Six Impromptus

{{Infobox musical composition

| name = Six Impromptus

| type = Piano solos

| composer = {{nowrap|Jean Sibelius}}

| image = JSibelius 1891.jpg

| image_upright = .9

| caption = The composer ({{c.|1891}})

| border = Yes

| opus = 5

| composed = {{start date|1893}}

| publisher = {{ill|Axel E. Lindgren|scores}} (1894){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=16}}

| duration = 14.5 mins{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=15–16}}

}}

The Six Impromptus (in German: {{lang|de|Sechs Impromptus}}),{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=15, 666}} Op. 5, is a collection of compositions for piano written in 1893 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

{{multiple image

|align=right

|direction=horizontal

|total_width=360

|image1=EJärnefelt 1892sketch Sibelius (cropped, adjusted).jpg

|width1=180|height1=200

|caption1=1892 sketch of Sibelius at the piano by his future brother-in-law Eero Järnefelt

|image2=Jean Sibelius 1927 Ainola Steinway piano.jpg

|width2=180|height2=200

|caption2=Sibelius (1927) plays the Steinway grand piano at his home, Ainola.}}

Structure and music

;Impromptu No. 1

:The first impromptu is in G minor. Marked Moderato, it has a duration of about two minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=15}}

;Impromptu No. 2

:The second impromptu is also in G minor. Marked Lento{{spaced ndash}}Vivace, it has a duration of about two minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=15}}

;Impromptu No. 3

:The third impromptu is in A minor. Marked Moderato (alla marcia), it has a duration of about three minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=15}}

;Impromptu No. 4

:The fourth impromptu is in E minor. Marked Andantino, it has a duration of about two minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=16}}

;Impromptu Nos. 5 and 6

:The fifth impromptu is in B minor. Marked Vivace, it has a duration of about 3.5 minutes,{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=16}} The sixth impromptu, on the other hand, is in E major; marked Comodo, it lasts about two minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=16}} In 1893, Sibelius reused themes from Nights of Jealousy ({{lang|sv|Svartsjukans nätter}}, JS 125)—an 1893 melodrama for narrator, vocalise soprano, and piano trio to poems by J. L. Runeberg–for Nos. 5–6 of the Six Impromptus. In 1894, he combined the fifth and sixth impromptus into an arrangement for string orchestra and titled the new piece Impromptu.{{sfn|Barnett|2007|pp=79, 84, 89, 91}}

Reception

File:Erik-Tawaststjerna-1962 (cropped).jpg, who authored seminal biography on Sibelius, was an early, vocal advocate for many of the composer's piano pieces.]]

Robert Layton dismisses the Six Impromptus as "for the most part ... feeble and uninventive".{{sfn|Layton|1993|p=190}}

Discography

The Finnish pianist Erik T. Tawaststjerna made the first studio recording of the complete Six Impromptus in 1979 for BIS; of these, Nos. 3–4 were world premieres.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=16}} The remaining four pieces had been recorded earlier, with premieres as follows: No. 1–2 by the Swedish pianist {{ill|Stig Ribbing|sv}} on His Master's Voice ({{nowrap|HMV 7 EBS 5}}, 1956); No. 6 by the German pianist Horst Minkofski-Garrigues for Telefunken-Decca for (MG 4468, 1968); and No. 5 by the Japanese pianist Izumi Tateno on EMI ({{nowrap|5E 063–34472}}, 1971).{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=16}} The sortable table below lists, in addition to the aforementioned Tawaststjerna traversal, other commercially available recordings of the complete Six Impromptus:

