Don’t miss the concert by the acclaimed pianist Joseph Tong at St John’s Smith Square, London, at 7.30 pm on 20 September 2017, marking the launch of his second Sibelius piano music CD.
The programme is:
Grieg Stimmungen, Op. 73 Schumann Fantasie in C major, Op. 17 Sibelius Valse triste, Op. 44 Sibelius 5 Characteristic Impressions, Op. 103 Sibelius Sonata in F major, Op. 12
The new CD includes the above-mentioned works by Sibelius plus the three Sonatinas, Op. 67, Eight Bagatelles, Op. 97, and Four Lyric Pieces, Op. 74.
The previous CD in the series contains the following repertoire: Kyllikki; Five Pieces (‘The Trees’); Five Pieces (‘The Flowers’); Five Romantic Pieces, Op. 101; Five Esquisses, Op. 114; Two Rondinos; Finlandia (Quartz QTZ 2111).
A new book, Jean Sibelius’s Legacy – Research on his 150th Anniversary (ed. Daniel Grimley, Tim Howell, Veijo Murtomäki & Timo Virtanen), has been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
As part of the Sibelius 150th anniversary celebrations in 2015, a great number of Sibelius scholars gathered in Hämeenlinna, his birth town, for a conference leading up to his birthday on 8 December. This volume draws upon the most current achievements of Sibelius research. It brings together the diverse – and sometimes even divergent – viewpoints that emerged from this international meeting.
These studies cover all of the genres in Sibelius’ production: orchestral works, incidental music, piano and chamber music, and songs, including both well-known works and rarities, and even some fresh discoveries. The chapters in this book are also a welcome reminder of the manifold sources of inspiration: the music of his contemporaries, nature, literature, and visual art. The versatility of Sibelius’s output, and the richness of his creative imagination are presented here to any reader interested to learn more about the music of the Finnish master.
Contributors: Ilkka Oramo, Veijo Murtomäki, Jorma Daniel Lünenbürger, Martti Laitinen, Vesa Kurkela, Kaarina Kilpiö, Timothy L. Jackson, Juhani Alesaro, Sanna Iitti, Tim Howell, Benjamin T. Hilger, Pekka Helasvuo, Olli Heikkinen, Charris Efthimiou, Gustav Djupsjöbacka, Les Black, Barry Wiener, Tuija Wicklund, Ron Weidberg, Olli Väisälä, Timo Virtanen, Helena Tyrväinen, Aare Tool, Ferruccio Tammaro, Lauri Suurpää, Anna Pulkkis
The sixteenth Sibelius i Korpo festival opens today, 21 July 2017, and celebrates Finland’s centenary in programmes of chamber, vocal and choral music, predominantly by Finnish composers. Artistic director of the festival is Folke Gräsbeck.
The programmes are as follows:
Friday 21 July 2017 9 pm at Korpo gård:Late evening concert
Jean Sibelius
Piano Trio in D major, ‘Korpo’, JS 209
Andante cantabile for violin and piano, JS 33
Untitled piece in B minor for violin and piano, JS 90 (sonata allegro exposition)
Adagio in F sharp minor for cello and piano, JS 15 (1889)
Tempo di valse in F sharp minor for cello and piano, JS 194 (‘Lulu Waltz’)
Andantino in D major ‘Till Emma Kristina Marie-Louise Berndtson. Lulu’ for piano
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Notturno e Danza for violin and piano
Ernst Linko
Nocturne for cello and piano
Madoka Sato, violin Taneli Turunen, cello Folke Gräsbeck, piano
Saturday 22 July 2017 1 pm at the Sibelius statue: Welcome Ceremony
Welcome from Petri Kirkkomäki, director of Sibelius i Korpo
Jean Sibelius
Drömmarna, JS 64
