Sibelius’ “Luonnotar”: A Mythic Tone Poem for Soprano and Orchestra

In Finnish mythology, Luonnotar is the female spirit of nature, and the daughter of the heavens. Also known as Ilmatar, she is at the center of the creation story which is told in Cantos 1 of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. Lonely and bored, Luonnotar floats aimlessly for centuries in a vast, celestial void, before dropping into the primal ocean. Following a mighty tempest, the goddess’ boredom is alleviated when a …

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