class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right:0; font-size:95%" !rowspan=2 scope="col"\|{{abbr\|No.\|Chronological number}} !rowspan=2 scope=col\|Pianist !colspan=7 scope=col\|Runtimes{{efn\|All runtimes are official, as printed on CD or LP liner notes.\|name=Runtimes}} !rowspan=2 scope=col\|{{nowrap\|{{abbr\|Rec.\|Year of recording}}{{efn\|Refers to the year in which the performers recorded the work; this may not be the same as the year in which the recording was first released to the general public.}}}} !rowspan=2 scope=col\|Recording venue !rowspan=2 scope=col\|Label !rowspan=2 scope=col class="unsortable"\|{{abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|{{abbr\|Op. 5/1}}}} !scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|{{abbr\|Op. 5/2}}}} !scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|{{abbr\|Op. 5/3}}}} !scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|{{abbr\|Op. 5/4}}}} !scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|{{abbr\|Op. 5/5}}}} !scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|{{abbr\|Op. 5/6}}}} !scope="col" {{vert header\|stp=1\|Total}}
scope="row"\|1 \|{{sort\|Tawaststjerna\|Erik T. Tawaststjerna}} \|1:46 \|2:03 \|2:49 \|2:11 \|3:25 \|2:12 \|14:51 \|1979 \|{{ill\|Nacka Auditorium\|lt=Nacka Aula\|sv\|Nacka musikskola}}, Nacka \|BIS \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7937708--sibelius-the-complete-original-piano-music-volume-1 E. Tawaststjerna–BIS (CD–153) 1987]}}}}
scope="row"\|2 \|{{sort\|Servadei\|{{ill\|Annette Servadei\|ja\|アンネッテ・サーヴァデイ}}}} \|1:50 \|1:58 \|2:08 \|2:34 \|3:31 \|2:56 \|14:59 \|1992 \|Christ's Hospital, Horsham \|Olympia \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.discogs.com/release/7915588-Sibelius-Annette-Servadei-Complete-Piano-Music-Volume-One A. Servadei–Olympia (OCD 631) 1997]}}}}
scope="row"\|3 \|{{sort\|Lauriala\|Risto Lauriala}} \|1:40 \|1:44 \|3:08 \|2:42 \|3:49 \|1:45 \|14:48 \|1995 \|{{ill\|Järvenpää Hall\|fi\|Järvenpää-talo}} \|Naxos \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7952556--sibelius-piano-music-selection R. Lauriala–Naxos (8.553661) 1996]}}}}
scope="row"\|4 \|{{sort\|Tateno\|Izumi Tateno}} \|1:49 \|1:44 \|2:51 \|2:14 \|3:59 \|2:10 \|14:47 \|1995 \|Ainola \|Canyon Classics \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.discogs.com/release/25065106-Izumi-Tateno-Jean-Sibelius-Young-Sibelius-Sibelius-In-Ainola-II I. Tateno–Canyon Classics (PCCL–00328) 1996]}}}}
scope="row"\|5 \|{{sort\|Heinonen\|{{ill\|Eero Heinonen (pianist)\|lt=Eero Heinonen\|fi\|Eero Heinonen (pianisti)}}}} (1) \|2:50 \|1:57 \|3:01 \|2:27 \|3:24 \|3:11 \|16:50 \|1996 \|YLE M2 Studio, Helsinki \|Finlandia \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.discogs.com/release/16752150-Eero-Heinonen-2-Sibelius-Published-Original-Works-for-Piano-Complete-Edition E. Heinonen–Finlandia (8573–80776–2) 2000]}}}}
scope="row"\|6 \|{{sort\|Gimse\|Håvard Gimse}} \|2:19 \|1:38 \|2:12 \|2:13 \|3:08 \|7:00 \|18:35 \|1997 \|St Martin's Church, East Woodhay \|Naxos \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7952370--sibelius-piano-music-vol-1 H. Gimse–Naxos (8.553899) 1999]}}}}
scope="row"\|7 \|{{sort\|Gräsbeck\|{{ill\|Folke Gräsbeck\|fi}}}} \|1:53 \|1:51 \|2:33 \|2:07 \|3:36 \|6:02 \|18:22 \|2003 \|Nybrokajen 11, Stockholm \|BIS \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7963768--the-sibelius-edition-volume-4-piano-music-i F. Gräsbeck–BIS (CD–1909/11) 2008]}}}}
scope="row"\|8 \|{{sort\|Wyss\|Cassandra Wyss}} \|3:00 \|2:05 \|3:59 \|2:27 \|3:39 \|2:28 \|17:38 \|2014 \|{{ill\|Andreaskirche (Berlin-Wannsee)\|lt=Andreaskirche am Wannsee\|de\|Andreaskirche (Berlin-Wannsee)}}, Berlin \|Cappriccio \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8051680--stenhammar-sibelius-piano-pieces C. Wyss–Capriccio (C5229) 2014]}}}}
scope="row"\|9 \|{{sort\|Heinonen\|{{ill\|Eero Heinonen (pianist)\|lt=Eero Heinonen\|fi\|Eero Heinonen (pianisti)}}}} (2) \|2:29 \|1:50 \|2:29 \|2:17 \|3:17 \|2:49 \|15:11 \|2015 \|Sello Hall, Espoo \|Piano Classics \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8861061--sibelius-piano-music E. Heinonen–Piano Classics (PCL10220) 2020]}}}}
scope="row"\|10 \|{{sort\|Mertanen\|Janne Mertanen}} \|2:20 \|1:51 \|2:34 \|2:29 \|3:26 \|3:50 \|16:30 \|2015 \|[{{em\|Unknown}}], Helsinki \|Sony Classical \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.discogs.com/release/9408827-Janne-Mertanen-Sibelius-Sibelius-Piano-Works J. Mertanen–Sony Classics (888751614222) 2015]}}}}
scope="row"\|11 \|{{sort\|Rahman\|Sophia Rahman}} \|2:11 \|2:02 \|2:24 \|1:45 \|4:03 \|5:05 \|17:30 \|2017 \|Sidney Sussex College Chapel \|Resonus Classics \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8399991--rakastava S. Rahman–Resonus Classics (RES10205) 2018]}}}}
scope="row"\|12 \|{{sort\|Kihlgren\|Maria Kihlgren}} \|2:07 \|1:51 \|2:49 \|2:09 \|3:48 \|6:24 \|19:19 \|2019 \|Studio 2, Swedish Radio \|Sterling \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8793519--nordic-master-composers M. Kihlgren–Sterling (CDA 1842–2) 2020]}}}}
scope="row"\|13 \|{{sort\|Dostal\|{{ill\|Terhi Dostal\|fi}}}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|{{ill\|Alba Records\|lt=Alba\|fi\|Alba Records}} \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9376008--finnish-impressions-ilmari-hannikainen-jean-sibelius-helvi-leiviska-terhi-dostal T. Dostal–Label (ABCD 514) 2022]}}}}
scope="row"\|14 \|{{sort\|Tong\|Joseph Tong}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|Quartz \|{{center\|{{efn\|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9501091--jean-sibelius-piano-works-vol-3 J. Tong–Quartz (QTZ 2158) 2023]}}}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right:0; font-size:95%"

