Nature and Music Myths in Finnish Arts

1. Nature and Music Myths in Finnish Arts Vesa Matteo Piludu, 2009 Institute for Art Research, Semiotics University of Helsinki

2. Gallen-Kallela: Mäntykoski (1892)

3. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) • 1890 Sibelius wrote to Aino Järnefelt: • Minusta Kalevala on ihan moderni. • Se on minun mielestäni musiikkia kaikki, teema ja muunnelmia. • Toiminta aina tunnelmalle alistettu; jumalat ihmisiä, Wäinämöinen muusiikko … • For me the Kalevala is modern. It’s all about music, the theme and the rest. The action follows the feelings, the gods are human, Wänämoinen is a musician …

4. Sibelius- Finlandia • Sakari Oramo conducts "Finlandia” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3RPAOFok4 • Sibelius:FinlandiaYle Radion Sinfoniaorkesteri (Finnish radio symphony orchestra)conducted by Sakari OramoOctober 22, 2005NHK Hall, Tokyo

5. Finlandia Talo – Finlandia Hall • Arcitect: Alvar Aalto • Project: 1962 • 1967-71 and 1973-75

6. Sibelius - Tapiola opus 112 (1925) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYFEq80AwzU • Commission from Walter Damrosch for the New York Philharmonic Society. • The London Philharmonic OrchestraSir Adrian Boult (1889-1983)Recorded in 1956 • Tapio – Järvenpään metsä. • When asked by the publisher to clarify the work's program, Sibelius responded by supplying a quatrain: "Widespread they stand, the Northland's dusky forests, Ancient, mysterious, brooding savage dreams; Within them dwells the Forest's mighty God, And wood-sprites in the gloom weave magic secrets.“ • Kuvat: Oulanka

7. Sibelius

8. Kalevala and Finnish Arts • The Finnish Epic Poem Kalevala: Old Kalevala 1828 - New Kalevala1849 by Elias Lönnrot (Ethnographer-Poet) • In English on the web: • http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/kveng/index.htm • The Kalevala • by Elias Lönnrot • Translated by John Martin Crawford • [1888]

9. Kalevala: based on Finnish Folk Poetry • No Kalevala in Finnish Folk Culture, but a many differents epics songs, spells, marriage songs … disconnected to each other • The context was the village culture • The message was musical-lyrical performance of a skilled singer • The code was musical – mnemonic (kalevalaic octosillabic metre): • Nu-ku nuku nur-mi li----ntu • Two melodic lines (ab ab ab) • Modal incipit … incipit sol in g (sol-la-do-re-mi) • Rhythm: 2/4 or 5/4

10. Kalevala ”manipulated” the signification processof Finnish Folk Poetry for a new social and cultural context • Elias Lönnrot wrote down the songs (change on the code: (from oral to written – from music to literature) • He joined toghether different themes and choosed the principal myth (Sampo) as a red line: from fragnetation to unity • Social context: from village culture to ”national culture” • Message’s contex: from oral performance to reading • Adresser: from Oral poets (anonimous) to a ”Poet” Lönnrot • Adressee: from other villagers to intellectuals, scholars, teachers, artists, politics … • Meaning of the kalevalaic signs: from rituals and village entertainment to the building of Finnish national identity and literature

11. ”Sprawl” of Kalevala in Finnish Arts • From the literary text to: • Symphonic, opera, Classical Music (Sibelius, Rautavaara) • Visual Arts: painting (Gallen-Kallela), sculpture, architecture, comics • Military propaganda in the Winter and Continuation Wars • Jazz, rock and ”Contemporary folk music” (Värttinä, Gjallarhorn) • Media and advertizing (Sampo) • Multimedia art, Modern Dance: Kimmo Pohjonen, Tero Saarinen • Again we have complete redefinitions of the signification of the Finnish Folk poetry using differents codes and languages

12. Akseli Gallen-Kallela • Axél Waldemar Gallén 1865 - 1931

13. Akseli Gallén-Kallela Paanajärven paimenpoika

14. Akseli Gallén-Kallela: Imatra

15. Akseli Gallén-Kallela. Ad Astra, 1915. Astra: cosmic Ilmatar?

16. Akseli Gallén-KallelaIlmatar

17. Robert Wilhelm Ekman Ilmatar

18. Joseph Alanen Ilmatar

19. Sibelius – Op. 70 Luonnotar, 1913Karita Mattila, Tampere 2000 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU0LcAn4Tmc&feature=related • Karita Mattila sings Jean Sibelius' tone poem "Luonnotar" (Nature Goddess) in the 2000 Millenium Eve concert in Tampere, Finland. "Luonnotar" tells, according to the Finnish national epic "Kalevala", how the world was created • Olipa impi, ilman tyttö,Kave Luonnotar korea,Ouostui elämätään,Aina yksin ollessansa,Avaroilla autioilla.Laskeusi lainehille,Aalto impeä ajeli,Vuotta seitsemän sataaVieri impi veen emona,Uipi luotehet, etelät,Uipi kaikki ilman rannat.Tuli suuri tuulen puuska,Meren kuohuille kohotti."Voi, poloinen, päiviäni.Parempi olisi ollutIlman impenä elää.Oi, Ukko, ylijumala!Käy tänne kutsuttaissa." • Tuli sotka, suora lintu,Lenti kaikki ilman rannat,Lenti luotehet, etelät,Ei löyä pesän sijoa."Ei, ei, ei.Teenkö tuulehen tupani,Aalloillen asuinsijani,Tuuli kaatavi,Aalto viepi asuinsijani."Niin silloin veen emonen,Nosti polvea lainehesta.Siihen sorsa laativi pesänsä,Alkoi hautoa.Impi tuntevi tulistuvaksi.Järkytti jäsenehensä.Pesä vierähti vetehen,Katkieli kappaleiksi.Muuttuivat munat kaunoisiksi:Munasen yläinen puoliYläiseksi taivahaksi,Yläpuoli valkeaista,Kuuksi kumottamahan,Mi kirjavaista,Tähiksi taivaalle,Ne tähiksi taivaalle.

