Martti Talvela had a Wagnerian bass voice of uncommon power and richness. He was noted for his expressive legato singing, and exceptional focus of tone. He also dominated the operatic stage by his sheer size: He was an immense man, standing six foot eight and weighing around 300 pounds. This suited him well for the most commanding roles in opera, such as Fasolt the Giant in Wagner's Das Rheingold and Hagen in Götterdämmerung, Mussorgsky's BorisRead more Godunov, Sarastro in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Verdi's Grand Inquisitor, and a role that was written for him, the revivalist preacher Paavo Ruotsalainen in Kokkonen's The Last Temptations.
He began his adult life as a schoolteacher, but pursued vocal studies. After his Stockholm operatic debut (as Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto) he soon found himself in demand, singing all the Wagnerian bass roles, several Russian operas, and many Verdi parts. He also pursued a career as a recitalist, and was the greatest male champion of the songs of his countrymen Sibelius and Kilpinen. He regarded the condition of being granted artistic talent as carrying with it a God-given responsibility. In 1972, he accepted an invitation to become Artistic Director of the Savonlinna Opera Festival. This yearly event, little-known then outside Finland, had been revived in 1967 after a festival that had been run by the great Finnish soprano Aďno Ackté from 1912 to 1930. Talvela immediately transformed it into one of the top international music festivals, in which operas are staged in the impressive courtyard of the St. Olaf's Castle (or Olavonlinna).
Health problems forced Talvela's retirement from Savonlinna in 1979; he had been diagnosed with diabetes, and he had other dangers to his health due to his weight. He restricted his operatic repertory to ten roles, cut back on his lucrative employment in that field, but expanded his schedule of recitals on the grounds that these were better "to bring my message." His sense of the artist's divine mission to bring something to the world was expressed in a 1986 interview. He accepted an appointment to become director of the Finnish National Opera commencing in 1992. But he was stricken with a heart attack and dropped dead while dancing at the party after his daughter's wedding on July 22, 1989, a shocking and regretted sudden deaths in operatic history. He left behind a rich legacy of recordings, including video productions, of many of his great roles. Read less
Label: Urania Records
Catalog: 356
Release Date: 04/20/2018
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
James King,
Martti Talvela,
Theo Adam,
Kenneth MacDonald
...
Conductor:
Otto Klemperer
Orchestra/Ensemble:
New Philharmonia Orchestra,
BBC Chorus
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 4798358
Release Date: 01/26/2018
Number of Discs: 70
Composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Alban Berg,
George Frideric Handel,
Franz Joseph Haydn
...
Performer:
Martti Talvela,
James King,
Walter Taussig,
Dame Gwyneth Jones
...
Conductor:
Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dresden State Opera Chorus,
Leipzig Radio Choir,
Staatskapelle Dresden
...
Label: Decca
Catalog: 4832417
Release Date: 12/01/2017
Number of Discs: 101
Composer:
Vincenzo Bellini,
Gaetano Donizetti,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Pietro Mascagni
...
Performer:
Dame Joan Sutherland,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Josephine Veasey,
Cornelius Opthof
...
Conductor:
Richard Bonynge,
Sir Georg Solti,
Gianandrea Gavazzeni,
Bruno Bartoletti
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra,
Ambrosian Opera Chorus,
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
...
Label: Warner Classics
Catalog: 564492
Release Date: 10/27/2017
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Gerhard Unger,
Anja Silja,
Annelies Burmeister,
Martti Talvela
...
Conductor:
Otto Klemperer
Orchestra/Ensemble:
BBC Chorus,
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 4797348
Release Date: 07/14/2017
Number of Discs: 14
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Georg Philipp Telemann,
George Frideric Handel,
Johann Sebastian Bach
...
Performer:
Gundula Janowitz,
Hedwig Bilgram,
Elmar Schloter,
Marga Höffgen
...
Conductor:
Willfried Boettcher,
John Pritchard,
Karl Richter,
Herbert von Karajan
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Symphony Orchestra,
Hamburg Telemann-Gesellschaft Orchestra,
Munich Bach Orchestra
...
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 4797354
Release Date: 07/07/2017
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Oralia Dominguez,
Erwin Wohlfahrt,
Catherine Gayer,
Anna Reynolds
...
Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 4797291
Release Date: 06/09/2017
Number of Discs: 4
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Wolfgang Windgassen,
Christa Ludwig,
Birgit Nilsson,
Martti Talvela
...
Conductor:
Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra,
Bayreuth Festival Chorus
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 4797021
Release Date: 02/24/2017
Number of Discs: 17
Composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Johannes Brahms,
Max Reger,
Franz Joseph Haydn
...
Performer:
Wolfgang Meyer,
Marianna Radev,
Josef Greindl,
Maria Stader
...
Conductor:
Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,
Berlin St. Hedwig Cathedral Choir,
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
...
Label: Decca
Catalog: 002588002
Release Date: 01/06/2017
Number of Discs: 3
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Martti Talvela,
Sherrill Milnes,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Dame Joan Sutherland
Conductor:
Richard Bonynge
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Ambrosian Opera Chorus,
London Symphony Orchestra
Label: Dg Deutsche Grammophon
Catalog: 002565802
Release Date: 10/14/2016
Number of Discs: 32
Composer:
Johann Sebastian Bach,
Ludwig van Beethoven,
Franz Joseph Haydn,
Alban Berg
...
Performer:
Franz Crass,
Fritz Wunderlich,
Christa Ludwig,
Gundula Janowitz
...
