Belshazzar's Feast (Sibelius)
Encyclopedia
In 1906, Jean Sibelius
wrote incidental music
to Belshazzar
's Feast (Belsazars gästabud), a play by his Finnish countryman, the journalist, poet and playwright Hjalmar Fredrik Eugen Procopé (1868-1927). The ten numbers were written for orchestra, with singers also being required in some numbers. The score was published as Op. 51. In 1907 Sibelius extracted a purely orchestral suite of four numbers, which is much better known than the original score.
The first performance of the play and its incidental music was at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki
on 7 November 1906, conducted by the composer. It had 21 performances through to January 1907.
Extracts from the longer work form a popular suite
, which also has the opus number 51, and consists of:
The suite was scored for solo flute, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle) and strings. It had its first performance in Helsinki on 25 September 1907, in the same concert as the premiere of the Third Symphony
; the Orchestra of the Helsinki Philharmonic Society was again conducted by the composer. He also made a piano arrangement of the suite in 1907.
The Jewish Girl’s Song (Den judiska flickans sång), Number 2b of the original score, existed in a number of versions. It was originally written for flute and orchestra. In 1907 it became the second movement, Solitude, of the orchestral suite. In the same year Sibelius arranged it as a song for voice and piano. In 1939, he arranged it for voice and orchestra for the American soprano Marian Anderson
, under the title "Solitude".
The suite has had a number of recordings, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham
, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
, Neeme Järvi
, Pietari Inkinen
and others.
The full original score had its world premiere recording by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
, Lilli Paasikivi
(mezzo-soprano), Petri Lehto (tenor), Sauli Tiilikainen (baritone), Lahti Chamber Choir, conducted by Osmo Vänskä
, as part of BIS Records
' Complete Sibelius Edition.
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
wrote incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
to Belshazzar
Belshazzar
Belshazzar, or Balthazar , was a 6th century BC prince of Babylon, the son of Nabonidus and the last king of Babylon according to the Book of Daniel . Like his father, it is believed by many scholars that he was an Assyrian. In Daniel Belshazzar, or Balthazar , was a 6th century BC prince of...
's Feast (Belsazars gästabud), a play by his Finnish countryman, the journalist, poet and playwright Hjalmar Fredrik Eugen Procopé (1868-1927). The ten numbers were written for orchestra, with singers also being required in some numbers. The score was published as Op. 51. In 1907 Sibelius extracted a purely orchestral suite of four numbers, which is much better known than the original score.
The first performance of the play and its incidental music was at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
on 7 November 1906, conducted by the composer. It had 21 performances through to January 1907.
Extracts from the longer work form a popular suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
, which also has the opus number 51, and consists of:
- 1. Oriental March (originally Alla marcia)
- 2. Solitude (originally The Jewish Girl's Song)
- 3. Nocturne (originally Prelude: Notturno)
- 4. Khadra's Dance (originally Dance of Life and Dance of Death).
The suite was scored for solo flute, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, triangle) and strings. It had its first performance in Helsinki on 25 September 1907, in the same concert as the premiere of the Third Symphony
Symphony No. 3 (Sibelius)
The Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52, by Jean Sibelius is a symphony in three movements composed in 1907. Coming between the romantic intensity of Sibelius's first two symphonies and the more austere complexity of his later symphonies, it is a good-natured, triumphal, and deceptively...
; the Orchestra of the Helsinki Philharmonic Society was again conducted by the composer. He also made a piano arrangement of the suite in 1907.
The Jewish Girl’s Song (Den judiska flickans sång), Number 2b of the original score, existed in a number of versions. It was originally written for flute and orchestra. In 1907 it became the second movement, Solitude, of the orchestral suite. In the same year Sibelius arranged it as a song for voice and piano. In 1939, he arranged it for voice and orchestra for the American soprano Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
, under the title "Solitude".
The suite has had a number of recordings, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky is a Russian conductor.-Biography:Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagogue Nikolai Anosov and soprano Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya...
, Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others...
, Pietari Inkinen
Pietari Inkinen
Pietari Inkinen is a Finnish violinist and conductor. He began violin and piano studies at age 4. As a youth, he also performed in a rock band. He attended the Sibelius Academy and graduated with diplomas in violin and conducting...
and others.
The full original score had its world premiere recording by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
The Lahti Symphony Orchestra is a Finnish orchestra, based in the city of Lahti. It was founded in 1910 and placed under the control of the Lahti municipality in 1949. In Finland the orchestra performs in the Sibelius Hall, while it also performs abroad in concert halls and festivals...
, Lilli Paasikivi
Lilli Paasikivi
The Finnish mezzo-soprano Lilli Paasikivi is principal soloist of the Finnish National Opera.Her roles have included Marguerite and Octavian . She has also performed as Fricka in Das Rheingold with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle...
(mezzo-soprano), Petri Lehto (tenor), Sauli Tiilikainen (baritone), Lahti Chamber Choir, conducted by Osmo Vänskä
Osmo Vänskä
Osmo Antero Vänskä is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist and composer.He started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic . He then became the principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1977 to 1982...
, as part of BIS Records
BIS Records
BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings....
' Complete Sibelius Edition.