Helsinki Chamber Choir & Nils Schweckendiek - Erik Bergman: Choral Works 1936-2000 (2017)

In his later years often described as the grand old man of Finnish modernism, Erik Bergman (1911-2006) was among the first in Finland to use compositional methods such as twelve-tone technique, serial music, choral Sprechgesang and aleatory counterpoint. His specialty was choral music, and a large part of his huge production involves a choir in some form. This recording focuses primarily on his works for mixed choir that have not appeared on disc before, and gives a broad picture of his production for the medium over a period of more than 60 years. Born to a Swedish-speaking family, many of Bergman's settings were of poems in Swedish, but he was a true internationalist and this two-disc set also includes works with texts in Italian, Norwegian, English, German, and naturally, Finnish. These are here performed by the Helsinki Chamber Choir, Finland's only professional chamber choir, under its artistic director Nils Schweckendiek.

TRACKLIST

CD1
01. Petrarca Suite, Op. 118: I. S'amor non è - Herman Wallén
02. Petrarca Suite, Op. 118: II. Benedetto sia'l giorno - Herman Wallén
03. Petrarca Suite, Op. 118: III. Stiamo, Amor! - Helsinki Chamber Choir
04. Petrarca Suite, Op. 118: IV. I'vo piangendo - Herman Wallén
05. Gudarnas spår, Op. 88: I. Vi äro alla hemlösa vandrare - Helsinki Chamber Choir
06. Gudarnas spår, Op. 88: II. Ack, att fönster se och väggar minnas - Sirkku Rintamäki
07. Gudarnas spår, Op. 88: III. Gudarna gå genom livet - Herman Wallén
08. Vestenvinden, Op. 73a - Riko Eklundh
09. Lamento & Burletta: I. Lamento - Helsinki Chamber Choir
10. Lamento & Burletta: II. Burletta - Helsinki Chamber Choir
11. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 38a: No. 2, Barnet travar - Helsinki Chamber Choir
12. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 38a: No. 3, Filmmanuskript - Helsinki Chamber Choir
13. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 38a: No. 4, En vårvisa - Helsinki Chamber Choir
14. 5 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 12: No. 5, Mitt träd är pinjen - Helsinki Chamber Choir
15. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 44b: No. 1, Akvarell - Helsinki Chamber Choir
16. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 44b: No. 2, Opera comique - Helsinki Chamber Choir
17. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 44b: No. 3, En visa - Helsinki Chamber Choir
18. 4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 44b: No. 4, Barnvers - Helsinki Chamber Choir
19. Psalm, Op. 50a - Helsinki Chamber Choir
20. Springtime, Op. 60 - Herman Wallén
21. Vårt land, Op. 146 - Riko Eklundh

CD2
01. Nein zur Lebensangst, Op. 120: I. Allein aber nicht isoliert - Herman Wallén
02. Nein zur Lebensangst, Op. 120: II. Gefühlsausdruck statt Gefühlspanzerung - Herman Wallén
03. Nein zur Lebensangst, Op. 120: III. Vergeben statt beschuldigen - Herman Wallén
04. Hommage à Béla Bartók, Op. 132 - Iida Antola
05. Sommarnatt - Helsinki Chamber Choir
06. Nu är sommarn här - Helsinki Chamber Choir
07. Skärgårdsgossens visa (Arr. E. Bergman for Mixed Choir) - Helsinki Chamber Choir
08. Den vän jag älskat haver jag nu mist (Arr. E. Bergman for Mixed Choir) - Tuomas Katajala
09. Och gossen gick sig ut i morgonstund (Arr. E. Bergman for Mixed Choir) - Helsinki Chamber Choir
10. Tyttöset, Op. 73b: No. 1, Läksin minä kesäyönä käymään - Tuula Paavola
11. Tyttöset, Op. 73b: No. 2, Karjankutsu - Piia Komsi
12. Tyttöset, Op. 73b: No. 3, Heippatiralla - Helsinki Chamber Choir
13. Väinämöinen, Op. 147 - Piia Komsi