BIS Boss Robert von Bahr: Try this little lesson in Finnish: "Kooko koko kokko? Koko kokoko? Koko kokko." (Gather together the whole open fire? The complete open fire? Yes, the complete fire.") When we started our decades-long co-operation with the Lahti SO (this is our 30-year Anniversary) I couldn't possibly imagine the adventurous roads we would travel together. Doing the Sibelius is one thing, but to record the Grand Old Man in Finnish music then, Joonas Kokkonen's (hence the little joke above) complete symphonies I didn't quite believe. We had always joked about recording the 'Kokkonen kakkonen', meaning his second symphony, but ended up doing all of it, adding a few odds and ends at the same time, like the Requiem, starring singers like Soile Isokoski and conductors like Osmo Vänskä and Ulf Söderblom. We have compiled them into two quite long albums, and we invite you to enjoy this music at a nice discount. There is another reason why his output is unique - never in his whole long life did he write a single tone for tuba...guess if he was popular with the tubists around the world...
Extra material for download
