Hector Berlioz: Love Scene from the Dramatic Symphony Romeo and Juliet
Lili Boulanger: Psalm 130: De Profoundis out of the Depths
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 5, Op. 50
Tuija Knihtilä, mezzo-soprano
The Helsinki Music Centre Choir
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Lili Boulanger (1893–1918) was a French composer and musical prodigy, known especially for her talent and her short but significant career. She was the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome composition prize in 1913 with her work Faust et Hélène.
Boulanger’s music is profound and often melancholic in tone, perhaps reflecting her fragile health – she suffered from illness throughout her life and died at the age of only 24. Her output includes choral and orchestral works as well as sacred compositions such as Pie Jesu and Psalms 24, 129, and 130.
