The Kalevala, a disparate collection of long narrative poems distilled from oral tradition, is frequently referred to as the Finnish national epic. Its fantastic and heroic tales informed the work of Finland’s greatest artists at a time when the country began to surge toward independence after 700 years of Swedish rule and another century as a duchy of the Russian Empire. Jean Sibelius turned to it repeatedly for inspiration. Less well known, perhaps, are Robert Kajanus’ Aino and Uuno Klami’s Kalevala Suite. Acquire some additional Finnish, this Sunday at 10 pm.
The Lost Chord: February 26 - Epic Finnish
