Jean Sibelius

Cantata for the University Graduation Ceremonies of 1894

The Cantata for the University Graduation Ceremonies of 1894 (in Finnish: ; sometimes called the Promotional Cantata of 1894 (in Finnish: ) for short), JS 105, is a three-movement cantata for

Instrumentation#

The Promotional Cantata of 1894 is scored for the following instruments and voices, organized by family (vocalists, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings): *Soprano, baritone, and mixed choir () *2 flutes, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, and 1 bassoon *2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, and tuba *Timpani, bass drum, cymbals, and triangle *Violins (I and II), violas, cellos, and double basses

Structure#

The Promotional Cantata of 1894 is in three movements. They are: Movement I is scored for mixed choir and orchestra, while Movement II adds to these forces solo parts for soprano and baritone. Finally, Movement III is for soprano and orchestra, although the solo part (which occurs during a brief, middle trio section) has not survived; however, according to the Sibelius biographer Andrew Barnett, “luckily the lack of a solo part does not render the piece unperformable as a movement for orchestra alone “. The cantata remains in manuscript, although will eventually be published as part of the Jean Sibelius Works (JSW) critical edition, an ongoing collaborative project between the National Library of Finland, Breitkopf & Härtel, and the Sibelius Society of Finland. (Begun in 1996, the series is projected at 52 volumes and will eventually cover all of Sibelius’s completed original compositions and arrangements, including relevant JS-designated works.)

Discography#

The Finnish conductor Leif Segerstam and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by the Finnish Philharmonic Choir, made the world premiere studio recording of the first two movements of Cantata for the University Graduation Ceremonies of 1894 in April 1999 for Ondine; the soloists were the Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski and the Finnish baritone . To date, the only other recording dates to August 2004; it is by the Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and the , who recorded the piece for the Swedish label BIS Records. Importantly, Vänskä was the first to record what survives of Movement III (again, the soprano part is lost). The table below contains additional details about these two recordings: In addition, the Finnish choral director Astrid Riska and the made the world premiere studio recording of the Festive March for mixed choir in the spring of 1992 for Ondine. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:

Notes, references, and sources#

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Composer: Jean Sibelius