Florakören and Brahe Djäknar conducted by Ulf Långbacka
Saturday 22 July 2017 6 pm at Korpo Kommunalgård: ‘Ögonblickets tusen årstider’
Jean Sibelius The Village Church, Op. 103 No. 1, for piano
Morceau romantique sur un motif de M. Jakob de Julin, JS 135b, for piano
Bernhard Henrik Crusell
Vikingabalk (1826) for tenor and piano
Fredrik Pacius
Soldatgossen for tenor and piano
Karl Collan
Gamle Hurtig (1857) for tenor and piano
På Roines strand (1862) for tenor and piano
Jean Sibelius Kullervos Wehruf from Op. 7 for tenor and piano
Jägargossen, Op. 13 No. 7, for tenor and piano
Illalle, Op. 17 No. 6 (first version) for tenor and piano
Illalle, Op. 17 No. 6 (final version) for soprano and piano
Men min fågel märks dock icke, Op. 36 No. 2, for soprano and piano
Säf, säf, susa, Op. 36 No. 4, for soprano and piano
Ilkka Kuusisto Kiurun portaat, suite for soprano and piano
Oskar Merikanto Soipa kieli, Op. 62 No. 1, for soprano, tenor and piano
Oi, kiitos sa Luojani armollinen, Op. 62 No. 2, for soprano, tenor and piano
Bulgarian folk song, arr. Johanna Almark
Bulgarisk skärgårdsvals, for women’s choir
Martin Segerstråle
En stilla Undran, for women’s choir
arr. Hanna Kronqvist Det brinner en eld, for women’s choir
Ilkka Aaltonen
Lasinkuultava laulu, for male voice choir
arr. John Rosas
Morgonvisa ‘Morgonen ljusnar’, for male voice choir
Fredrik Pacius
Suomis sång, for male voice choir
Evert Taube
Så skimrande var aldrig havet, for mixed choir
Jean Sibelius
Drömmarna, JS 64
Wilhelm Stenhammar Vårnatt, Op. 30 No. 2, for mixed choir and piano
Ulf Långbacka Ögonblickets tusen årstider,
cantata for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and piano
(world première, commissioned by the Sibelius i Korpo festival)
Turku University Students’ Choir Florakören and Brahe Djäknar conducted by Ulf Långbacka
Mari Palo, soprano Herman Wallén, tenor Folke Gräsbeck, piano
Sunday 23 July 2017 2 pm at Korpo gård: ‘Sibelius and Adolf Paul’
Lecture by Prof. Fabian Dahlström
Sunday 23 July 2017 4 pm at Korpo gård: ‘Finland 100 – Jäger March 100’
Jean Sibelius Piano Trio in A minor, ‘Hafträsk, JS 207 (first movement: world premère of definitive version)
Erkki Melartin
Kuutamo, Op. 99 No. 1, for soprano and piano
Sydänmaan lammella, Op. 20 No. 3, for soprano and piano
Vallarelåt, Op. 42 No. 1, for soprano and piano
I natt skall jag dö, Op. 117 No. 1, for soprano and piano
Jean Sibelius Cantique, Op. 77 No. 1, for cello and piano
Vårförnimmelser, Op. 86 No. 1, for soprano and piano
Dold förening, Op. 86 No. 3, for soprano and piano
Och finns det en tanke, Op. 86 No. 4, for soprano and piano
Three Humoresques (Op. 87 No. 2; Op. 89 No. 1; Op. 89 No. 3), for violin and piano
Aquileja, Op. 85 No. 4, for piano
March of the Finnish Jäger Battalion, Op. 91a, for piano
I systrar, I bröder, I älskande par, Op. 86 No. 6, for tenor and piano
Morgonen, Op. 90 No. 3, for tenor and piano
Norden, Op. 90 No. 1, for tenor and piano
Fågelfängaren, Op. 90 No. 4, for tenor and piano
Vem styrde hit din väg? Op. 90 No. 6, for tenor and piano
Finlandia, Op. 26, for piano with tenor
Mari Palo, soprano
Herman Wallén, tenor
Madoka Sato, violin Taneli Turunen, cello Folke Gräsbeck, piano
The airline Norwegian has added Jean Sibelius to its ‘tail fin heroes’ – major cultural figures who lend their identities to the airline’s planes – to quote Norwegian, ‘personalities who have pushed the boundaries, challenged the established and inspired others’.
