The ''Cantata for the Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II'' (in
Finnish: ; sometimes referred to as ''Coronation Cantata'' (in Finnish: ) for short),
JS 104, is a two-
movement
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
for
mixed choir and
orchestra written in 1896 by the Finnish composer
Jean Sibelius. It is chronologically the second of Sibelius's nine orchestral cantatas, and belongs to a series of three such pieces—along with the ''
Promotional Cantata of 1894'' (JS 105) and the ''
Promotional Cantata of 1894'' (JS 106)—that he wrote on commission from his employer at the time, the
Imperial Alexander University (today the University of Helsinki). Sibelius composed the cantata in honor of
Nicholas II's accession to the
Russian throne, because the University, as a state-financed institution, was required to pay its respects to the new sovereign. (At the time, Finland was a
grand duchy in the tsar's possession.) The piece premiered on 2 November 1896 during a ceremony in Helsinki, with Sibelius conducting the
Helsinki Philharmonic Society and an amateur chorus.
In 1896, Sibelius arranged for orchestra a section of Movement I as the ''Coronation March'' (). Finally, in 1913, he arranged a portion of Movement I (bars 115–153) as ''Hail, O Princess'' (), for
female choir (or
children's choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
) .
Instrumentation
The ''Coronation Cantata'' is scored for the following instruments and voices, organized by family (
vocalists,
woodwinds,
brass,
percussion, and
string
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
s):
*
Mixed choir ()
*1
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
(doubling on
piccolo
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
), 1
oboe, 2
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
s, and 1
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
*2
horns, 2
trumpets, and 3
trombones
*
Bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
,
cymbal
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
s, and
triangle
*
Violins (I and II),
violas,
cellos, and
double basses
Structure
The ''Coronation Cantata'' is in two movements. They are:
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 ''Coronation Cantata'' in April 1999 for
Ondine. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:
In addition, the Finnish
choral director
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary duti ...
Hannu Norjanen Hannu-Markus Tapio Norjanen (Mynämäki, 25 February 1964) is a conductor and has worked as the conductor of the Helsinki Cathedral Boy's Choir Cantores Minores since 2005.(9 March 2011)Cantores Minores tuo Matteus-passion Loviisaan '' Loviisan Sa ...
and the made the world premiere studio recording of the ''Hail, O Princess'' for female choir for
Finlandia. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:
Finally, the Finnish conductor
Osmo Vänskä and the
Lahti Symphony Orchestra made the world premiere studio recording (and, to date, only) of the ''Coronation March'' in January 2002 for
BIS. The table below contains additional details about this recording:
Notes, references, and sources
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{{italic title
Cantatas by Jean Sibelius
1896 compositions
Choral compositions