Luonnotar (Sibelius)
Encyclopedia
Luonnotar, Op. 70, is a tone-poem for soprano and orchestra, completed by Jean Sibelius
in 1913. It was dedicated to Aino Ackté
, who premiered the work at the Three Choirs Festival
in Gloucester
, England
on 10 September 1913, with an orchestra conducted by Herbert Brewer
. Sibelius arranged it for voice and piano in 1915.
Luonnotar is based on Finnish mythology, the words coming from the Kalevala
. The text is from the first part of the Kalevala and deals with the creation of the world. Luonnotar is the Spirit of Nature and Mother of the Seas. Setting music to Finnish texts was relatively new to Sibelius, as his first language was Swedish and most of his earlier settings had been to Swedish texts.
were called Luonnotar. An 8-bar sketch later used in the work was written as early as May 1909. However, his main work on the score was done in the summer of 1913, between his Fourth
and Fifth
symphonies. He sent the score to Aino Ackté on 24 August, and they rehearsed it together on 3 September, a week before the premiere in Gloucester.
The first performance in Finland
was in January 1914, again with Aino Ackté, the conductor being Georg Schnéevoigt
.
The piece takes only about 10 minutes, but has been avoided by many singers because of its formidable challenges. It has a very high tessitura: the vocal range required of the soprano is from B to C flat. There are leaps and drops of almost an octave, sometimes within a single word. The work is often described in terms such as "fiendishly difficult to perform", "the cruel demands made of the soloist" and "the cruelly taxing nature of the solo part".
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
sang it in Helsinki
in 1955, saying it was the "best thing she had ever done in her life" (a recording of Schwarzkopf singing Luonnotar can be heard on this You Tube video). Other singers who have had Luonnotar in their repertoire are Gwyneth Jones, Elisabeth Söderström
, Taru Valjakka, Phyllis Curtin
, Mari-Ann Häggander, Soile Isokoski
, Karita Mattila
and Phyllis Bryn-Julson. The first commercial recording was not made until 1969, with Gwyneth Jones and the London Symphony Orchestra
under Antal Doráti
.
On 28 November 2008, the English National Opera
preceded its production of Ralph Vaughan Williams
's one-act opera Riders to the Sea
with a performance of Luonnotar.
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."...
in 1913. It was dedicated to Aino Ackté
Aino Ackté
Aino Ackté was a Finnish soprano. She was the first international star of the Finnish opera scene after Alma Fohström, and a groundbreaker for the domestic field....
, who premiered the work at the Three Choirs Festival
Three Choirs Festival
The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held each August alternately at the cathedrals of the Three Counties and originally featuring their three choirs, which remain central to the week-long programme...
in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 10 September 1913, with an orchestra conducted by Herbert Brewer
Herbert Brewer
Sir Arthur Herbert Brewer was an English composer and organist. As organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1896 until his death, he contributed a good deal to the Three Choirs Festival for 30 years....
. Sibelius arranged it for voice and piano in 1915.
Luonnotar is based on Finnish mythology, the words coming from the Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
. The text is from the first part of the Kalevala and deals with the creation of the world. Luonnotar is the Spirit of Nature and Mother of the Seas. Setting music to Finnish texts was relatively new to Sibelius, as his first language was Swedish and most of his earlier settings had been to Swedish texts.
Genesis
In 1894, Sibelius had the character of Luonnotar in mind when writing sketches for an opera. The early drafts of his orchestral tone poem Pohjola's DaughterPohjola's Daughter
The tone poem Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49, was composed by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius in 1906. Originally, Sibelius intended to title the work Väinämöinen, after the character in the Kalevala . The publisher Robert Lienau insisted on the title Pohjola's Daughter, which Sibelius then...
were called Luonnotar. An 8-bar sketch later used in the work was written as early as May 1909. However, his main work on the score was done in the summer of 1913, between his Fourth
Symphony No. 4 (Sibelius)
The Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63, is one of seven completed symphonies composed by Jean Sibelius. Written between 1910 and 1911, it was premiered in Helsinki on 3 April 1911 by the Philharmonia Society, with Sibelius conducting....
and Fifth
Symphony No. 5 (Sibelius)
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82 is a major work for orchestra in three movements by Jean Sibelius.-History:Sibelius was commissioned to write this symphony by the Finnish government in honor of his 50th birthday, which had been declared a national holiday. The symphony was originally...
symphonies. He sent the score to Aino Ackté on 24 August, and they rehearsed it together on 3 September, a week before the premiere in Gloucester.
The first performance in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
was in January 1914, again with Aino Ackté, the conductor being Georg Schnéevoigt
Georg Schnéevoigt
Georg Schnéevoigt was a Finnish conductor and cellist, born in Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland, which is now in Russia....
.
The piece takes only about 10 minutes, but has been avoided by many singers because of its formidable challenges. It has a very high tessitura: the vocal range required of the soprano is from B to C flat. There are leaps and drops of almost an octave, sometimes within a single word. The work is often described in terms such as "fiendishly difficult to perform", "the cruel demands made of the soloist" and "the cruelly taxing nature of the solo part".
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, DBE was a German-born Austrian/British soprano opera singer and recitalist. She was among the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century, much admired for her performances of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss, and Wolf.-Early life:Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike...
sang it 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...
in 1955, saying it was the "best thing she had ever done in her life" (a recording of Schwarzkopf singing Luonnotar can be heard on this You Tube video). Other singers who have had Luonnotar in their repertoire are Gwyneth Jones, Elisabeth Söderström
Elisabeth Söderström
Elisabeth Anna Söderström CBE was a Swedish soprano, who performed both opera and song. She was particularly well known for her recordings of the lead soprano roles in the three Janáček operas Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, and The Makropoulos Affair, all of which received Gramophone Awards...
, Taru Valjakka, Phyllis Curtin
Phyllis Curtin
Phyllis Curtin is an American classical soprano who had an active career in operas and concerts from the early 1950s through the 1980s. She was known for her creation of new roles such as the title role in the Carlisle Floyd opera Susannah, Catherine Earnshaw in Floyd's Wuthering Heights, and in...
, Mari-Ann Häggander, Soile Isokoski
Soile Isokoski
Soile Isokoski is a Finnish lyric soprano. She is an opera singer as well as a concert and lieder singer.- Career :Isokoski was born in Posio...
, Karita Mattila
Karita Mattila
Karita Marjatta Mattila is a leading opera soprano. She was born in Somero, Finland.Mattila appears regularly in the major opera houses worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, Théâtre du Châtelet, Opéra Bastille, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco...
and Phyllis Bryn-Julson. The first commercial recording was not made until 1969, with Gwyneth Jones and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
under Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...
.
On 28 November 2008, the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
preceded its production of Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
's one-act opera Riders to the Sea
Riders to the Sea
Riders to the Sea is a play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge. It was first performed on February 25, 1904 at the Molesworth Hall, Dublin by the Irish National Theater Society. A one-act tragedy, the play is set in the Aran Islands, and like all of Synge's plays it is noted for...
with a performance of Luonnotar.