The figures selected come from the worlds of art, architecture, literature, music, entertainment, philosopy, science and sport, or have been pioneers in other walks of life.
Sibelius joins figures such as the poet J.L. Runeberg and the writer and activist Minna Canth to represent Finland in the airline’s ‘hall of fame’.
Sibelius himself never flew in an aeroplane, but an interest in flight manifested itself in his lifelong love for migrating birds (The Swan of Tuonela, finale of the Fifth Symphony, etc.)
Norwegian flies to Helsinki from a wide range of destinations including London Gatwick, Amsterdam, Paris, Prague, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Sibelius One’s July 2017 magazine is now being delivered to subscribers. Highlights of this issue include:
My name is Sibelius, Jean Sibelius David Revilla Velasco
Aspects of Leopold Stokowski in Philadelphia John Davis
‘Now I’m off to the Kämp again’: Celebrating 130 years of Sibelius’s favourite watering hole Andrew Barnett
Reputation and Art: Sibelius during the Great War Period Guy Rickards
Northern Exposure: The Symphonies of Sibelius (Part One) Leon Chia
To subscribe to the magazine, make sure you select the ‘printed copies’ option when joining Sibelius One (just £5 for two issues).
If you would like to add the magazine to your existing subscription, or to purchase individual copies of this issue or back issues (£5 each plus postage – also available to non-members) please contact info@sibeliusone.com
Page 1 of the Scherzo from Op. 4, from the Sibelius collection of the National Library of Finland (HUL 0552)
The next release in the JSW Critical Edition is now imminent, and includes all the works by Sibelius for string orchestra. JSW is published by the National Library of Finland, the Sibelius Society of Finland and the publishing house Breitkopf & Härtel (Wiesbaden).
Jean Sibelius wrote eight works for string orchestra over a wide time span stretching from the early 1890s until 1939. Many of these are either arrangements of earlier compositions or were composed in conjunction with a piano version. In addition to strings, additional instruments are used in some pieces (timpani, triangle, flutes, harp).
This new volume contains three first publications: two versions of the Impromptus and the early version of Rakastava. During the editing process, some previously unknown source materials have come to light. These include the score and parts from Andante festivo’s first performance (1939) in the YLE archive as well as another contemporary score with parts in the archive of Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat. These new sources have significantly expanded the understanding of this work.
Edited by Pekka Helasvuo and Tuija Wicklund
Contents:
1. Scherzo (Presto – from Op. 4)
2. Impromptu, Op. 5 No. 5
3. Impromptu, Op. 5 Nos 5–6 (early version)
4. Impromptu, Op. 5 Nos 5–6 (revised version)
5. Rakastava, Op. 14 (early version)
6. Rakastava, Op. 14 (revised version)
7. Romance in C, Op. 42
8. Suite mignonne, Op. 98a
9. Suite champêtre, Op. 98b
10. Suite caractéristique, Op. 100
11. Andante festivo, JS 34b
The Arensky Chamber Orchestra presents ‘The Forests of Aulanko’ – a classical concert with a twist, featuring Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5.
The Hospital Club, 24 Endell Street, London WC2H 9HQ | 8.00pm | 24 June 2017
Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela Alex Woolf: Aulanko Responses Sibelius: Symphony No. 5
Arensky Chamber Orchestra – William Kunhardt, artistic director/principal conductor
Aulanko follows the orchestra’s 2016 sell-out performance of Sibelius’s Seventh Symphony ‘in miniature’, a concert the Guardian said ‘made you feel like you were at the centre of an arctic gale with frost on your chin!’ It also features Sibelius’s Swan of Tuonela as well as a world première – Aulanko Responses, by 2012 BBC Young Composer of the Year, Alex Woolf. Aulanko Responses weaves music and poetry readings together, painting the forests landscapes of Sibelius’s homeland in sound.
The experience will include food and drink inspired by the Symphony and a ‘live programme note’ filled with stories about Sibelius and his masterpiece, delivered by the musicians from the stage. The event will be set in the Hospital Club’s penthouse cabaret salon, The Oak Room, giving the public one-night-only access to this exclusive members club.