!rowspan=2 scope="col"|{{abbr|No.|Chronological number}}

!rowspan=2 scope=col|Pianist

!colspan=7 scope=col|Runtimes{{efn|All runtimes are official, as printed on CD or LP liner notes.|name=Runtimes}}

!rowspan=2 scope=col|{{nowrap|{{abbr|Rec.|Year of recording}}{{efn|Refers to the year in which the performers recorded the work; this may not be the same as the year in which the recording was first released to the general public.}}}}

!rowspan=2 scope=col|Recording venue

!rowspan=2 scope=col|Label

!rowspan=2 scope=col class="unsortable"|{{abbr|Ref.|References}}

scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|{{abbr|Op. 5/1}}}}

!scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|{{abbr|Op. 5/2}}}}

!scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|{{abbr|Op. 5/3}}}}

!scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|{{abbr|Op. 5/4}}}}

!scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|{{abbr|Op. 5/5}}}}

!scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|{{abbr|Op. 5/6}}}}

!scope="col" {{vert header|stp=1|Total}}

scope="row"|1

|{{sort|Tawaststjerna|Erik T. Tawaststjerna}}

|1:46

|2:03

|2:49

|2:11

|3:25

|2:12

|14:51

|1979

|{{ill|Nacka Auditorium|lt=Nacka Aula|sv|Nacka musikskola}}, Nacka

|BIS

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7937708--sibelius-the-complete-original-piano-music-volume-1 E. Tawaststjerna–BIS (CD–153) 1987]}}}}

scope="row"|2

|{{sort|Servadei|{{ill|Annette Servadei|ja|アンネッテ・サーヴァデイ}}}}

|1:50

|1:58

|2:08

|2:34

|3:31

|2:56

|14:59

|1992

|Christ's Hospital, Horsham

|Olympia

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/7915588-Sibelius-Annette-Servadei-Complete-Piano-Music-Volume-One A. Servadei–Olympia (OCD 631) 1997]}}}}

scope="row"|3

|{{sort|Lauriala|Risto Lauriala}}

|1:40

|1:44

|3:08

|2:42

|3:49

|1:45

|14:48

|1995

|{{ill|Järvenpää Hall|fi|Järvenpää-talo}}

|Naxos

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7952556--sibelius-piano-music-selection R. Lauriala–Naxos (8.553661) 1996]}}}}

scope="row"|4

|{{sort|Tateno|Izumi Tateno}}

|1:49

|1:44

|2:51

|2:14

|3:59

|2:10

|14:47

|1995

|Ainola

|Canyon Classics

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/25065106-Izumi-Tateno-Jean-Sibelius-Young-Sibelius-Sibelius-In-Ainola-II I. Tateno–Canyon Classics (PCCL–00328) 1996]}}}}

