Tuukkanen: Orchestral Works

Album review

Because Kalervo Tuukkanen's works from the 1930s through the 1960s are late-late-Romantic music, he is often dismissed as a weak imitator of Sibelius or Madetoja, and hopelessly out of step with his own time. But after hearing the works on this 2005 album from Alba, some listeners may feel that Tuukkanen's unfortunate reputation is perhaps due less to his conservatism or emulation of others than to his spreading himself too thin in Finnish cultural affairs to concentrate on his career as a composer, or to poor promotion of his work by others. Though old-fashioned, much of Tuukkanen's music is genuinely likable and engaging, and some of his orchestral pieces are just irresistible for their warmth and cheerful swagger. There is no point in arguing against the robust Overture to Tukkijoella (The Loggers) or the pleasant Serenata in E flat major for not being more modern or daring, since these delightful pieces resist criticism through their grace and charm -- rare enough in modernist music, to be sure, but abundant here. And if Tuukkanen seems too sweet and sentimental in his works for string orchestra, the Evening Suite, or Romantic Moments for strings, then it might be best to regard these lush pieces as souvenirs from a lost time -- somewhat shaded with the wistfulness of a Grieg or Nielsen -- with no points to make beyond their simple tunefulness and beauty. The Joensuu City Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Koivula, delivers wonderfully shaded performances of all these works, but sound especially magical in the nostalgic Little Suite.
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