Melartin: The Six SYMPHONIES [Box set]

Erkki Melartin (Composer), Leonid Grin (Conductor), Lilli Paasikivi (Performer), Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Pia Freund (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Lilli Paasikivi, Pia Freund
• Orchestra: Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Leonid Grin
• Composer: Erkki Melartin
• Audio CD (October 19, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Ondine
• ASIN: B00001W08G
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,044 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There's more to early 20th Century Finnish symphonic music than Sibelius, November 21, 2005

By 

Martin Selbrede (The Woodlands, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Melartin: The Six SYMPHONIES (Audio CD)

Read the previous reviews to get a feel for what this is, and what this is not. I don't plan to reiterate what has been so competently stated by my predecessors. From a nationalistic point of view, these symphonies do represent an original voice, however derivative it may sound to ears that are "wise after the fact." Erkki Melartin seems to be looking for his voice in the first symphony, which tends to meander (despite lofty contrapuntal intentions and the controlling principle of brevity). Things tighten up and come into focus in the next 4 works, and symphonies 3 and 4 are nothing short of masterful. Economy of thematic means is matched with a creatively-employed color pallette with cleanness of line heightening the drama. The counterpoint is complex, but never sounds like it -- it comes across as effortless (despite the fact that one is often listening to complex overlays of the cantus firmus in augmentation, retrograde, inversion, etc., all at once). Thematic unity is also emphasized: motifs in a given symphony's first movement tend to pepper subsequent movements (or, perhaps just as accurately, subsequent themes owe their heritage to previous material, but sometimes inverted, etc.). The 5th symphony is also mature and satisfying, but Melartin dabbles in darker, more dissonant waters in the 6th, which is, to me, the least successful of the set (primarily because of its first movement, although subsequent movements attempt to redeem the picture). All in all, worthy of one's patronage. The Tampere Orchestra plays flawlessly and with conviction under Leonid Grin. If you were to get one set of 20th century symphonies this year, this one should vie with British composer Edward Rubbra's set for your consideration (also available on Amazon) -- you can't go wrong with either set, and the compositional craftsmanship in both cases is exemplary.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fine performances of wonderful but virtually unknown music, March 25, 2000

By 

James J. Badal (Shaker Heights, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Melartin: The Six SYMPHONIES (Audio CD)

I agree completely with the other review posted here. I even came by these recordings the same way he did; I read the glowing comments on one of the single issues and decided to investigate the whole set. This is wonderful music--beautfiully crafted, sometimes lyrical, sometimes powerful, but always colorful and interesting. As a conductor Melartin brought Mahler to the Scandanavian countires, just as Wilhelm Stenhammar-- his exact comtemporary--introduced Bruckner to the north; and one can hear the Mahler influence in Melartin's dazzling orchestration. Melartin gets a very brief paragraph in Groves; and, as nearly as I can determine, these are the only recordings of the symphonies available--perhaps, ever available. I'm not going to play "is-it-as-good-as" games. The quality of this music, however, raises real questions about the standard orchestral canon--what's in and what's out. There is a great deal of music routinely heard in the world's concert halls which is not the equal of these enjoyable symphonies. I don't know much about Leonid Grin, and it's always difficult to judge performances of marginalized repertoire when you've never heard it before. I remember Bernstein took an interest in his talents some years ago, and I think he now holds a post somewhere in the US south-west. All I can say is the music is compelling and he gets top notch results from a little known orchestra. Great sound and a good price! (Check out Melartin's violin concerto with Segerstam on the same label!)

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is great!, February 19, 2000

By 

K. DANIELSON "KDan" (New Castle, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Melartin: The Six SYMPHONIES (Audio CD)

What we have here is another example of a lost or forgotten composer. Melartin, a Finnish composer who lived from 1875-1937 has in essence become completely eclipsed by his contemporary, Jean Sibelius. While I'm not saying that Melartin's symphonies are better than those masterpeices of Sibelius, I am going to say that these deserve better attention and circulation than they have been given. These are wonderful, tuneful works, full of brilliant orchestration! The composer that seems to come to mind for me is Bruckner, only these are more brilliant orchestrally. I decided to purchase the complete set after reading the recommendations for Symphony #4, and haven't regretted it for a minute! Everyone of these symphonies will bring much pleasure to the listener. Please buy this set!