Sibelius - Kullervo, Op. 7

Sibelius - Kullervo, Op. 7

Finnish percussionist and conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali leads the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Orphei Drängdar Men's Choir in a performance of Jean Sibelius's Kullervo, Op. 7. Soloists are soprano Johanna Rusanen-Kartano and baritone Ville Rusanen. The work, often called a choral symphony, is a suite of symphonic movements. However, it avoids the traditional symphonic structure: the five movements constitute a set of independent tone poems. The work was performed only four times in Sibelius's lifetime. The composer refused to publish it: he only gave permission in 1957, at the very end of his life. This performance was recorded at the Gothenburg Concert Hall in 2018.