Hymn of the Earth

Hymn of the Earth is scored for the following instruments and voices,{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=406}} organized by family (vocalists, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings):

• Mixed choir ({{abbr|SATB|two-part female choir and two-part male choir}})
• 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in B{{music|flat}}), and 2 bassoons
• 4 horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in B{{music|flat}}), and 3 trombones
• Timpani
• Violins (I and II), violas, cellos, and double basses

File:Gallen-Kallela, Eino-Leino 1917.jpg) of Eino Leino, whose poem Sibelius set in Hymn of the Earth.]]

The cantata resulted from a commission by the Finnish choral conductor {{ill|Heikki Klemetti|fi}}, who had founded the mixed choir {{ill|Suomen Laulu|fi|Suomen Laulu (kuoro)}} in 1900 and desired from Sibelius a new work that the ensemble could perform in the spring of 1920 to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.{{sfn|Barnett|2005|p=6}} Sibelius, however, was unenthused, writing in his diary in January 1919: "And then there's the promise I made Klemetti for a work for Suomen Laulu. He is by no means one of my 'admirers'. It annoys me that he only wants to use my name as a decoration".{{sfn|Barnett|2005|p=6}} By late December 1919, however, Sibelius's delay tactics ceased and he began work on the piece for Klemetti.

Although Sibelius had planned to set {{lang|fi|Suomenmaa}} by the Finnish poet Aleksis Kivi, he settled on {{lang|fi|Maan virsi}} by Eino Leino.{{sfn|Barnett|2005|p=6}} It is a patriotic text that celebrates Finland, as well as the natural world. For example, in the third stanza, Leino writes:

Sibelius completed the cantata in late January 1920; it premiered a few months later on 4 April 1920 (Easter Sunday) in Helsinki, with Klemetti—its dedicatee—conducting Suomen Laulu and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.{{sfn|Barnett|2005|p=6–7}}

The Estonian conductor Eri Klas and the Finnish National Opera Orchestra and Chorus made the world premiere studio recording of the Hymn of the Earth in 1990 for Ondine.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=406}} The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:

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• {{Cite AV media notes|first=Andrew|last=Barnett|title=Sibelius: Song of the Earth|others=Osmo Vänskä, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, & Dominante Choir|year=2005|type=booklet|publisher=BIS|id=BIS CD-1365}} {{OCLC|62255940}}
• {{cite book|last=Barnett|first=Andrew|title=Sibelius|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2007|isbn=9780300111590}}
• {{cite book|last=Dahlström|first=Fabian|author-link=:sv:Fabian Dahlström|title=Jean Sibelius: Thematisch-bibliographisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke|trans-title=Jean Sibelius: A Thematic Bibliographic Index of His Works|date=2003|publisher=Breitkopf & Härtel|location=Wiesbaden|language=de|isbn=3-7651-0333-0}}
• {{Cite AV media notes|first=Pierre-Yves|last=Lascar|title=Sibelius: Cantatas|others=Paavo Järvi, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, & Estonian National Male Choir|year=2003|type=booklet|publisher=Virgin Classics|id=7243 5 45589 2 4}} {{OCLC|52897195}}
• {{Cite AV media notes|first=Jukka|last=Okkonen|title=Sibelius: Cantatas|others=Eri Klas, Finnish National Opera Orchestra and Chorus|year=1990|type=booklet|publisher=Ondine|id=ODE 754-2}} {{OCLC|26017670}}

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• {{IMSLP2|work=Maan virsi, Op.95 (Sibelius, Jean)|cname=Hymn of the Earth (Maan virsi), Op. 95}}

{{Jean Sibelius|state=collapsed}}

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Category:Cantatas by Jean Sibelius

Category:1920 compositions

Category:1920 cantatas

Category:Choral compositions