#robert kajanus

Robert Kajanus (1856-1933).

.

He was a Finnish conductor, composer, and teacher. In 1882, he founded the Helsinki Orchestral Society, Finland's first professional orchestra. As a conductor, he was also a notable champion and interpreter of the music of Jean Sibelius. He also championed Finnish national music.

.

He worked in Dresden in the years immediately after his graduation, and returned to Helsinki in 1882. He founded the first permanent orchestra in Finland: the Helsinki Orchestral Society (later to become the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finland's national orchestra). He brought the orchestra to a very high performance standard very quickly, so that they were able to give quite credible performances of the standard late classical/mid-romantic repertory. Kajanus led the Helsinki Philharmonic for 50 years, and among the milestones of that history was the first performance in Finland of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in 1888. His early-electric 78-rpm atmospheric, authoritative recordings of Sibelius symphonies are still interpretive milestones.

.

Kajanus was appointed director of music at the University of Helsinki in 1897 and remained in the post for the next 29 years, a period in which he had a major impact on music education in his native country. In 1917, he became the first president of the Finnish Musicians' Union. He was also the founder of the Nordic Music Festival in 1919. He received many decorations, including the French Légion d'honneur.

.

Robert Kajanus (1856–1933) - Aino

Choir: Helsinki University Male Voice Choir, Conductor: Jorma Panula

Robert Kajanus (1856-1933) - Sinfonietta in B flat major, Op. 16 (1915)

I. Grave - Allegro vivo - attacca [0:00] II. Intermezzo. Tempo di minuetto [8:00] III. Adagio di molto [12:37] IV. Allegro con fuoco [19:10]

Robert Kajanus (1856-1933) - Finnish Rhapsody No.1 in D minor, Op.5

Robert Kajanus (1856-1933) - Sinfonietta in B flat major, Op. 16 (1915)

I. Grave - Allegro vivo - attacca [0:00] II. Intermezzo. Tempo di minuetto [8:00] III. Adagio di molto [12:37] IV. Allegro con fuoco [19:10]

Robert Kajanus (1856-1933) : Finnish Rhapsody No. 1 in D minor for orchestra Op. 5 (1881)

Robert Kajanus (1856-1933) : Finnish Rhapsody No. 1 in D minor for orchestra Op. 5 (1881)