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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Archaic sounds of an epic, 12 Mar 2001
I was surprised to find this listed under 'Classical Music', not because it isn't 'Classic' but it surely isn't what most people would consider 'CLASSICAL'.Those expecting the tone poems of Sibellius better stop now! This is genuine traditional singing from old, long-dead masters (and mistresses)of an ancient style. This disc contains valuable and fascinating archive material (many from the beginning of the 20th century) of old village singers of Finland and Karelia singing 'original' forms of the songs and poems which Elias Lonnrot collected in the 19th Century to shape into the Kalevala. Along with the bi-lingual (Finnish and English)this disc takes the listner to aged singers in old wooden cottages in remote Finnish villages to a world which Sibellius and others could only imagine... If you have ever wondered where groups like Varttina get there material here is a source. Perhaps the only word of warning would be that due to the rarity and age of some of these tracks the quality is less than perfect. The other thing is that these are not studio tracks or 'polished' singers. If you are not used to archaic folk-singing this can be a shock to the system. Of interest to ethnologists, music scholars, Kalevala-scholars etc. The importance of this disc makes it worth the five stars!
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by Andy Symington
by Gaston Bachelard
~ Various Artists
