The music of Madetoja is lyric and elegiac, late romantic and sometimes neo-classical. It is indebted to the folklore of his country, inspired by Tchaikovsky and Sibelius and by tones and nuances typically found in French music. He wrote piano and choral works, songs and two operas, e.g. "Pohjalaisia" ("The Ostrobothnians", 1922-23; a suite of five movements was created in 1922: "Pohjalainen rapsodia" op.52). "Okon Fuoko", a ballet pantomime to a libretto on a Japanese subject by the Danish writer Poul Knudsen, was completed in 1927 and later was made into a suite (op. 58, 1930). Among his orchestral works are three symphonies and two symphonic poems, e.g.: the symphonic poem "Kullervo" op. 15 (1913, inspired by the Kalevala), Symphony No. 1 op. 29 (1916), Symphony No. 2 op. 35 (1918), Comedy Overture op. 53 (1923), Symphony No. 3 op. 55 (1926)
Biography
Madetoja was a pupil of Jean Sibelius and Armas Järnefeldt in Helsinki 1908-1910, then he was taught by Vincent d’Indy in Paris and Robert Fuchs in Vienna. 1912–1914 he was deputy conductor at the Philharmonic Society Helsinki, 1914-1916 he conducted in Viipuri (Wiborg). After 1916 he taught at the Music Institute Helsinki, after 1926 until his death at the University of Helsinki.
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