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Fredrik Pacius is best known nowadays as the composer of the Finnish National Anthem, but he is also regarded as the father of Finnish opera, an operatic tradition which continues to the present day through such composers as Rautavaara and Saariaho. This, his first opera, was premiered in Helsinki in 1852 and is regarded as a landmark in Finnish music. A tale based on historical events involving King Charles XI of Sweden, it is a pleasant, tuneful work with overtones of the German romantic style while still retaining a distinct Finnish identity. While the libretto was originally written in Swedish, this performance is given in a Finnish translation and this satisfactory production is to be welcomed both for its intrinsic merits and as an example of early Finnish opera. www.naxos.com - Colman Morrissey