Leevi Madetoja
Leevi Antti Madetoja (pronounced [ˈleːʋi ˈmɑdetˌojɑ]; 17 February 1887 – 6 October 1947) was a Finnish composer, music critic, conductor, and teacher of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant Finnish contemporaries of Jean Sibelius, under whom he studied privately from 1908 to 1910. The core of Madetoja's oeuvre consists of a set of three symphonies (1916, 1918, and 1926), arguably the finest early-twentieth century additions to the symphonic canon of any Finnish composer, Sibelius excepted. As central to Madetoja's legacy is Pohjalaisia (The Ostrobothnians, 1923), proclaimed Finland's "national opera" following its successful 1924 premiere and, even today, a stalwart of the country's repertoire. Other notable works include an Elegia for strings (1909); Kuoleman puutarha (The Garden of Death, 1918–21), a three-movement suite for solo piano; the Japanisme ballet-pantomime, Okon Fuoko (1927); and, a second opera, Juha (1935). Madetoja's fourth symphony, purportedly lost in 1938 at a Paris railway station, never materialized. Acclaimed during his lifetime, Madetoja today is seldom heard outside the Nordic countries, although his music has in recent decades enjoyed a renaissance, as the recording projects of a number of Nordic orchestras and conductors evidence. His idiom is notably introverted for a national Romantic composer, a blend of Finnish melancholy, folk melodies from his native region of Ostrobothnia, and the elegance and clarity of the French symphonic tradition, founded on César Franck and guided by Vincent d'Indy. His music also reveals Sibelius's influence. Madetoja was also an influential music critic, primarily with the newspaper Helsingin sanomat (1916–32), in which he reviewed the music scenes of France and Finland, praising Sibelius in particular. In 1918, he married the Finnish poet L. Onerva; their marriage was tempestuous and remained childless. His health failing due to alcoholism, Madetoja died from a heart attack on 6 October 1947 in Helsinki. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gramophone | BE1561 | 10-in. | 5/17/1929 | Terve päivä Pojolahan | Lahja Linko | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Gramophone | BE1562 | 10-in. | 5/17/1929 | Yrtit tummat | Lahja Linko | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Gramophone | BW1695 | 10-in. | 6/1/1928 | Vanha suo malainen polska 1 | Chamber orchestra (unidentified; Gramophone Co., Helsinki, Finland) | Instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Gramophone | BW1696 | 10-in. | 6/1/1928 | Vanha suo malainen polska | Chamber orchestra (unidentified; Gramophone Co., Helsinki, Finland) | Instrumental ensemble | composer | |
Gramophone | 0EA6223 | 10-in. | 2/10/1938 | Suvi-illan vieno tuuli | Martti Turunen ; Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat | Male vocal chorus | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Madetoja, Leevi," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103240.
Madetoja, Leevi. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103240.
"Madetoja, Leevi." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Leevi Madetoja
Discogs: Leevi Madetoja
Allmusic: Leevi Madetoja
Grove: Leevi Madetoja
IMSLP: Leevi Madetoja
IMDb: Leevi Madetoja
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Madetoja, Leevi, 1887-1947 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81081339
Wikidata: Leevi Madetoja - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q713467
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/76427938
MusicBrainz: Leevi Madetoja - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a6d6e77f-e284-45b8-b54f-e6e881339d9a
ISNI: 0000 0000 8156 6225 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000081566225
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.