Aulis Sallinen: Barabbas Dialogues
List Price:
Our Price: $15.09
You Save: $1.90 (11%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $7.44 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Performer: Petteri SalomaaComposer: Aulis Sallinen
Conductor: Ralf Gothoni
Performer: Ralf Gothoni
Performer: Riikka Rantanen
Performer: Mari Palo
Performer: Topi Lehtipuu
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2005-07-19
Music Label: Cpo Records
Soundtracks:
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 1. Notturno
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 2. Easter 1
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 3. Easter 2
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 4. Easter 3
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 5. Pas de Deux
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 6. Passacaglia
- Barabbas Dialogues, for soloists, speaker & ensemble, Op. 84: Dialogue 7. Finale
Music reviews of Aulis Sallinen: Barabbas Dialogues
Music Review: A Moving Song Cycle from a Finnish Master
Rating: 5 Stars
Surely Aulis Sallinen (b.1935) is one of the great composers of our day. I've been following his works for thirty years and have never been disappointed. The cpo label has been issuing CDs that look to eventually comprise much of his enormous output, including the symphonies, chamber music, and now this song cycle for five singers, narrator and chamber ensemble of seven instruments, all led by the distinguished pianist, now conductor, Ralf Gothóni (a winner of the highly prized Gilmore Artist Award in 1994). 'Barabbas Dialogues' was composed to a commission from the Naantali Music Festival, Finland, and this recording was made there in June 2004. The singers and instrumentalists are all Finnish, few of them well-known (although Gothóni also plays the piano with the ensemble, and the cellist is the highly acclaimed Arte Noras). All of the musicians are functioning at a high international level of accomplishment. Baritone Petteri Salomaa sings Barabbas. He sounds a good deal like one of my favorite Finnish singers, the incredibly talented Jorma Hynninen, and I had to check the CD's booklet to make sure it wasn't he that I was hearing. The two female singers, mezzo Riikka Rantanen and soprano Mari Palo, are equally outstanding.
Sallinen had a few years earlier written a chamber piece called 'Barabbas Variations' for solo accordion and string orchestra and it uses some of the same materials as the present work. 'Barabbas Dialogues' also includes an accordion in the chamber ensemble.
In the story of the Passion of Christ, Barabbas (actually named Jesus bar Abbas), as most will recall, was the insurrectionist and murderer (member of a Jewish group attempting to overthrow the corrupt and oppressive government of Pontius Pilate) who was selected over Jesus, in a Passover custom, to be spared execution by a vote of the crowd of onlookers. The text for this wholly tonal, sparely orchestrated but richly melodic work, is taken from a longer poem by Lassi Nummi. Nummi, a distinguished Finnish poet (and brother of the equally distinguished composer Seppo Nummi, whose music deserves to be better known; he has written some lovely songs to verses by his poet brother), collaborated with the composer in cutting the text down to manageable size and recasting it in the form of seven dialogs between the soloists, each of whom represents a specific character (Barabbas, a Woman, Judas, Youth, a Maiden) interspersed with spoken narration that ties it all together. The performances could not be better. One is concerned that this powerful work will languish because its text is in a language (however lovely) that is rarely spoken or understood outside Finland. One hopes a singable English or German translation will be fashioned.
Even if you do not understand Finnish, there are side-by-side English and German translations printed in the accompanying booklet, as well as charming and informative notes by the composer who says, 'Is "Barabbas Dialogues" a song cycle, a chamber oratorio, a piece of musical theater or something else? I haven't troubled my head with this question. In the best of circumstances, a work of art creates its own world.' This one certainly does.
Strongly recommended to those curious about what is coming out of what must surely be the most musical nation on earth, Finland.
TT=56'34"
Scott Morrison
Description of Aulis Sallinen: Barabbas Dialogues
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.Classical CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapesby London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.74
Price in other shops:
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebeeby Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops:
Classical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs CdrRelease date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.97
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
![Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] Image](/images/Jose-Carreras-Jubileum-Concert-VHS-1584481471-X.jpg){kind=small}
Jose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops:
![Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-The-Nutcracker-Nureyev-Park-Royal-Ballet-VHS-156127092X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.90
Price in other shops:
![Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] Image](/images/Lonely-Town-Lonley-Street-Sergeant-Early-Dream-VHS-1561270857-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
Winter Music: Composing the Northby John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $25.33
Price in other shops:
![Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Puccini-La-Fanciulla-del-West-Santi-Domingo-Neblett-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720382-X.jpg){kind=small}
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops:
![Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Verdi-Falstaff-Giulini-Bruson-Ricciarelli-Nucci-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720358-X.jpg){kind=small}
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
Similar CDs
Complete Symphonies & ConcertosRelease date: 2011-04-26; Music CD
Best price: $33.90
Price in other shops: