Sibelius Karelia Suite
Sibelius Karelia Suite Program Notes
In 1893, University students in Eastern Finland (Karelia) commissioned Sibelius to compose music for a series of patriotic scenes they were producing. Telling the Finnish history of the region between 1293-1811, the proceeds would fund popular education (that is, in Finnish, which was otherwise not allowed). The Suite’s first movement, Intermezzo, accompanied loyal Karelian woodsmen traveling to pay taxes to a foreign (Lithuanian) Prince. The Ballade concerns Karl Knutsson, Finnishking of Finland and Sweden. Temporarily deposed from his throne, and holed up in his Karelian castle, he listens to a bard’s song. In the purely orchestral Suite, an English horn replaces the singer/French horn duet. The finale, Alla marcia, depicts preparations for an heroic Finnish defensive battle. History has been less kind to Finnish Karelia than Sibelius’ masterful and popular score. Karelia is now a Federal Republic of Russia, with a population (in 2002) that is more than 75% Russian. Born: December 8, 1865, Hämeenlinna, Finland Died: September 20, 1957, Ainola, Järvenpää, FinlandThe Karelia Suite, Op. 11 is a three-movement orchestral suite by Jean Sibelius, drawn from incidental music he composed in 1893 for a student pageant celebrating the history of the Karelia region of Finland. It is one of his most tuneful and immediately appealing works.
Sibelius composed the original incidental music in November 1893, and the suite was extracted and premiered in Helsinki on November 13, 1893, conducted by the composer. It was an immediate popular success.
A typical performance lasts approximately 12 to 14 minutes.
The famous Intermezzo has an irresistible march-like character with a memorable brass theme. The Ballade is deeply lyrical and nostalgic, and the Alla Marcia finale brings the suite to a rousing close. All three movements have the directness and melodic warmth that made Sibelius beloved by audiences worldwide.
Despite its enormous popularity, Sibelius always felt slightly ambivalent about the Karelia Suite, considering it lighter and more occasional than his major works. He destroyed the original full score of the incidental music, leaving only the suite to survive — a characteristic act of self-criticism from a composer who was his own harshest judge.
