As a young composer, Leevi Madetoja had already attracted attention in his student days with the work Pianotrio (1909). Along with his study mate Toivo Kuula, he was the first significant Finnish composer to draw inspiration from French music.

Earlier, Germany had been the preferred destination for post-graduate studies among students of composing. After all, the likes of Jean Sibelius, Madetoja’s teacher, drew his most important inspiration from the German-speaking world. In contrast, Madetoja successfully combined Finnish folk ingredients with modern French elements to form his own balanced style. Indeed, folk melodies were so naturally intertwined with his compositions that they were sometimes thought to be folk music.

Madetoja’s First Symphony was completed in 1916 and enjoyed an enthusiastic reception in musical circles. His more dramatic and monumental Second Symphony achieved considerably more popularity upon its completion in 1918. Madetoja’s experiences in the Finnish Civil, during which both his brother and his friend Kuula died, had a central effect on its style.

Madetoja’s Third Symphony, considered his most mature work, was completed in the Parisian suburbs in 1926. It presents a lighter more extroverted side of the composer, who is often remembered as a meditative introvert. Madetoja’s most daring musical experiment is probably the Japanese themed Ballet d’ action Okon Fuoko, which was performed for the first time in 1930. It failed to enjoy particular success on the stage, but the orchestral series that resulted from it has received acclaim.

Madetoja reached the pinnacle of his career with the opera The Ostrobothnians, which premiered in 1924. It immediately became part of the permanent programme of the Finnish National Opera. In Madetoja’s lifetime the opera was also performed abroad, and it remains on the programme of the Finnish National Opera to this day. It has even been described as the most successful Finnish opera of all time.

One reason for the success of the opera could be its nationalistic themes, which emphasised the honesty and sense of justice of Ostrobothnian peasants. Madetoja’s second opera, Juha, is, according to Erkki Salmenhaara, more mature and profound, but it failed to enjoy the popularity of its predecessor. The external factors present in The Ostrobothnians were lacking.

The third focus of Madetoja’s works is vocal music, both choral and solo pieces. He collaborated in particular with Heikki Klemetti. Klemetti conducted, among others, the YL Male Voice Choir, which has later recorded and released all of Madetoja’s pieces for male voice choirs.

Among the best of his vocal music is Elegia, which is set to a poem by Eino Leino, while one of his best known pieces is the Christmas carol Arkihuolesi kaikki heitä (‘Cast away your everyday worries’). Due to the quality and breadth of his work, Leevi Madetoja can be considered one of the most influential figures in Finnish choral music. He was also the most important symphonist of the post-Sibelius generation.

Sources:

• Juha T. Koskinen, Madetoja Leevi, Yle. Sininen laulu. Suomen taiteiden tarina web publication. Accessed 15 September, 2015.
• Erkki Salmenhaara, Madetoja, Leevi, National Biography web publication. Accessed 15 September, 2015. Available for free on the Nelli portal.
• Kimmo Korhonen, Leevi Madetoja, säveltäjä, Madetoja Foundation web publication. Accessed 15 September, 2015.
• Leevi Madetoja, Wikipedia. Accessed 15 September, 2015.