Toivo Kuula (1883–1918) was a popular composer of vocal music. He is frequently described as the 'tragic Romantic in Finnish music', chiefly because of his violent death in a shooting incident at the early age of 35. On the other hand, the description also captures something of the flavour of his music, which is often replete with brooding pathos and overflowing sentiment.
Kuula went on study trips to Italy, Germany and France and developed an interest in the Impressionism of Debussy. There are fleeting touches of Impressionism in his music, for example in the orchestral pieces “Metsässä sataa” (Raining in the Forest, 1912) and “Hiidet virvoja viritti” (The Will-o'-wisp, 1912), but for the most part his style is a flowing, nationally tinted brand of Romanticism. Kuula was also an active collector of folk music and occasionally used folk tunes in his works. Kuula made his breakthrough with two extensive and tempestuous chamber music works, the Violin Sonata in E minor (1907) and the Piano Trio in A major (1908). Before these, he had written a few solo songs — “Syystunnelma” (Autumn Mood, 1904) and “Aamulaulu” (Morning song, 1905) — that have since become classics.
Some of Kuula's later songs have also remained in the core repertoire. Perhaps the best-known of these is “Tuijotin tulehen kauan” (Long I Stared into the Fire, 1907), which somehow captures the essence of his solo songs: the music begins in a static meditation, escalates to a powerful climax and then returns to the brooding mood of the opening.
A more delicate aspect can be found in “Aamulaulu”, “Sinipiika” (The Forest Maiden, 1912), and his last solo song, “Purjein kuutamolla” (Sailing in the Moonlight, 1917), where an Impressionist flavour can be detected. In addition to his 24 solo songs, Kuula also wrote a considerable number of choral songs for mixed choir and male voice choir. The extensive “Meren virsi” (Hymn of the Sea, 1909) for mixed choir has become famous, even notorious, for its difficulty.
Other well-known choral works of his are “Siell' on kauan jo kukkineet omenapuut” (Yonder the Apple Trees are Blooming, 1908) and “Auringon noustessa” (Sunrise, 1910) for mixed choir, and “Virta venhettä vie” (Drifting on the Stream, 1906) and “Nuijamiesten marssi” (March of the Club Warriors, 1913) for male voice choir.
Kuula's major works are vocal works with orchestra. The lucid “Merenkylpijäneidot” (The Sea-Bathing Maidens, 1910) for soprano and orchestra, the titanic and pathos-laden “Orjan poika” (Son of a Slave, 1910) for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, and the Impressionistically tinted “Impi ja Pajarin poika” (The Maiden and the Boyar's Son, 1912) for soprano and orchestra can be seen as a cycle in that they are all settings of poems from the first set of “Helkavirsiä” (Whitsongs) by Eino Leino.
More extensive than these is the Stabat mater (1914–18), which can be considered Kuula's most significant work. It remained incomplete at Kuula's death; a performing version was edited by Leevi Madetoja, a close friend and composer colleague. Apparently Madetoja mainly touched up the orchestration, although it is known that he also added completely new sections to the music.
Kuula's Stabat mater is a sort of compendium of the dimensions of his creative work: it is written in his signature style, melodically flowing and sombre Late Romanticism, but it also contains lighter Impressionist tones, a rugged archaic streak and even a concluding Bach-like fugue. (Kimmo Korhonen: Inventing Finnish Music - Contemporary Composers from Medieval to Modern translated by Jaakko Mäntyjärvi - 2003)
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