In the Stream of Life: Songs by Sibelius

Featuring

Edward Gardner
Gerald Finley
Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
Jean Sibelius

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Sibelius's greatest songs were inspired by pantheistic and nature-based poems, including those by Finland's national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Swedish poet Viktor Rydberg, and Swedish painter and poet Ernst Josephson.

Performer Biography

The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the world's oldest, dates back to 1765 and had a close relationship with Edvard Grieg, who served as its artistic director from 1880-82.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Jean Sibelius, though famous for his symphonies, is considered Finland's most important song composer, with around 100 songs for solo voice, mostly set to Swedish poems.

Recording & Production

This album features the cycle 'In the Stream of Life', a selection of Sibelius's songs arranged by the late Einojuhani Rautavaara, which was first performed by Gerald Finley and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2014.

Composition History

Many of Sibelius's songs, though originally for voice and piano, have an orchestral character, and while he orchestrated only a few himself, others published orchestrations during his lifetime.

Recording & Production

This recording uses 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which provides a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings, aiming for a better sound reproduction.

Performer Biography

Gerald Finley, the bass-baritone on this recording, is an award-winning singer who began as a chorister in Ottawa and has performed at major opera and concert venues worldwide.