Arioso (Sibelius)

{{Short description|Song by Jean Sibelius (1911)}}

{{Infobox musical composition

| name = "{{lang|it|Arioso|italics=no}}"

| type = Art song

| composer = {{nowrap|Jean Sibelius}}

| image = Jean Sibelius 1911 (a).tif

| image_upright = .9

| caption = The composer ({{c.|1911}})

| border = Yes

| text = {{lang|sv|Flickans årstider}} by Runeberg{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=11}}

| language = Swedish

| opus = 3

| composed = {{start date|1911}}

| publisher = {{Unbulleted list|{{ill|Alexei Apostol|lt=Apostol|fi}} (1913; {{abbr|pf.|piano}} version){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=12}}|{{nowrap|{{ill|R. E. Westerlund oy|lt=Westerlund|fi|R. E. Westerlund (yritys)}} (1951; {{nowrap|{{abbr|str.|strings}} version){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=11}}}}}}}}

| duration = 4 mins.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=11–12}}

| premiere_date = {{start date|1913|09|18|df=y}}{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=12}}

| premiere_location = Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland

| premiere_performers = {{Unbulleted list|Ida Ekman (soprano)|{{ill|Karl Ekman (pianist)|lt=Karl Ekman|fi|Karl Ekman (pianisti)}} (pianist)}}

}}

"{{lang|it|Arioso|italics=no}}", Op. 3, is an art song for vocal soloist (typically soprano) and accompaniment written in 1911 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, who appears to have worked simultaneously on two versions of the song: one with strings and the other with piano. The piece, which is a setting of the Swedish-language poem {{lang|sv|Flickans årstider}} ("The Maiden's Seasons") by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Sibelius's favorite poet,{{sfn|Barnett|2007|p=215}} premiered on 18 September 1913 in Helsinki with the Finnish soprano Ida Ekman as soloist, accompanied by her husband, {{ill|Karl Ekman (pianist)|lt=Karl Ekman|fi|Karl Ekman (pianisti)}}, on piano.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=12}} The next year in Turku on 30 March, the version of the piece for string orchestra was first performed, again with Ekman as soloist; her husband this time conducted the Turku Orchestral Society.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=11}}

{{stack|{{multiple image

|align=right

|total_width=200

|direction=vertical

|image1=JSibelius Arioso 29March1914 TurunSanomat.png

|image2=Ida Ekman f Morduch 1874-1942 - 1910 SLSA 1270 34 foto 547.jpg

|footer=The Finnish soprano Ida Ekman (bottom) premiered both versions of Sibelius's "{{lang|it|Arioso|italics=no}}"; the version of "{{lang|it|Arioso|italics=no}}" with strings (ad above) was first performed on 30 March 1914.

}}}}

Sibelius infamously gave "{{lang|it|Arioso|italics=no}}" an artificially low opus number to avoid a contractual dispute with his publisher, Breitkopf & Härtel. (Sibelius had sold both versions of "{{lang|it|Arioso|italics=no}}" to the Helsinki-based publisher {{ill|Alexei Apostol|lt=A. Apostols Musikhandel|fi|Alexei Apostol}}, who then tried to sell the rights to Breitkopf & Härtel. When Breitkopf & Härtel protested, Sibelius fibbed, claiming that the song was an older piece that dated to 1890.) Apostle never published the version for strings, and in 1917 his holdings transferred to {{nowrap|{{ill|R. E. Westerlund oy|fi|R. E. Westerlund (yritys)}}}}, who subsequently issued the first edition of this version in 1951.{{sfn|Barnett|2007|p=215}}