Choral Concert: Helsinki Academic Male Voice Choir - Pacius, F. (Hymn To Finland)
4/27/2010, 33 Tracks, 1:00:36
Featuring
Henrik Wikström
Sharon Bezaly
Akademiska Sångföreningen
4Z
Audio Quattro
Fredrik Pacius
Carl Michael Bellman
Anonymous (Traditional)
Anonymous (late 18th century)
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Akademiska Sångföreningen, or 'Akademen', the choir on this recording, was founded in 1838 by Fredrik Pacius and is the oldest extant choir in Finland.
Cultural Impact
The final chorus of Pacius's opera Kung Karls jakt, titled Hymn till Finland (Hymn to Finland), became a central patriotic piece in Finland.
Composer Biography
Fredrik Pacius, born in Hamburg, studied with Ludwig Spohr in Kassel and served as a violinist in the Royal Opera in Stockholm before moving to Helsinki.
Composition History
Fredrik Pacius composed the first opera in Finland, Kung Karls jakt (The Hunt of King Charles), which premiered in 1852.
Cultural Impact
Fredrik Pacius's song Vårt land (Our Land), with text by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, was first performed by Akademen in 1848 and later became the Finnish national anthem.
Cultural Impact
Fredrik Pacius, the composer on this album, is known as 'the father of Finnish music' due to his significant contributions to the musical life of Helsinki.
Historical Context
The repertoire of student choirs in Helsinki before 1835 was politically unsuitable for the Grand Duchy of Finland, as many songs reflected a revanchist spirit after Sweden lost Finland in 1809.
