Hartford Symphony Orchestra - Sirena Plays Sibelius - Sergei Sibelius (Born December 8, 1865 in Hämeenlinna, Finland Died September 20, 1957 in Järvenpää, Finland)

Sergei Sibelius (Born December 8, 1865 in Hämeenlinna, Finland Died September 20, 1957 in Järvenpää, Finland)

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, OP. 47 (1903)

World Premiere: February 8, 1904
Last HSO Performance: December 15, 2013
Instrumentation: Solo violin, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings
Duration: 35 minutes

By 1903, when he was engaged on his Violin Concerto, Sibelius had already composed Finlandia, Kullervo, En Saga, Karelia Suite, The Swan of Tuonela and the first two symphonies, the works that established his international reputation. There were, however, some disturbing health worries threatening his musical fecundity.

Just after the premiere of the Second Symphony in March 1902, Sibelius developed a painful ear infection that did not respond easily to treatment. Thoughts of the deafness of Beethoven and Smetana plagued him, and he feared he might be losing his hearing. (He was 37 at the time.) In June, he began having trouble with his throat, and he jumped to the conclusion that his health was about to give way. Though filled with fatalistic thoughts at that time, he put much energy into the Violin Concerto. The ear and throat ailments continued to plague him until 1908, when a benign tumor was discovered. It took a dozen operations until it was successfully removed, and the anxiety about its return stayed with him for years. (Sibelius, incidentally, enjoyed sterling health for the rest of his days and lived to the ripe age of 91, a testament to the efficacy of his treatment.)

The Violin Concerto’s opening movement employs sonata form, modified in that a succinct cadenza for the soloist replaces the usual development section. The exposition consists of three theme groups — a doleful melody announced by the soloist over murmuring strings, a yearning theme initiated by bassoons and cellos with rich accompaniment, and a bold, propulsive strophe in march rhythm. The development-cadenza is built on the opening motive and leads directly into the recapitulation of the exposition themes. The second movement is among the most avowedly Romantic music in any of Sibelius’ works for orchestra. The finale launches into a robust dance whose theme the esteemed English musicologist Sir Donald Tovey thought could be “a polonaise for polar bears.” The form is sonatina, a sonata without development, here employing two large theme groups.