The Little Slave Girl

A romantic opera in 3 acts, first public performance in 1824. This is the first opera ever created by a Finnish composer. 3-näytöksinen romanttinen ooppera, kantaesitys vuonna 1824. Tämä on ensimmäinen suomalaisen säveltäjän luoma ooppera. Overture/Alkusoitto 0:00 1. Act / 1. näytös 07:01 2. Act / 2. näytös 23:06 3. Act / 3. näytös 34:51 Concert version without speech segments, recorded in 1991-1992. Konserttiversio ilman puheosuuksia, äänitetty 1991-1992. Kaisa Hannula, soprano /Zetulbe Marjatta Airas, mezzosoprano /Morgiana Risto Saarman, tenor /Sadi Raimo Laukka, baritone /Nurmahal Heikki Kilpeläinen, baritone /Hassan Antti Suhonen, bass /Ali Polyteknikkojen Kuoro (male-voice choir) Akademiska Damkören Lyran (female-voice choir) Kullervo Kojo, clarinet Osmo Vänskä, conductor Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra The libretto was written by Guilbert Pixérécourt, Finnish translation by Esko Elstelä. The libretto is based on the tale of Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Libreton on kirjoittanut Guilbert Pixérécourt, käännös Esko Elstelä. Libretto pohjautuu satuun Ali Baba ja neljäkymmentä rosvoa. Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775-1838), composer and clarinetist. Crusell, who was born in Uusikaupunki is internationally renowned Finnish composer from era before Sibelius. Uudessakaupungissa syntynyt klarinetisti ja säveltäjä Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775-1838) on kansainvälisesti tunnetuin suomalainen säveltäjä ajalta ennen Sibeliusta. ------------------------ Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775-1838), clarinetist, composer and translator, who was born in Uusikaupunki, is internationally renowned Finnish composer from era before Sibelius. The son of a poor bookbinder, Bernhard Henrik Crusell received his earliest musical education from a clarinetist of the Nyland (Uusimaa) regimental band at age 8. In 1788 he became a volunteer musician in the military band at Sveaborg in Viapori (today Suomenlinna), the island fortress outside Helsinki, and in 1791 he was transferred to Stockholm where he became a court musician two years later. From 1793 to 1833 he was a clarinetist in the court orchestra. In Sweden he became a distinguished soloist, performing concertos and chamber by Peter Winter, L.A. Lebrun, L.-E. Jadin, Krommer, Beethoven, Mozart and others, as well as his own works. He gained reputation as a masterful musician and he travelled to study and perform to Germany in 1798, 1803 (also to Paris) and 1811. Crusell composed for example three clarinet concertos, other soloist opuses, three clarinet quartets and other chamber music and songs in fluent classical style. He made his last visit to his home country in summer 1801, when he performed in Turku and Helsinki. Although Crusell spent most of the rest of his life in Sweden, he always considered himself a Finn. In his final years in a letter to Runeberg he called himself a "finsk landsman" (a Finn). Some of his best and still played works are concertos for clarinet as well as any chamber music with cl