The closest railway station to Jean Sibelius’s home, Ainola, has been renamed Ainola to mark the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
The station was named Kyröla until 30th June 2015, and is situated between Kerava and Järvenpää on the line from Helsinki to Riihimäki. It takes approx. 20 minutes to walk from the station to Ainola.
This is not the first time that Sibelius and his world have featured on Finnish railways. From 1992 until 2010 a daily train from Helsinki to St Petersburg bore the name ‘Sibelius’.
Naxos has started to release a major series of recordings by the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Leif Segerstam exploring Sibelius’s less familiar orchestral music.
The discs will be released at the rate of one per month until November 2015, and the repertoire includes a wide range of rarely heard music: original versions of theatre scores and some of Sibelius’s rarest independent orchestral pieces.
The programmes for the six discs are planned as follows:
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Overture in A minor; Kuolema (complete), Two Songs from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; King Christian II (complete) Soloists: Pia Pajala, Waltteri Torikka
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Overture in E major; Scène de ballet; Belshazzar’s Feast; Cortège; Menuetto; Processional
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Pélleas et Mélisande; Musik zu einer Scène; Three Pièces, Op. 96; Morceau romantique sur un motif de M. Jacob de Julin (Soloists: Pia Pajala, Sari Nordqvist)
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Jedermann; Two Serious Melodies; In memoriam (with the Cathedralis Aboensis Choir. Soloists: Pia Pajala, Nicholas Söderlund, Tuomas Katajala)
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Swanwhite; The Lizard; A Lonely Ski Trail; The Countess’s Portrait (Recitation: Riko Eklundh)
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Scaramouche
Leif Segerstam is a conductor, composer, violinist and pianist with a prominent international career. He received diplomas from the Sibelius Academy in violin and conducting, and studied at the Juilliard School in New York, where he was awarded a
conducting diploma. Segerstam has conducted in most of the world’s leading opera
houses. In 2004 Leif Segerstam was awarded the annual Finnish State Prize for Music and in 2005 the highly esteemed Sibelius Medal. He has gained wide acclaim for his many recordings with different orchestras. While pursuing his conducting career, Segerstam has also produced an extensive œuvre as a composer.
The Turku Musical Society, which later formed the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, was founded in 1790. As the oldest orchestra in Finland, the ensemble continues to develop and flourish under the baton of renowned conductors. Since 2012 its chief conductor has been Leif Segerstam.
Leif Segerstam and the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a ‘Sibelius Marathon’ – all seven symphonies in three concerts – on 8th, 10th and 11th December. Further details in the season brochure: click here.
In Hämeenlinna, the town where Jean Sibelius was born, the regional water company (HS-vesi) wanted to join in with the Sibelius 150 communal effort and, literally speaking, ‘leave their mark on the ground’. They had to renew about 150 of the Hämeenlinna town centre’s drain covers, and suggested that instead of the ‘usual’ ornaments, why not have the iron covers cast with something related to 2015? A different silvery grey metal alloy was also chosen that acquires an interesting patina in the long term, instead of regular iron that eventually rusts away. The life expectancy of the covers should take the city up to the 200th Sibelius anniversary festivities!
The approach was a combination of genuine appreciation and tongue-in-cheek humour.
The covers are designed by Markku Piri, who writes: ‘I did a simple editing of the visual symbol for this Sibelius year, of the stylized passion flower emblem with the outward flying swan [Hämeenlinna is the only region in Finland where the passion flower thrives in the wild]. So, when folks now walk about Hämeenlinna and look up, they’ll see hundreds of timely flags, and when they look down, they cannot escape the 150-year Sibelius mark either!’
The Flinders Quartet (Helen Ayres and Shane Chen, violins; Helen Ireland, viola; Zoe Knighton, cello) is presenting a Sibelius Festival at Kew Court House, Melbourne, Australia. The Quartet has already won acclaim for its Sibelius performances in 2015, and this festival continues its ground-breaking traversal of Sibelius’s string quartet music in a project that is introducing Australian audiences to this extensive body of rarely played music. The Flinders Quartet will also be a distinguished guest at the 2015 ‘Sibelius in Korpo’ festival in the Turku archipelago (17th–19th July).
Saturday 4th July, 3 pm
Quartet E flat major, JS 184
Four Themes
Andante festivo, JS 34a
Quartet A minor, JS 183
Saturday 4th July, 7 pm
Quartet in B flat major, Op. 4
Piano Quintet in G minor, JS 159 (with Stefan Cassomenos, piano)
Sunday 5th July, 1 pm: In Conversation: Sibelius Himself
Zoe Knighton, Sibelius expert Geoffrey Hayes and raconteur Barry Jones
Sunday 5th July, 3 pm
Molto moderato – Scherzo, JS 134
Adagio in D minor, JS 12
Fugue for Martin Wegelius, JS 85
Quartet in D minor, ‘Voces intimae’, Op. 56
The first concert organized by Sibelius One featured Fenella Humphreys (violin), Anton Kukkonen (cello) and Sam Armstrong (piano) in a selection of Sibelius’s chamber music for solo instrument, duo and trio. The event, eagerly anticipated, was enthusiastically received by a capacity audience. The programme focused on works with special personal significance for Sibelius and on music written for or inspired by members of his family: his wife Aino, his brother Christian and his daughter Kirsti. Three of the pieces were UK premières (Andante molto in B minor for cello and piano, Polka ‘Aino’ for piano and En glad musikant for solo violin).
