About the composer
Toivo Kuula (1883 - 1918) was born in Vaasa, Finland. He worked mainly as a conductor in
Helsinki and other towns in Finland. He was a full-blooded Romantic, the interpreter of
dark, powerful and pathetic emotions. The bulk of his limited output consists of solo
songs and choral works, amongst others a Cantata and the Stabat Mater. The latter was his
last composition, and he died in a shooting incident before he could finish the work. It
was completed by a close friend, Leevi Madetoja.
| Date | 1919 |
| Performers | Symphonic orchestra and choir |
| Length | 26.32 minutes |
| Particulars | The musical language of the Stabat Mater is grounded in a broadly flowing dark-tinted late Romanticism, while some harmonic progressions reflect the influence of Impressionism. The work is divided into three sections which are joined together without a break by orchestral interludes. The final section is an extensive Bach-counterpoint four part fugue. |
| Textual variations | The "Vatican"-version of the text is used, but with the word "Amen" at the end omitted. |
| CD | Finlandia 1576-54452-2: Toivo Kuula, Stabat Mater - Mikko Heiniö, Wind Pictures |
| About this CD | Contains major works by two Finnish composers. Recorded in the Turku Concert Hall, April 1993. |
| Orchestra | Turku Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Choir | Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis |
| Conductor | Jacques Mercier |
| Other works | Mikko Heiniö, Wind Pictures |
| Added | Unknown (KUU 01) |
E-mail:
stabatmater@dds.nl