duration: 3

Fest March / Juhlamarssi Prinsessa Ruususesta

from the music for The Sleeping Beauty

for orchestra

2(II=picc)222-4210-12-str

Duration: 3

Legend for soprano and orchestra

(1914)

soprano and orchestra

3(III=picc).3(III=c.ing).3(III=clb).3(III=cfg)-4331-1.1(triangolo,piatti)-hp-pf.cel-str

Duration: 14

Legend I

(1898)

for orchestra

2223-4231-11-hp-cel-str

Duration: 6

Legend II

(1901)

for piano and orchestra

2222-2210-01-str

Duration: 6

Lyrische Suite I

for orchestra

2(II+picc)2(II+ca)2(II+bcl)2(II+cfg)-4231-12-1(-3)hp-str

Duration: 0

Minä metsän polkuja kuljen

I Wander Along Forest Paths (1910)

for high voice and orchestra

2022-2000-str D flat major

Duration: 2

Mirjamin laulu 1&2 / Miriam's Song 1&2

(1901)

for high voice and orchestra

2222-2100-str

Duration: 6

Pieces I / Lastuja I

(ca 1900)

for orchestra

2(II=picc. [ad.lib.])122-2110-01-pf-str Perc: Glockenspiel, tamburo, piatti, campana (tam-tam)

Duration: 9

Rosa rorans bonitatem

for high voice and orchestra

2122-2000-hp-str

Duration: 3

Sininen helmi. Otteita baletista

The Blue Pearl - excerpts from the ballet music (1928-30)

for orchestra

II Entrée avec pantomime 2(2+picc)2(2+c.ing)2(1+asax)2-4210-perc-pf-hp-str VIII Scéne (Tempête) 2(1.2+picc)222-4310-timp-perc-pf-hp-str XI Danse de Nénuphares 2222-4300-timp-perc-pf-hp-str XIV Pas de deux 2222-2000-timp-hp-str XVI Variation II 2222-4200-timp-hp-str XVII Coda 2222-4300-timp-perc-hp-str XX Poissons à voile 2(2+picc)222-4200-perc-pf-hp-str XVI Finale (II acte), tempo di mazurka 2222-4310-timp+perc-pf-hp-str XXX Tarantella napolitana 2222-4310-timp+perc-pf-str XXXIV Danse finnoise 2(2+picc)2(2+c.ing)22-4310-timp+perc-hp-str XXXV Danse des Corsaires 2(2+picc)2(2+c.ing)22-4310-timp+perc-pf-hp-str

Duration: 0

Sirkan häämatka / Sländans Bröllopsfärd

The Grasshopper's Weddings (1931)

for soprano and orchestra

2121-3100-10-str

Duration: 2

Songs from Ladoga

Laatokan lauluja / Käkisalmen lauluja (1929)

for orchestra

2020-2110-11-pf-cel+harmonium-str Percussione: Glockenspiel, tamburo militare, triangolo, tamburino, tamburo piccolo, piatti

Duration: 13

Suite from the Play "The Sleeping Beauty"

Sarja näytelmästä Prinsessa Ruusunen (1911)

for orchestra

2(II+picc)222-4210-12-hp-str Percussion: Triangle, Xylophone, Cymbals, Bass drum, Glockenspiel, Tubular bells, Snare drum 1. Overture / Alkusoitto 2(II+picc)222-4210-12-hp-str 2. Minuet / Menuetto 2(II+picc)222-2000-11-hp-str 3. Butterfly Waltz / Perhosvalssi 2(II+picc)222-2000-02-hp-str 4. Moonlight Ballet / Kuutamobaletti 1010-1000-hp-str 5. Waltz / Valssi 2(II=picc)222-4210-12-str 6. Festive March / Juhlamarssi (Häämarssi) 2(II=picc)222-4210-12-str

Duration: 17

Sursum corda

Symphonischer Präludium

for orchestra

2222-4331-10-hp-str

Duration: 0

Sydänmaan lammella /

By the Lake in the Heart of Forest

for medium voice or violin and orchestra

2021-0000-str

Duration: 3

Symphony No. 1

for orchestra

2(II+picc).2(II+c.ing).2(II+bcl).2-4.3.3.1-1.3-hp-str Perc: Triangolo, Tamburo piccolo, Piatti, Gran cassa, Tam-tam

Duration: 26

Symphony No. 3 F major

(1906-07)

for orchestra

2(I+picc,II+picc).2(II+c.ing).2.2-4.3.3.1-1.3-hp-str

Duration: 35

Symphony No. 4

(1912, rev. 1920)

3[Picc.2.3] 2[1.2/EngHn] 2 3[1.2.CBsn] — 4 3 3 1 — Timp 3Perc Cel 2Harp — Strings + soprano, mezzossoprano and alto solo (3rd movement)

Duration: 42

Symphony No. 5 [Sinfonia Brevis]

(1916)

for orchestra

3(III=picc)2(II+ca)23(III=cf)-4331-13-hp-cel-str

Duration: 34

Symphony No. 6

for orchestra

3(III+picc)2(II+ca)3(III=bcl)3(III=cfg)-4331-12-hp-cel-str

Duration: 31

Traumgesicht

for orchestra

3(I=picc).3(III=c.ing).3(III=cl.b).3(III=c.fg)-4331-13-2hp-str Perc: Tamburino, Cassa rullante, Piatti, Gran cassa, Tam-tam, Campanelli, Xilophono

Duration: 19

Väinämöinen luo kanteleen

(Tablåmusik: Väinämöinen danar sin Kantele) (1906)

2.2(II=c.ing).2(II=cl.b).2(II=c.fag)-4.2.3.0-1.1(triangle)-hp-str

Duration: 0

Veräjäpuu / Trädet vid grinden / The Wicket

(1951)

for medium voice and orchestra

1110-0000-str

Duration: 2

Yön keskellä tähtönen loisti (arr. Kuusisto)

Du strålande Betlehemsstjärna

for medium voice and string orchestra

str

Duration: 2

Erkki Melartin (arr. Kari Karjalainen): Three pieces for brass ensembles
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Erkki Melartin: Per speculum in enigmatae – 6 pieces for piano op. 95
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Erkki Melartin: Symphony No. 3 F major op. 40
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Erkki Melartin: Little Quartet for Four Saxes, arr. Eskola
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Erkki Melartin: Little Quartet for Four Horns / Pieni kvartetti neljälle cornille Op. 185
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