New Finnish contemporary and classical albums for the autumn

Accordionist-composer Veli Kujala’s Hyperorganism, released by Alba Records, has gained good reviews with its original and vivid soundscapes. In addition to Veli Kujala, organist Susanne Kujala and ensembles TampereRaw and Uusinta Ensemble are playing on the new album.

Other new releases from Alba Records include violinist Kreeta-Maria Kentala’s album Side by side, an innovative combination of J.S. Bach partitas and Finnish folk music from Kaustinen. Finnish vocal music is represented well in Alba’s this autumn’s catalogue: triple CD Bergmaniana by Bergman Ensemble performing male choir works of Erik Bergman, recording of Harri Ahmas’s chamber opera Käärmesormus, which is performed by Zagros Ensemble as well as Deesis, which consists of Finnish contemporary orthodox music performed by the Krysostomos Chamber Choir.

Pori Sinfonietta’s new album The River introduces piano concertos of Selim Palmgren with Henri Sigfridsson as soloist, whereas Turku Philharmonic Orchestra performs Leif Segerstam’Symphony No. 288 on Brahms I Segerstam (both released by Alba Records as well). 

BIS Records has released a profile album of Jaakko Kuusisto, a distinguished Finnish violinist, conductor, arranger and composer. The album named Glow contains chamber music by Jaakko Kuusisto, performed by Kuusisto himself, Meta4 string quartet, viola player Riitta-Liisa Ristiluoma, cellist Jan-Erik Gustasson, and pianists Paavali Jumppanen and Heini Kärkkäinen. BIS has also released a record in which Lahti Symphony Orchestra with Bram van Sambeek as soloist perform bassoon concertos by two internationally recognized Finnish composers, Kalevi Aho and Sebastian Fagerlund.

In addition to Lahti Symphony Orchestra, other orchestras have been busy with new recordings lately. The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra has recorded music by Erkki Melartin. Oulu Symphony Orchestra, together with Benjamin Schimd have made an album containing violin concertos by Uuno Klami and Einar Englund. Both albums are released by record company Ondine.