Overture in A minor
| Overture in A minor | |
|---|---|
| Concert overture by Jean Sibelius | |
 The composer (c. 1902) | |
| Catalogue | JS 144 |
| Composed | 1902 |
| Publisher | Fazer Music (1997)[1] |
| Duration | 6.5 mins.[1] |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 8 March 1902[2] |
| Location | Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Conductor | Jean Sibelius |
| Performers | Helsinki Philharmonic Society |
The Overture in A minor, JS 144, is a single-movement work for orchestra written in 1902 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The piece premiered in Helsinki on 8 March 1902, the with Sibelius conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic Society. The overture led a program that evening also included two other first performances: the Second Symphony (Op. 43) and the Impromptu for female choir and orchestra (Op. 19; revised in 1910).[3][4]
Instrumentation[edit]
The Overture in A minor is scored for the following instruments,[1] organized by family (woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings):
- 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, and 2 bassoons
- 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones, and 1 tuba
- Timpani
- Violins (I and II), violas, cellos, and double basses
Discography[edit]
The Estonian-American conductor Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra made the world premiere studio recording of the Overture in A minor (then still in manuscript) in 1987 for BIS.[1] The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:
| No. | Conductor | Ensemble | Rec.[a] | Time | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neeme Järvi | Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra | 1987 | 6:26 | Gothenburg Concert Hall | BIS | |
| 2 | Atso Almila | Kuopio Symphony Orchestra | 1998 | 7:01 | Kuopio Music Centre | Finlandia | |
| 3 | Osmo Vänskä | Lahti Symphony Orchestra | 2002 | 9:13 | Sibelius Hall | BIS | |
| 4 | Leif Segerstam | Turku Philharmonic Orchestra | 2014 | 6:58 | Turku Concert Hall | Naxos |
Notes, references, and sources[edit]
- Notes
- ^ Refers to the year in which the performers recorded the work; this may not be the same as the year in which the recording was first released to the general public.
- ^ N. Järvi–BIS (CD–372) 1987
- ^ A. Almila–Finlandia (3984–23391–2) 1999
- ^ O. Vänskä–BIS (CD–1265) 2004
- ^ L. Segerstam–Naxos (8.573299) 2015
- References
- ^ a b c d Dahlström 2003, p. 587.
- ^ Dahlström 2003, pp. 78, 587.
- ^ Barnett 2007, pp. 146, 148.
- ^ Dahlström 2003, p. 78.
- Sources
- Barnett, Andrew (2007). Sibelius. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11159-0.
- Dahlström, Fabian [in Swedish] (2003). Jean Sibelius: Thematisch-bibliographisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke [Jean Sibelius: A Thematic Bibliographic Index of His Works] (in German). Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel. ISBN 3-7651-0333-0.