The concert took place at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London on 10th June 2015 (Sibelius’s 123rd wedding anniversary), in the presence of Ambassador and Mrs Pekka Huhtaniemi. Also present was Erkki Korhonen, director of the international ‘Sibelius 150’ project.
The Finnish Ambassador’s Residence in London, on one of the most prestigious residential streets in the world, was built in 1850–51, and has been home to the Finnish Ambassador since 1955.
Sibelius One is grateful to Ambassador and Mrs Huhtaniemi, the Finnish Embassy in London and the Sibelius Society of Finland for their generous practical and financial assistance.
——————— Programme ———————
Vattendroppar [Water Drops], JS 216, for violin & cello
Four Pieces, Op. 78, for violin & piano
Andante molto in B minor (1888–89) for cello & piano First UK performance
Sonatina in E major, Op. 80, for violin & piano
Malinconia, Op. 20, for cello & piano
[Polka] ‘Aino’ in C minor (1902–05) for piano First UK performance
Souvenir, Op. 99 No. 3) for piano
Four Pieces, Op. 115 (1929) for violin & piano
En glad musikant [A Happy Musician], JS 70, for violin solo First UK performance
La pompeuse marche d’Asis, JS 116, for piano trio
More detailed information is now released for the fourteenth Sibelius in Korpo Festival, to be held on 17th–19th July 2015. This year’s theme is ‘Intimate Voices’. The festival’s artistic director is Folke Gräsbeck.
Friday 17.7.2015 at 8 pm at Korpo gård: Pre-Concert Talk
by Andrew Barnett (General Manager of Sibelius One)
Friday 17.7.2015 at 9 pm at Korpo gård: Evening Concert Flinders Quartet / Folke Gräsbeck, piano JEAN SIBELIUS:
Molto moderato – Scherzo in E major for string quartet, JS 134 (1885)
String Quartet in E flat major, JS 184
Four Themes for string quartet
Adagio in D minor for string quartet, JS 12
Piano Quintet in G minor, JS 159
Saturday 18.7.2015 at 1 pm at the Sibelius Statue, Korpo village
Welcome speeches by Petri Kirkkomäki (festival director) and Geoffrey Hayes Vocal ensemble from the Brahe Djäknar choir JEAN SIBELIUS:
Venematka, Op. 18 No. 3
Ej med klagan, JS 69 (arr. Nils-Eric Fougstedt)
Saturday 18.7.2015 at 2 pm at Korpo Church: ‘Voces intimae’ Flinders Quartet JEAN SIBELIUS:
String Quartet in A minor, JS 183
Fugue for Martin Wegelius, JS 85
String Quartet in D minor, ‘Voces intimae’, Op. 56
Saturday 18.7.2015 at 6 pm at Kommunalgården i Korpo: ‘The Maiden in the Tower’ Hedvig Paulig, soprano / Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano Dan Karlström, tenor / Jussi Merikanto, baritone Florakören and Brahe Djäknar choirs, cond. Ulf Långbacka Folke Gräsbeck, piano JEAN SIBELIUS:
Six Songs, Op. 50 Merikanto/Gräsbeck
Längtan heter min arvedel, Op. 86 No. 2 Paulig/Gräsbeck I systrar, I bröder, I älskande par! Op. 86 No. 6 Paulig/Gräsbeck
Sångarlön, Op. 86 No. 5 Karlström/Gräsbeck
Törnet , Op. 88 No. 5 Karlström/Gräsbeck
Siltavahti, JS 170b Karlström/Gräsbeck
Svarta rosor, Op. 36 No. 1 (1899) Karlström/Gräsbeck
Vänskapens blomma, JS 215 Groop/Gräsbeck Hertig Magnus, Op. 57 No. 6 Groop/Gräsbeck
Songs, Op. 72 Nos 3–6 Groop/Gräsbeck
Tanken, duet, JS 192 Paulig/Groop/Gräsbeck
Jungfrun i tornet (The Maiden in the Tower), JS 101 (1896), opera in one act (arr. for soloists, mixed choir and piano by the composer)
Sunday 19.7.2015 at 9.45 am at Kommunalgården i Korpo
Douglas Sivén᾿s documentary film ‘Sibelius in Korpo’ (in English)
Sunday 19.7.2015 at 11 am at Kommunalgården i Korpo
Douglas Sivéns dokumentärfilm ‘Sibelius i Korpo’ (på svenska)
Sunday 19.7.2015 at 2 pm at Korpo gård: Pre-Concert Talk
‘Sibelius in Australasia᾽ by Geoffrey Hayes
Sunday 19.7.2015 at 4 pm at Korpo gård: Gala Concert Flinders Quartet Hedvig Paulig, soprano / Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano Folke Gräsbeck, piano JEAN SIBELIUS:
String Quartet in B flat major, Op. 4 (1889–90)
Five Songs, Op. 37 Paulig/Gräsbeck
Serenad, JS 167 Groop/Gräsbeck Den första kyssen, JS 57 (preliminary version) Groop/Gräsbeck
Jag ville, jag vore i Indialand (preliminary version) *World Première Performance* Groop/Gräsbeck
Im Feld ein Mädchen singt, Op. 50 No. 3 Groop/Gräsbeck
Små flickorna, JS 174 Groop/Gräsbeck
Autrefois, duet, Op. 96b Paulig/Groop/Gräsbeck
Andante festivo for string quartet, JS 34a
The programme for the song recital at this year’s Sibelius Festival in Lahti (on Sunday 6th September at 11 am) has been announced.
