Finland continues to enrich the world with great musicians, architects, designers and dancers.
The strength of a small nation lies in its culture.
- J.V. Snellman, leading 19th century Finnish statesman and philosopher
Finland is a small country with a rich cultural heritage. Reflecting this, Finns count among the world's top readers, and libraries, theatres and museums exert an irresistible attraction. The nation continues to enrich the world with great musicians, architects, designers and dancers.
In the 19th century, Finns rediscovered their ancient poetry, created a vernacular literature and theatre, and ushered in the first golden age in architecture, art and music. It was a good beginning.
Perhaps it's this relative youth that has given the country its spirit of experimentation, its exuberance and its skill at reassessment.
Festival time
Summer is festival time in Finland. Not surprising in itself, perhaps, but miraculous in the standard and popularity of the events. Opera, chamber and modern music, choral and church music, jazz, rock and folk music ring through the air; dance and theatre are staged in the most unexpected and imaginative places. The performers represent the world's elite, yet ticket prices remain affordable, so it's no wonder that the events attract over a million visitors a year.
Before the advent of television almost everyone in Finland seemed to be involved with the theatre in some way - acting, directing, staging, or simply selling tickets. In addition to the professional theatre, there were hundreds, or even thousands, of amateur theatrical companies.
The tradition has continued into the age of TV, and these days you don't necessarily need to have a grasp of the Finnish language to enjoy it.
Experimentation resulted in visually exhilarating and challenging productions. The classics have been widely reinterpreted and conventions challenged.
The arrival of independent theatrical companies in the 1960s was like a fresh breeze, and these days Finnish theatres are willing to take risks.
The first of many independent dance troupes, Raatikko, made its breakthrough at the Kuopio Dance and Music Festival back in 1974.
In its wake, many new stars have been born, including dance theatre ERI, Kenneth Kvarnström & Co and Nina Hyvärinen.
Experimental dance
Jorma Uotinen, a pioneer of experimental dance, was lured to take over the directorship of the National Ballet, so the experimental spirit found a niche in Helsinki's new National Opera House, too.
The Finnish summer is also a time for theatre-going and dancing. The Tampere International Theatre Festival and the Kuopio Dance and Music Festival are important reviews of developments in their world.
Other popular major annual festivals are the Pori Jazz Festival, the Savonlinna Opera Festival, the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, the ‘Tango market' in Seinäjoki and - the biggest of them all - the Helsinki Festival.
National epic
The Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, was the great cohesive force of 19th century culture. It tells a series of stories set in a mythical, heroic and romantic Finland of ancient legend.
It inspired the music of Finland's greatest composer, Jean Sibelius, and other composers, as well as painters such as Akseli Gallén-Kallela and many writers and dramatists. It boosted the country's self esteem and proved that Swedish-speaking intellectuals, prominent although Finland was already a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, did not dominate all sectors of the cultural scene: the unlettered Finnish-speaking population had created and preserved its own rich and immensely subtle poetry.
Both The Kalevala (1835) and The Kanteletar (1841), a collection of lyrics, were given their overall structure by Elias Lönnrot (1802-84). They are just part of a folkloric treasure, and the Finnish Folklore Archives - the biggest in the world - fill about 47 metres of shelf space, not counting sound recordings and videos.
The folk tradition, particularly in the form of music, continues to inspire contemporary artists. Albums by Värttinä, for instance, regularly top the international world music charts with their blend of traditional Karelian-style female vocals and upbeat instrumentation. The kantele, similar to the zither, is a traditional Finnish string instrument that is regaining popularity.
The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, which attracts thousands of performers and an audience of 100,000 from within and beyond Finland every summer, is proof of the revival of folk traditions.
- Finnish Tourist Board
