Erkki Melartin
Erkki Gustaf Melartin (7 February 1875 – 14 February 1937) was a Finnish composer, conductor, and teacher of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods. Melartin is generally considered to be one of Finland's most significant national Romantic composers, although his music—then and now—largely has been overshadowed by that of his contemporary, Jean Sibelius, the country's most famous composer. The core of Melartin's oeuvre consists of a set of six (completed) symphonies, as well as is his opera, Aino, based on a story from the Kalevala, Finland's national epic, but nevertheless in the style of Richard Wagner. Melartin's other notable works include the popular wedding tune, Festive March (1904; from the incidental music to the play, Sleeping Beauty); the symphonic poem, Traumgesicht (1910); the Violin Concerto in D minor (1913); the Kalevalic symphonic poem for soprano and orchestra, Marjatta (1914); The Blue Pearl, Finland's first large-scale ballet (1930); and a set of four string quartets, composed between 1896 and 1910. In addition, a number of Melartin's songs for solo voice and piano have found a lasting place in the Finnish repertoire. Two additional projected symphonies, the Seventh and Eighth, might have further solidified his reputation, both within Finland and internationally, but the development of each was cut short by Melartin's death, at age 62. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Priozersk (town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia), Died February 14, 1937 (Helsinki (capital and most populous city of Finland) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1918 - 1933
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, arranger
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-21581 | 10-in. | 3/15/1918 | O Herre | Eleonora Olson | Female vocal solo, with organ | composer | |
| Victor | B-22431 | 10-in. | 11/26/1918 | Pellavan kitkija | Jean Theslöf | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-35610 | 10-in. | 5/18/1926 | Kanteleeni | Jean Theslöf | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-53544 | 10-in. | 6/6/1929 | Mirjamin laulu | Annie Mork | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Columbia | 84972 | 10-in. | either 1918 or 1919 | Pellavan kitkijä | Jean Theslöf | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Columbia | W105945 | 10-in. | October 1925 | Rekiretki | Jean Theslöf | Male vocal solo | composer | |
| Brunswick | 15128-15129 | 10-in. | 3/11/1925 | Christkindleins Wiegenlied | Karin Branzell | Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Gramophone | BE1540 | 10-in. | 5/15/1929 | Kaipaava | Oiva Soini | Male vocal solo, with piano and cello obbligato | arranger | |
| Gramophone | BE1551 | 10-in. | 5/15/1929 | Lisa mia | Ture Ara | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | arranger | |
| Victor (Canada) | 7721 | 10-in. | approximately 1928 to 1933 | Mademoiselle Rococo | Elsa Ukkonen | Female vocal solo, with piano | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Melartin, Erkki," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103237.
Melartin, Erkki. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103237.
"Melartin, Erkki." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Erkki Melartin
Discogs: Erkki Melartin
Allmusic: Erkki Melartin
Apple Music: Erkki Melartin
Grove: Erkki Melartin
IMSLP: Erkki Melartin
RISM: Erkki Melartin
IMDb: Erkki Melartin
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Melartin, Erkki - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81081336
Wikidata: Erkki Melartin - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q534960
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/64195156
MusicBrainz: Erkki Melartin - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/5b3f4700-d190-4f70-8f36-9b68e76d9464
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/76255 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/76255
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