Program:
Rautavaara. Rune 42 “The Robbery of the Sampo” (Sammon ryöstö)
Tormis. Kalevala Rune XVII “Visiting Vipunen” (Vipusessa käynti)

Both large-scale works for male choir stem from the same root—the Finnish national epic Kalevala—yet their musical approaches are contrasting in both language and genre. Einojuhani Rautavaara’s 45-minute work takes the form of a chamber opera for soloists, male choir, and tape. Veljo Tormis’s 35-minute single-movement composition, with its vast formal arc and musical development, reaches symphonic proportions.

On stage are more than 90 male singers, offering the audience a unique, unforgettable, and powerful experience.