Somewhere in the NABKV-L archive there will be a record of my mentioning Aino Ackte (April 23, 1876 Helsinki – August 8, 1944 Vihti, originally Aino Achte), the great Finnish soprano who sang the premiere of Sibelius's Luonnotar (Gloucester, 1913). There is also Emmy Achte, Aino's mother, who sang in the first performance of Sibelius's Kullervo (Helsinki, 1892). Both these works, of course, are based on episodes from the Kalevala, of great relevance to Pale Fire. "Luonnotar" means "Nature's daughter", and the tone-poem is about the creation of the world..

 

Anthony Stadlen