Sinfonia 1

My Sinfonia 1 is written for a baritone soloist and symphony orchestra. The text is a well-known poem by our national poet Eino Leino – he was a contemporary and a good friend of Sibelius, and also, in fact, a very distant relative of mine. The poem tells a very powerful and captivating story about a man called Tuuri, who has built a beautiful new house and has invited the gods to celebrate with him. In the middle of the party Tuuri hears the sound of sleigh bells outside (it is winter) and an uninvited guest appears – Tuuri recognizes him as Death. Tuuri tries to plead for his life, succeeds at first, but eventually has to accept his fate and embarks on a journey in Death’s sleigh. The sleigh bells can be heard for a long time over the frozen lake. In the music one can hear some kind of gates opening, revealing new, mysterious worlds. Olli Mustonen