It’s interesting how the sound of the male voice in Sibelius’ songs tends to highlight the music’s heroic and edgy qualities. This is especially so when the voice belongs to baritone Jorma Hynninen, whose firm, muscular tone evokes the rugged outdoors as heard in Black Roses, Did I Just Dream?, and especially On a Balcony by the Sea, which creates a stark and forbidding atmosphere similar to the composer’s Fourth Symphony.
But to say Hynninen is all brawn would be to short-change his talent, for he is fully capable of sensitivity, refinement, and tonal variety. Listen to his tender emoting in Sigh, Sedges, Sigh and The Diamond on the March Snow, or his joyful rendering of ‘Neath the Fir Trees. No matter the style or subject matter, Hynninen provides robust, burnished tone in every song, and this, combined with his knowing and wholly idiomatic way with the texts makes his recital a distinctly pleasurable listening experience. Leif Segerstam leads stirring accompaniments with the Tampere Philharmonic, while Ondine’s recording is top-notch. A marvelous reissue for the Sibelius year. [10/16/2007]
