The Flying Dutchman Programme Book
The Flying Dutchman Opera ChorusThe big chorus for The Flying Dutchman consists of members of the Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis from Turku and the Turku Opera Chorus, and singers from all over Finland. All the singers were chosen by audition. For technical and acoustic reasons, part of the chorus will sing alongside the orchestra, and part will be spread over the three stages. The Chorus Masters for The Flying Dutchman are Juha Kuivanen, CM of the Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis, and Matti Lehtonen, CM of the Opera Chorus. The Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis The partnership between the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and its "very own" choir, the Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis (CCA), is unique in Finland. The choir is fast acquiring a status akin to that of the Radio Symphony Choir some decades ago, when it would join with the Radio Symphony Orchestra for the performance of several major works a year. Following the disbanding of the RSC, no town was similarly able to continue the tradition of each year performing great contemporary works in addition to both classics and lesser-known earlier repertoire until the TPO went into partnership with the CCA. This partnership has afforded the people of Turku an opportunity outstanding by both national and international standards to hear regular concerts of great works of all eras for choir and orchestra. Founded in 1982, the CCA took its name from Turku Cathedral. Its primary duties are to assist at divine worship in the Cathedral and to collaborate with the Turku Philharmonic. It receives financial support both from the Cathedral and from the City of Turku. The CCA has appeared in concert with the Turku Philharmonic more than 80 times, and two joint discs have been released. It has also collaborated with the Finnish Radio Symphony, the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Tampere Philharmonic and the Jyväskylä City orchestras and the Tapiola Sinfonietta. Its conductors have been Jouko Hytönen, Raili Leinonen, and as of 1990 Juha Kuivanen. Since 2001 the TPO and the CCA have together performed, under both Finnish and foreign conductors, Vivaldi's Gloria, Bach's St Matthew Passion, Charpentier's Te Deum, Beethoven's Choral Symphony, Verdi's Requiem, Szymanowski's Stabat mater, Fauré's Requiem, Sibelius's cantata Jordens sång, Stravinsky's cantata Zvezdoliki (The King of the Stars; first performance in Finland), Prokofiev's cantata Alexander Nevsky, Langaard's Music of the Spheres (fp in Finland), Pärt's Te Deum, Saariaho's Oltra mar, Nordgren's sixth symphony (fp in Finland), Kodály's Psalmus hungaricus, Schumann's Scenes from Goethe's Faust (fp in Finland), Dvorák's Stabat mater and numerous other pieces, at the Suomen Joutsen centenary concert, the Verdi gala, the Christmas concerts, and the Ecumenical Christmas from Turku televised from the Cathedral, with soprano Barbara Hendricks at Christmas 2004. After The Flying Dutchman the CCA, hailed as the best symphony choir in Finland (most recently by Helsingin Sanomat), will be appearing this autumn with the Turku Philharmonic in a performance in St Michael's Church of the mighty Glagolitic Mass by Leos Janácek, never before heard in Turku. Rounding off the year, on December 16, will be two Christmas concerts at which the 'Dutchman' himself, alias baritone Juha Uusitalo, will be appearing with the TPO and the CCA. The plans for 2006 include three large-scale productions, two of them in their first Turku performance, a gala concert in Philharmonic Week and the traditional Christmas concerts. The Turku Opera Chorus The Turku Opera Chorus has been singing in Turku Opera Association productions for forty years. It is taking part in The Flying Dutchman as an independent choir. The singers are selected for each production separately, but some of those in The Flying Dutchman have experience of many opera productions. The Turku Opera Chorus also gives concerts of its own. The Corus Master of the Turku Opera Chorus is Matti Lehtonen. |
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