The Arensky Chamber Orchestra is Britain’s orchestra of revolutionaries. Extraordinary classical musicians dedicated to electrifying performance and mind-opening presentation.
Exclusive ticket offer: £12, including a surprise cocktail
Discount tickets available here
*** Please note these are strictly limited and first come, first served. If these tickets are sold out, full price tickets are available here ***
6 July at 8 pm – Building 41, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London SE18 6ST (part of the Greenwich and Docklands Festival) – click here for more info and tickets
The final schedule has been announced for the third Sibelius Festival Golfo del Tigullio e Riviera, Italy, taking place in September/October 2017. The Festival comprises an ambitious programme of lectures and concerts organized under the artistic direction of composer Federico Ermirio.
Friday 22 September, 5pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Sala ‘Spazio Aperto’ Sibelius e il Golfo del Tigullio: Soggiorno e ispirazione (in Italian)
Federico Ermirio, composer & artistic director
Friday 29 September, 9pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Villa Durazzo Inauguration Concert: Grieg, Sibelius, Ermirio, Rautavaara
Folke Gräsbeck, piano (artist in residence)
Saturday, September 30th 9pm
Sori / Oratorio di Sant’Erasmo Soprano Recital: Grieg, Sibelius, Catalani, Puccini
Daria Masiero, soprano / Gisella Dapueto, piano
Sunday 1 October, 3.30pm
Recco / San Giovanni Battista Church Grieg, Sibelius, Holst, De Haan, Elgar, Tchaikovsky
Filarmonica ‘Gioacchino Rossini’ wind orchestra
Friday 6 October, 5pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Sala ‘Spazio Aperto’ Luci, colori e suoni (in Italian)
Simon Falvo, editor
Friday 6 October, 9pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Villa Durazzo Piano Quintets: Ermirio, Berg, Sibelius
New Helsinki Quartet; Folke Gräsbeck, piano
Saturday 7 October, 9pm
Zoagli /San Martino Church String Quartets [1]: Berg, Kokkonen, Sibelius
New Helsinki Quartet
Sunday 8 October, 9pm
Recco / Oratorio di San Martino String Quartets [2]: Sibelius, Webern, Kaipainen, Beethoven
New Helsinki Quartet
Friday 13 October, 5pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Sala ‘Spazio Aperto’ Il cinema finlandese prima di Kaurismäki (in Italian)
Hilla Okkonen (Finnish Embassy, Rome)
Friday 13 October, 9pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Villa Durazzo Piano Recital: Prokofiev, Nielsen, Sibelius
Andrea Carcano, piano
Saturday 14 October, 5pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / Sala Consiliare del Comune Sotto la stella polare: cento anni di indipendenza (in Italian)
Ferruccio Tammaro, critic
Hilla Okkonen (Finnish Embassy, Rome)
with the participation of Janne Taalas, Finnish Ambassador in Rome
Saturday 14 October, 9pm
Santa Margherita Ligure / San Siro Church Symphonic Concert: Barber, Sibelius
Orchestra Sinfonica del Conservatorio ‘Giacomo Puccini’ di La Spezia
Giovanni Di Stefano, conductor
Sunday 15 October, 6pm
Bogliasco / Sala ‘Piero Bozzo’ Viola Recital: Sibelius, Bax, Brahms
Kate Hamilton, viola
Andrea Carcano, piano
A limited-edition complete boxed set of the BIS Sibelius Edition has been issued by King International in Japan.
The set includes all 69 original CDs plus a bonus disc of items that have come to light since the thirteenth and final volume of the Edition was issued in 2011 (these newer recordings are available internationally on BIS-2065 and BIS-2132).
The discs are accompanied by a large book (over 400 pages) including track listings, notes, artist biographies and song texts with Japanese translations.
The ongoing Sibelius discography project has received another update. To download the latest version (free) click here: Sibelius_Discography_20170522. For more information on the discography project and recent releases see our Discography & Recordings page.
