Jean Sibelius was the first composer to set Finnish texts by following the cadence of the language, rather than imposing Central European Romantic musical models.
Historical Context
The text for Sibelius's Sortunut ääni (The Broken Voice) is an allusion to the suppression of the Finnish people's freedom of expression under Russian rule.
Composition History
Sibelius's setting of Cajander's Isänmaalle (To the Fatherland) may have been a direct response to Tsar Nicholas II's 'February Manifesto' of 1899, which ended Finland's autonomy.
Composer Biography
Jean Sibelius, the composer, was the grandson of a church minister and was brought up in a strict Lutheran environment.
Historical Context
Choral music was a rapidly developing genre in Finland during the 1880s when Jean Sibelius, the composer, was a student.
Composition History
Jean Sibelius's choral work, Rakastava (The Lover), won second prize in a competition organized by the YL Male Voice Choir in 1894.
Performer Biography
Dominante, the mixed choir on this recording, was founded in 1975 and many of its over sixty singers are engineering students or graduates from Aalto University in Espoo.
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