Conductor:
Karl Richter,
Karl Münchinger,
Marcel Couraud,
Herbert von Karajan
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Munich Bach Orchestra,
Munich Bach Choir,
Stuttgart Hymnus Boys Choir
...
Label: Decca
Catalog: 002503602
Release Date: 06/03/2016
Number of Discs: 6
Composer:
Giacomo Puccini,
Georges Bizet,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Umberto Giordano
...
Performer:
Luciano Pavarotti,
Marilyn Horne,
Dame Joan Sutherland,
Mirella Freni
...
Conductor:
Zubin Mehta,
Henry Lewis,
Richard Bonynge,
Herbert von Karajan
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
John Alldis Choir,
Wandsworth School Boys' Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra
...
Label: Decca
Catalog: 002459302
Release Date: 03/25/2016
Number of Discs: 75
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Violeta Urmana,
Stuart Neill,
Maria Guleghina,
Samuel Ramey
...
Conductor:
Sir Neville Marriner,
Lamberto Gardelli,
James Levine,
Richard Bonynge
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields,
London Voices,
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
...
Label: Arthaus Musik
Catalog: 109190
Release Date: 02/26/2016
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Martti Talvela,
Peter Schreier,
Ileana Cotrubas,
Edda Moser
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
Vienna State Opera Chorus Konzertvereinigung
Label: Arthaus Musik
Catalog: 109191
Release Date: 02/26/2016
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Ingrid Mayr,
Ann Murray,
Edda Moser,
Ileana Cotrubas
...
Conductor:
James Levine
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna State Opera Chorus Konzertvereinigung,
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Label: Warner Classics
Catalog: 554008
Release Date: 01/29/2016
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Performer:
Theo Adam,
Anja Silja,
Martti Talvela,
Ernst Kozub
...
Conductor:
Otto Klemperer
Orchestra/Ensemble:
New Philharmonia Orchestra,
BBC Chorus
Recommendation
Label: Decca
Catalog: 4781535
Release Date: 01/20/2015
Number of Discs: 66
Composer:
Giacomo Puccini,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Umberto Giordano,
Pietro Mascagni
...
Performer:
Giovanni Inghilleri,
Giacinto Prandelli,
Melchiorre Luise,
Fernando Corena
...
Conductor:
Alberto Erede,
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli,
Gianandrea Gavazzeni,
Tullio Serafin
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Chorus,
Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Orchestra,
Santa Cecilia Academy Chamber Orchestra
...
Label: Decca
Catalog: 002089202
Release Date: 08/12/2014
Number of Discs: 17
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi,
Francesco Cilča,
Umberto Giordano,
Giacomo Meyerbeer
...
Performer:
Giulietta Simionato,
Cornell MacNeil,
Carlo Bergonzi,
Piero de Palma
...
Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan,
Sir Georg Solti,
John Pritchard,
Rafael Kubelik
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
Vienna Friends of Music Society,
Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Chorus
...
Label: Bravissimo Opera Library
Catalog: 9922
Release Date: 07/08/2014
Number of Discs: 11
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi
Performer:
Rita Bezzi,
Arturo La Porta,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Renata Scotto
...
Conductor:
Carlo Maria Giulini,
Nino Verchi,
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli,
Horst Stein
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Florence Teatro Comunale Orchestra,
Florence Teatro Comunale Chorus,
Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra
...
Recommendation
Label: Decca
Catalog: 002051802
Release Date: 05/19/2014
Number of Discs: 28
Composer:
Vincenzo Bellini,
Gaetano Donizetti,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Giacomo Puccini
...
Performer:
Dame Joan Sutherland,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Josephine Veasey,
Cornelius Opthof
...
Conductor:
Richard Bonynge,
Lamberto Gardelli,
Zubin Mehta,
Herbert von Karajan
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra,
Ambrosian Chorus,
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
...
Label: Decca
Catalog: 001912702
Release Date: 10/08/2013
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:
Vladimir Ashkenazy,
Arthur Grumiaux,
Ingrid Haebler,
Henryk Szeryng
...
Conductor:
Bernard Haitink,
Alceo Galliera,
Vladimir Ashkenazy,
Sir Colin Davis
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Beaux Arts Trio
Label: Arthaus Musik
Catalog: 101691
Release Date: 09/24/2013
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Barbara Vogel,
Hans Peter Hallwachs,
Zdislawa Donat,
Horst Laubenthal
...
Conductor:
Gary Bertini
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Deutsche Oper Orchestra,
Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus
Label: Warner Classics
Catalog: 935402
Release Date: 08/20/2013
Number of Discs: 8
Composer:
Johann Sebastian Bach,
George Frideric Handel,
Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:
Franz Crass,
Agnes Giebel,
Nicolai Gedda,
Dame Janet Baker
...
Conductor:
Otto Klemperer
Orchestra/Ensemble:
New Philharmonia Orchestra,
BBC Chorus,
Philharmonia Orchestra
...
Recommendation
Label: Emi Classics
Catalog: 280342
Release Date: 07/16/2013
Number of Discs: 5
Composer:
Mikhail Glinka,
Alexander Dargomizhsky,
Alexander Borodin,
Modest Mussorgsky
...
Performer:
Feodor Chaliapin,
Marianne Tcherkasskaya,
Boris Christoff,
Mela Bougarinovitch
...
Conductor:
Max Steimann,
Igor Markevitch,
Georgi Pozemkovsky,
Jerzy Semkow
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra,
Lamoureux Concerts Association Orchestra,
Belgrade Opera Chorus
...