Annimaria Rinne, who performs the vocals and recitation on this album, encouraged Seppo Kantonen to create this orchestral song cycle.
Recording & Production
The album was recorded on December 17-18, 2019, with Markku Veijonsuo from Varistoteles Studiot handling the recording, mixing, and mastering.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Seppo Kantonen found the composition process easy, as the poems by Sirkka Selja immediately began to live a musical life in his mind in a song-like form.
Album & Artwork
The album is titled 'Selja' to highlight Sirkka Selja, the poet whose nature-inspired poems form the basis of the song cycle, as she may be less known than her contemporaries.
Composition History
Six of the nine texts on this album are from Sirkka Selja's poetry collection 'Pisaroita iholla' (1978), which was also the name of the song cycle's premiere in Rovaniemi.
Interpretation
Ville Herrala (bass) and Ville Pynssi (drums) contribute a 'jazzy' element to the album, performing both as soloists and accompanists.
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