20. Robert Wilhelm Ekman Väinämöinen luo valon, 1859.Väinämöinen creates light

21. Robert Wilhelm Ekman Väinämöinen and Sampsa Pellervoinen

22. Pekka Halonen (1813-1882)Väinämöisen soitto.

23. R.W.Ekman:Väinämöisen soitto, 1858/1859

24. Robert Wilhelm Ekman (1808-1873)Väinämöisen soitto

25. Väinämöisen soitto. 1866

26. Mansi music on the sangkvyltap instrumentFinnish music with kantele • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3u9xdXO-28&feature=related • Mansi (obsolete: Voguls) are an endangered indigenous people living in Khantia-Mansia, an autonomous okrug within Tyumen Oblast in Russia. The Mansi language is of the Ugrian branch of the Finno-Ugric family of languages. • The Finnish people has a similar instrument: the Väinämöinen’s kantele, still used to accompany kalevalaic songs in contemporary folk music: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i9XW2f1ylM&feature=PlayList&p=50006E299F3613D8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=53 • Karoliina Kantelinen is a singer and an ethnomusicologist from Helsinki who specializes in different ethnic singing styles

27. Various kanteles (right) and sangkvyltaps

28. AMORPHIS - "My Kantele" (Acoustic Reprise) • Ensiferum - Kalevala Melody • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjh6hVj3mcM&feature=related • AMORPHIS - "My Kantele" (Acoustic Reprise) taken from the album Elegy • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUbk1Kp8xGc

29. Joseph AlanenThe origins of iron

30. Joseph AlanenJoukahainen and Väinämöinen

31. Robert Wilhelm EkmanJoukahainen won by Väinämöinen

32. Akseli Gallén-KallelaAino-taru triptyykki, 1889/91. Aino

33. Erkki Melartin • Aino Opera 1907-9

34. Aulis Sallinen: Rauta-Aika 1982 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyWuIZ905do • Rauta-aika 1982 • Director : Kalle HolmbergMusic : Aulis Sallinen • The Iron Age (Tuonela river), Based on the Finnish epic Kalevala • In this scene a herdsman (the brother of Aino)kills Väinö and he fallsinto the River of Tuonela (Realm of Death • With shamanistic powers, Väinämöinen is able to ecape from the death realm

35. Elk boats in Finnish and Swedish Pre-Historic Rock Painting

36. The Age of Iron (The Wedding)Based on the Finnish epic Kalevala • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSOShhKiI5k&NR=1 • "Build a boat without using your hands or paying for it"says the daughter of the North when Väinö asks for her price.Ilmari and Lemminki also woo her. The mistress of the North demands Ilmari to forge a sampo,a machine to make a pile of money the size of an ant hill. Lemminki is asked to catch a devil´s moose on skis.The contest ends at a pagan North wedding - but who is the groom?

37. Sibelius Op. 49 Pohjolan tytär - Pohjola's Daughter 1906 • Ormandy Conducts Sibelius Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49 - Part ½ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtB0ZRKSnLs • Composer: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)Conductor: Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985)Performer: Philadelphia Orchestra • Ormandy Conducts Sibelius Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49 - Part 2/2 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-0aKRANSs&feature=related • Composer: Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)Conductor: Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985)Performer: Philadelphia Orchestra

38. Sibelius Op. 22 Lemminkäinen (Four Legends) 1895 – 1900 – 1939 • Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of the Island, Part 1 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoYYjGhxHyU • Sibelius: Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the Island, Part 2 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JdCYhLXalg&feature=related • Erotic natural atmosphere, Nordic Don Juan

39. Sibelius: Lemminkäinen in Tuonela • Sibelius: Lemminkäinen in Tuonela, Part 1 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl1v-3wZQYM • Sibelius: Lemminkäinen in Tuonela, Part 2 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZThUPSCnp4&feature=related

40. SibeliusTuonelan joutsen – The Swan of Tuonela • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-SJo2sOI_M

41. Tuonela

42. The mother of Lemminkäinen

43. Sibelius: Lemminkäinen's Return • Sibelius: Lemminkainen's Return • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxsvU2fBJgA&feature=related

44. Gallen-Kallela: Sammon puolustus, 1896. The defence of the Sampo

45. Kullervon kirous, 1899. Kullervo’s fury

46. Carl Eneas Sjöstrand (1828-1906)Kullervon surma, 1858.

47. Sibelius met the folk singer Larin Paraske when he was composing Kullervo. He found the signing stile ”strange”.

48. Jean Sibelius - Kullervo, op. 7 1892 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMJIEC_j840 • Jean Sibelius - Kullervo, op. 7III. Kullervo and His SisterPart 1 of 3Swedish Radio Symphony OrchestraEsa-Pekka SalonenMarianne Rorholm, mezzo-sopranoPeter Mattei, baritone Helsinki University Men's ChorusBerwaldhallen, Stockholm, SwedenJanuary 1995 Chorus: CHORUS.Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring,With the very bluest stockings,And with yellow hair the finest,And with shoes of finest leather,Went his way to pay the taxes,And he went to pay the land-dues.When he now had paid the taxes,And had also paid the land-dues,In his sledge he quickly bounded,And upon the sledge he mounted,And began to journey homeward,And to travel to his country.

49. Marjatta