When Toivo Kuula met with a violent death in the
aftermath of the Finnish Civil War in May 1918, he
became the tragic romantic hero of Finnish music. Born
at Vaasa in 1883, he was a pupil of Novek, Wegelius
and Jrnefelt at the Helsinki Music Institute, before
further study abroad in Bologna, Leipzig, Paris and,
finally in 1911-12, in Berlin. During his years of
continuing study he had served as a teacher and
conductor in Vaasa, and conducted the orchestra in
Oulu. In 1912 he became assistant conductor of the
Native Orchestra and from 1916 to 1918 held a similar
position with the Helsinki Town Orchestra. His work as
a composer was inevitably influenced by Sibelius,
drawing in particular on the folk-music of his native
region. It is in particular for his songs and vocal writing
that he is remembered. Kuula died at the early age of
35, and was a full-blooded national romantic. His music
breathes the spirit of his own country, Ostrobothnia.
Kuula left 24 solo songs for voice and piano.
Typical features include a strong melodic flow and
Slavic pathos, and many songs are in a minor key and a
melancholy mood. It would be too simple, however, to claim
that Kuula was an ardent hothead whose songs embody
the rougher traditions of Ostrobothnia. Alongside local
passions, his songs also carry a quite different vein of
refined and nuanced sensuality, as in Sinipiika (Blue
Maiden) or Jkukkia (Ice Flowers), which comes close to
impressionism.
In Kuulas songs the piano often merely provides
an accompaniment. The piano texture has no
independence, as in the Central European Lieder
tradition. His piano writing is sonorous, with thick
chords somewhat reminiscent of Brahms. Kuula wrote
numerous folk-song arrangements. The choices of text
show his fervent patriotism. Over half of his songs are
settings of Eino Leino or V.A. Koskenniemi, great
Finnish poets of his time. Many of Kuulas solo songs
were first performed by his wife, Alma Kuula, a singer
and a source of inspiration.
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Discography