scope="row"|5

|{{sort|Heinonen|{{ill|Eero Heinonen (pianist)|lt=Eero Heinonen|fi|Eero Heinonen (pianisti)}}}} (1)

|2:50

|1:57

|3:01

|2:27

|3:24

|3:11

|16:50

|1996

|YLE M2 Studio, Helsinki

|Finlandia

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/16752150-Eero-Heinonen-2-Sibelius-Published-Original-Works-for-Piano-Complete-Edition E. Heinonen–Finlandia (8573–80776–2) 2000]}}}}

scope="row"|6

|{{sort|Gimse|Håvard Gimse}}

|2:19

|1:38

|2:12

|2:13

|3:08

|7:00

|18:35

|1997

|St Martin's Church, East Woodhay

|Naxos

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7952370--sibelius-piano-music-vol-1 H. Gimse–Naxos (8.553899) 1999]}}}}

scope="row"|7

|{{sort|Gräsbeck|{{ill|Folke Gräsbeck|fi}}}}

|1:53

|1:51

|2:33

|2:07

|3:36

|6:02

|18:22

|2003

|Nybrokajen 11, Stockholm

|BIS

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7963768--the-sibelius-edition-volume-4-piano-music-i F. Gräsbeck–BIS (CD–1909/11) 2008]}}}}

scope="row"|8

|{{sort|Wyss|Cassandra Wyss}}

|3:00

|2:05

|3:59

|2:27

|3:39

|2:28

|17:38

|2014

|{{ill|Andreaskirche (Berlin-Wannsee)|lt=Andreaskirche am Wannsee|de|Andreaskirche (Berlin-Wannsee)}}, Berlin

|Cappriccio

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8051680--stenhammar-sibelius-piano-pieces C. Wyss–Capriccio (C5229) 2014]}}}}

scope="row"|9

|{{sort|Heinonen|{{ill|Eero Heinonen (pianist)|lt=Eero Heinonen|fi|Eero Heinonen (pianisti)}}}} (2)

|2:29

|1:50

|2:29

|2:17

|3:17

|2:49

|15:11

|2015

|Sello Hall, Espoo

|Piano Classics

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8861061--sibelius-piano-music E. Heinonen–Piano Classics (PCL10220) 2020]}}}}

scope="row"|10

|{{sort|Mertanen|Janne Mertanen}}

|2:20

|1:51

|2:34

|2:29

|3:26

|3:50

|16:30

|2015

|[{{em|Unknown}}], Helsinki

|Sony Classical

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/9408827-Janne-Mertanen-Sibelius-Sibelius-Piano-Works J. Mertanen–Sony Classics (888751614222) 2015]}}}}

scope="row"|11

|{{sort|Rahman|Sophia Rahman}}

|2:11

|2:02

|2:24

|1:45

|4:03

|5:05

|17:30

|2017

|Sidney Sussex College Chapel

|Resonus Classics

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8399991--rakastava S. Rahman–Resonus Classics (RES10205) 2018]}}}}

scope="row"|12

|{{sort|Kihlgren|Maria Kihlgren}}

|2:07

|1:51

|2:49

|2:09

|3:48

|6:24

|19:19

|2019

|Studio 2, Swedish Radio

|Sterling

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8793519--nordic-master-composers M. Kihlgren–Sterling (CDA 1842–2) 2020]}}}}

scope="row"|13

|{{sort|Dostal|{{ill|Terhi Dostal|fi}}}}

|{{ill|Alba Records|lt=Alba|fi|Alba Records}}

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9376008--finnish-impressions-ilmari-hannikainen-jean-sibelius-helvi-leiviska-terhi-dostal T. Dostal–Label (ABCD 514) 2022]}}}}

scope="row"|14

|{{sort|Tong|Joseph Tong}}

|Quartz

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9501091--jean-sibelius-piano-works-vol-3 J. Tong–Quartz (QTZ 2158) 2023]}}}}

Notes, references, and sources

Notes

References

Sources

{{cite book|last1=Barnett|first1=Andrew|year=2007|title=Sibelius|location=New Haven|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-11159-0}}
{{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 book|last=Layton|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Layton (musicologist)|title=Sibelius|edition=4th|series=(The Master Musicians Series)|date=1993|orig-date=1965|location=New York|publisher=Schirmer Books|isbn=0028713222}}

External links

{{IMSLP|work=6 Impromptus, Op.5 (Sibelius, Jean)|cname=Six Impromptus, Op. 5}}

Category:Piano music by Jean Sibelius

Category:1893 compositions