SIBELIUS, BERG, STRAUSS, R., GERSHWIN, MARKANTO: Songs - Soile Isokoski, Marita Viitasalo

Soile Isokoski, one of the world’s most sought-after sopranos, has crept into the upper echelons of her profession almost unnoticed, but can no longer be ignored. Soile Isokoski has won prizes in the BBC Singer of the World, the Elly Ameling and Tokyo International Singing Competitions, and now regularly works with numerous great conductors, such as Abbado, Mehta, Ozawa, Muti, Barenboim and Järvi. She appears on this CD with her regular recital and recording partner Marita Viitasalo.

A favourite of the Met, La Scala and Covent Garden, Soile Isokoski has established a first class pedigree as an operatic singer, and is now making her mark in the UK as a recitalist. In 2002 she won a Gramophone Award for her Ondine recording of Strauss’s Four Last Songs – ‘Strauss singing doesn’t come much better than this. I suspect that the composer himself‚ with his love of the soprano voice‚ would have been enthralled by Isokoski’s glorious singing’

JEAN SIBELIUS
(1865-1957)
Six Songs
15:13
1.Varen flyktar hastigt 1:47
2.En slända 4:12
3.Illalle 1:28
4.Vanskapens blomma 2:09
5.Den forsta kyssen 2:03
6.Flickan kom ifran sin älsklings mote 3:43

ALBAN BERG
(1885-1935)
Sieben frühe Lieder
16:14
7.Nacht 4:10
8.Schilflied 2:14
9.Die Nachtigall 2:02
10.Traumgekront 2:31
11.Im Zimmer 1:12
12.Liebesode 1:50
13.Sommertage 2:15

RICHARD STRAUSS
(1864-1949)
Five Lieder
12:35
14.Das Rosenband 3:06
15.Meinem Kinde 2:28
16.Du meiens Herzens Kronelein 2:13
17.Morgen 3:57
18.Cäcilie 2:51

Encores
GEORGE GERSHWIN
(1898-1937)
19. Summertime 3:21
OSKAR MERIKANTO
(1868-1924)
20. Ma elän 2:01

Solo: Soile Isokoski soprano
Solo: Marita Viitasalo piano
23 June 2006