Oskar Merikanto

Oskar Merikanto was undoubtedly overshadowed by his Finnish countryman and contemporary, Jean Sibelius. That said, Merikanto was an important musical figure in his sphere still, particularly for his work in opera, song, and church music. He was instrumental in bringing operatic performances to the stage in Finland, and his Pohjan neiti (Maiden of the North) was the first Finnish-language opera ever produced. In the realm of church music Merikanto was active both as an educator and composer. But he will probably be best remembered for his songs. A good many of them from his num...