Melartin, Erkki
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. 2
Duration: 0
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(III=picc)3(III=ca)3(III=bcl)3(III=cfg)-4331-13-2hp-str Percussione: Tamburino, Cassa rullante, Gran cassa, Piatti, Tam-tam, Campanelli, Silofono
Duration: 19
Väinämöinen luo kanteleen
Tone poem from themes of the opera Aino (1906)
for orchestra
22(II=ca)2(II=bcl)2(II=cfg)-4230-11(=trg)-hp-str
Duration: 5
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