Mielck: Orchestral & Choral Works

Featuring

Mikk Murdvee
Juha Kotilainen
Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat
Akademiska Sångföreningen
Akademiska Damkören Lyran
Kampin Laulu Chamber Choir

Ernst Mielck

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Composer Biography

Ernst Mielck composed the first fully fledged Finnish symphony in 1897, two years before Jean Sibelius' First Symphony, and was seen as a challenger to Sibelius.

Compositional Technique

In his Dramatic Overture, Ernst Mielck aimed to depict an abstract 'plot' of emotional struggle, describing it as "a battle between a hero's good and evil spirits, whereby evil ultimately claims victory thus causing the hero's downfall."

Recording & Production

The choir on this recording is a collaboration of three Helsinki-based groups: The Academic Male-Voice Choir of Helsinki, The Lyran Academic Female-Voice Choir, and Kampin Laulu Chamber Choir.

Composer Biography

Ernst Mielck was described as a "brittle child" by his mother, and his slow development and difficulty with social interaction suggest he may have had some degree of autism.

Composer Biography

Ernst Mielck died on what would have been his 22nd birthday from tuberculosis, cutting short a promising career.

Composition History

Ernst Mielck's Dramatic Overture, Op. 6, was inspired by Brahms' Tragic Overture, which deeply impressed Mielck shortly before he began composing his own work.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Unlike many young Finnish composers who focused on national themes, Ernst Mielck drew inspiration from Central European Romanticism and traditional forms of Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Brahms.