Leevi Madetoja (composer)

~ Person

Bürgerlicher Name: Leevi Antti Madetoja

Wikipedia

Leevi Antti Madetoja (pronounced [ˈleːʋi ˈmɑdetˌojɑ]; 17 February 1887 – 6 October 1947) was a Finnish composer, music critic, conductor, and teacher of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant Finnish contemporaries of Jean Sibelius, under whom he studied privately from 1908 to 1910.

The core of Madetoja's oeuvre consists of a set of three symphonies (1916, 1918, and 1926), arguably the finest early-twentieth century additions to the symphonic canon of any Finnish composer, Sibelius excepted. As central to Madetoja's legacy is Pohjalaisia (The Ostrobothnians, 1923), proclaimed Finland's "national opera" following its successful 1924 premiere and, even today, a stalwart of the country's repertoire. Other notable works include an Elegia for strings (1909); Kuoleman puutarha (The Garden of Death, 1918–21), a three-movement suite for solo piano; the Japanisme ballet-pantomime, Okon Fuoko (1927); and, a second opera, Juha (1935). Madetoja's fourth symphony, purportedly lost in 1938 at a Paris railway station, never materialized.

Acclaimed during his lifetime, Madetoja today is seldom heard outside the Nordic countries, although his music has in recent decades enjoyed a renaissance, as the recording projects of a number of Nordic orchestras and conductors evidence. His idiom is notably introverted for a national Romantic composer, a blend of Finnish melancholy, folk melodies from his native region of Ostrobothnia, and the elegance and clarity of the French symphonic tradition, founded on César Franck and guided by Vincent d'Indy. His music also reveals Sibelius's influence.

Madetoja was also an influential music critic, primarily with the newspaper Helsingin sanomat (1916–32), in which he reviewed the music scenes of France and Finland, praising Sibelius in particular. In 1918, he married the Finnish poet L. Onerva; their marriage was tempestuous and remained childless. His health failing due to alcoholism, Madetoja died from a heart attack on 6 October 1947 in Helsinki.

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Diskografie

Album

JahrTitelKünstlerBewertungVeröffentlichungen
1987Amici Cantus sings Madetoja, Milhaud, Poulenc, Rautavaara and PärtMadetoja, Milhaud, Poulenc, Rautavaara, Pärt; Amici Cantus, Sakari Hildén1
1988JuhaLeevi Madetoja; Jorma Hynninen, Maija Lokka, Eero Erkkilä, Jussi Jalas1
1989Complete SymphoniesLeevi Madetoja1
1989Symphony no. 2 / Symphony no. 3Leevi Madetoja; Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Rautio, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Jorma Panula1
1990The Complete Songs for Male Voice Choir, Vol. ILeevi Madetoja; Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat, Matti Hyökki1
1991The Complete Songs for Male Voice Choir, Vol. IILeevi Madetoja; Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat, Matti Hyökki1
1991The Complete Songs for Male Voice Choir, Vol. IIILeevi Madetoja; Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat, Matti Hyökki1
1992PohjalaisiaLeevi Madetoja, Finnish National Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Jorma Panula1
1992Symphonies 1 & 2Leevi Madetoja; Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari1
1995Symphony no. 3 / The Ostrobothnians: Suite / Okon Fuoko: Suite no. 1 / Comedy OvertureLeevi Madetoja; Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari1
1997Leevi MadetojaLeevi Madetoja; Radion sinfoniaorkesteri1
1998Orchestral Works 1: I Have Fought My BattleLeevi Madetoja; Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer1
1998PohjalaisiaLeevi Madetoja; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka‐Pekka Saraste1
1999Suomalaisia YksinlaulujaToivo Kuula, Leevi Madetoja; Kirsi Tiihonen, Satu Salminen1
1999Orchestral Works 2: The Spirit Home of My SoulLeevi Madetoja; Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer1
2000Orchestral Works 3: The Infinity of FantasyLeevi Madetoja; Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer1
2001Orchestral Works 4: Laurel WreathsLeevi Madetoja; Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer1
2004ElegiaLeevi Madetoja; Jalas Chamber, Juhani Numminen, Kalevi Kiviniemi, Marius Järvi1
2005Orchestral Works 5: A Sea of StarsLeevi Madetoja; Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer, Kirsi Tiihonen, Tuomas Katajala1
2005Okon Fuoko, Op. 58Leevi Madetoja; Helena Juntunen, Tuomas Katajala, Oulu Chamber Choir, Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer1
2010So What If I SingLeevi Madetoja; Tapiola Chamber Choir, Hannu Norjanen1
2013Symphony no. 2 / Kullervo / ElegyLeevi Madetoja; Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds1
2013Symphonies 1 & 3 / Okon Fuoko SuiteLeevi Madetoja; Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgårds1
2021Scenes from the KalevalaKlami, Sibelius, Madetoja, Pylkkänen; Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Dima Slobodeniouk1

Album + Kompilation

JahrTitelKünstlerBewertungVeröffentlichungen
1987KuorolaulujaLeevi Madetoja1
1994Finnish Orchestral ClassicsJean Sibelius, Armas Järnefelt, Erkki Melartin, Selim Palmgren, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Heikki Aaltoila, Heino Kaski, Leevi Madetoja, Uuno Klami2
2000Complete Symphonies / Comedy Overture / Suites from "Okon Fuoko" & "The Ostrobothnians"Leevi Madetoja; Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Petri Sakari1
2002Kullervo / Symphony No. 2 / Comedy OvertureLeevi Madetoja1

Album + Live

JahrTitelKünstlerBewertungVeröffentlichungen
2005Intimate Garden: Complete Piano WorksLeevi Madetoja; Mika Rännäli1

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