The Early Days of Finnish-Language Recordings

The first Finnish-language recordings were not made in Finland but in St. Petersburg. In 1901, the first known Finnish-language recordings were made there, including a performance by the Russian M. A. Goltison of Tuoll’ on mun kultani. The choir of the Finnish Singing Society of St. Petersburg is also associated with these early recordings. Thus, the beginning of Finnish recorded music history is surprisingly linked to the capital of the empire, far from the landscape with which these songs are usually associated. The earliest recordings made in St. Petersburg can now be found in digitized form on the National Library’s Doria service.

The first recording session held in Finland took place in Helsinki in November 1904. Although the exact order of all the recordings is unknown, Pasi Jääskeläinen’s "Tammerkosken sillalla" is often cited as the first Finnish-language song recorded in Finland. However, there is a small but interesting twist in the story: Helsinki’s first recorded performance was likely not a song at all, but Adolf Lindfors reciting a passage from Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid. "On the Tammerkoski Bridge" can still be heard on Yle Areena. 

These early recordings serve as a reminder that Finnish cultural history has never been static; rather, it has emerged through movement, at the crossroads of influences, languages, and cities.

Surprising fact: The very first words on Finnish-language records were reportedly recorded by a Russian singer, who is said to have sung in broken Finnish. Yet those sounds from over 120 years ago can still be heard in digital recordings. 

Hook: What does national cultural heritage sound like when its very first sound comes from beyond the borders?