The recital will be given by the mezzo-soprano Erica Back, second prize winner at this year’s International Sibelius Singing Competition, with the pianist Kristian Attila.
Våren flyktar hastigt [Spring Flies Speedily], Op. 13 No. 4
Se’n har jag ej frågat mera [Since Then I Have Questioned No Further], Op. 17 No. 1
Sov in! [Go to Sleep!], Op. 17 No. 2
Vilse [Astray], Op. 17 No. 4
Lastu lainehilla [Driftwood], Op. 17 No. 7
Im Feld ein Mädchen singt [In the Field a Maid Sings], Op. 50 No. 3
Rosenlied [Song of the Roses], Op. 50 No. 6
Die stille Stadt [The Silent City], Op. 50 No. 5
Aus banger Brust [From Anxious Heart], Op. 50 No. 4
Hertig Magnus [Duke Magnus], Op. 57 No. 6
Soluppgång [Sunrise], Op. 37 No. 3
Lasse Liten [Little Lasse], Op. 37 No. 2
Den första kyssen [The First Kiss], Op. 37 No. 1
Kyssen [The Kiss], Op. 72 No. 3
Bollspelet vid Trianon [Tennis at Trianon], Op. 36 No. 3
Men min fågel märks dock icke [But My Bird is Long in Homing], Op. 36 No. 2
Demanten på marssnön [The Diamond on the March Snow], Op. 36 No. 6
Säv, säv, susa [Sigh, Sigh, Sedges], Op. 36 No. 4
Narciss [Narcissus], JS 140
The programme will also include two piano solo pieces:
Björken [The Birch], Op. 75 No. 4
Granen [The Spruce], Op. 75 No. 5
Six simultaneous photo exhibitions by Aho & Soldan and Claire Aho: Sibelius & Images of Finland will open at the Academic Bookstore, Keskuskatu 1, Helsinki, in June 2015.
The exhibition will be opened at a private ceremony on on 3rd June 2015 by the wife of the President of the Republic of Finland, Mrs Jenni Haukio.
The exhibition is a sister exhibition to the five photo exhibitions also named Claire Aho: Sibelius & Images of Finland which opened at the Helsinki AIrport, Terminal 2, gate 37 on 15th January. It will run until 31st December 2015.
The Golfo del Tigullio Sibelius Festival in Italy in October 2015 now has its own website – click here.
The site contains information about concert programmes, the musicians who will be performing and the concert venues as well as general information about the festival’s aims and press information.
The festival’s artistic director is the composer, conductor and musicologist Federico Ermirio and the programmes include lesser-known music by Sibelius (including his compositions for kantele) as well as more familiar works (e.g. Rakastava, Romance in C major) and pieces by other, predominantly Nordic composers (e.g. Edvard Grieg, Aulis Sallinen, Jukka Tiensuu).
Programmes have been announced for the two piano concerts in this year’s International Sibelius Festival in Lahti.
Folke Gräsbeck / Tuesday 1st September / 4.30 pm / Kalevi Aho Hall
[Aubade] in A flat major, JS 46
Largo in A major, JS 117 (Kesälahti version)
Andantino in D major ‘Till Emma Kristina Marie-Louise Berndtson. Lulu’
Lento in E major, JS 119
[Polka] ‘Aino’ in C minor
Adagio in E major, JS 13
Thirteen Pieces, Op. 76
Souvenir, Op. 99/3
Moment de valse, Op. 99/7
Five Romantic Compositions, Op. 101
Morceau romantique sur un motif de M. Jacob de Julin, JS 135b
Landscape II (1928–29)
Paavali Jumppanen / Thursday 3rd September / 3 pm / Kalevi Aho Hall
Kyllikki, Op. 41
Five Pieces ‘The Flowers’, Op. 85
Sonatina No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 67/1
Five Characteristic Impressions, Op. 103
Sonatina No. 3 in B flat minor, Op. 67/3
