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String Quartet in B-flat major (Sibelius)

{{short description|String quartet by Jean Sibelius (1890)}}

{{Infobox musical composition

| name = String Quartet in B-flat major

| composer = Jean Sibelius

| image = JSibelius 1891.jpg

| image_upright = .9

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

| border = Yes

| opus = 4

| movements = 4

| composed = {{start date|1889}}–1890

| publisher = {{ill|Fazer Music|lt=Fazer|fi|Musiikki-Fazer}} (1991){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}}

| duration = 31.5 mins.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=13}}

| premiere_date = {{start date|1890|10|13|df=y}}{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}}

| premiere_location = Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland

| premiere_performers = {{unbulleted list|Johan Halvorsen (violin)|Wilhelm Santé (violin)|Josef Schwartz (viola)|{{ill|Otto Hutschenreuter|ru|Хученройтер, Отто}} (cello)}}

}}

The String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 4, is a four-movement chamber piece for two violins, viola, and cello{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=13–14}} written from the summer of 1889 to September 1890 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It is the third of Sibelius's four string quartets. Musicologists have speculated: first, that the Adagio in D minor (JS 12) may have been intended as a slow movement for the Op. 4 quartet; and second, that the Allegretto in B-flat major (without catalogue designation) may be an abandoned sketch.{{sfn|Barnett|2007|pp=51, 53, 60–61, 89}}

The B-flat major Quartet received its premiere in Helsinki on 13 October 1890 at the Helsinki Music Institute (now the Sibelius Academy); the Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen was the first violinist, joined by Wilhelm Santé (violin II), Josef Schwartz (viola), and {{ill|Otto Hutschenreuter|ru|Хученройтер, Отто}} (cello).{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}}

In February 1894, Sibelius arranged Movement III for strings and titled it Presto (also known as Scherzo). This version received its premiere on 17 February 1894 in Turku, with Sibelius conducting the Orchestra of the Turku Musical Society.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}}

Structure

{{multiple image

|align=right

|direction=horizontal

|total_width=360

|image1=JohanHalvorsen 1892Helsinki.jpg

|width1=160|height1=205

|caption1=The Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen played first violin at the premiere.

|image2=JSibelius 13Oct1890 Op4StringQuartet Hufvudstadsbladet.png

|width2=200|height2=205

|caption2=An 13 October 1890 ad promoting the premiere of Sibelius's B-flat major Quartet}}

The B-flat major Quartet is in four movements, as follows:

{{ordered list|list_style_type=upper-roman

|Allegro

|Andante molto

|Presto

|Allegro}}

The piece was published posthumously in 1991 by {{ill|Fazer Music|fi|Musiikki-Fazer}}.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}}

=Movement I=

The first movement, marked Allegro, is in {{music|time|2|2}} time; it has a duration of about nine minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=13}}

=Movement II=

The second movement, marked Andante molto, is in {{music|time|2|4}} time; it has a duration of about 7.5 minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=13}}

=Movement III=

The third movement, marked Presto, is in {{music|time|3|4}} time; it has a duration of about six minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=13}}

=Movement IV=

The fourth movement, marked Allegro, is in {{music|time|4|4}} time; it has a duration of about nine minutes.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=13}}

Discography

The Sibelius Academy Quartet made the world premiere studio recording of the B-flat major Quartet for Finlandia in 1985.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}} The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:

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

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

!scope=col|Quartet

!scope=col|Violin I

!scope=col|Violin II

!scope=col|Viola

!scope=col|Cello

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

!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.}}}}

!scope=col|Recording venue

!scope=col|Label

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

scope="row"|1

|Sibelius Academy

|{{sort|Tukiainen|{{ill|Seppo Tukiainen|fi}}}}

|{{sort|Kantola|{{ill|Erkki Kantola|fi}}}}

|{{sort|Kosonen|Veikko Kosonen}}

|{{sort|Noras|Arto Noras}}

|31:28

|1984

|Convent Church, Naantali

|Finlandia

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/11012148-Jean-SibeliusSibelius-Academy-Quartet-The-Complete-String-Quartets Name Quartet–Label (4509–95851–2) 1992]}}}}

scope="row"|2

|{{ill|Tempera Quartet|lt=Tempera|fi|Tempera-kvartetti}}

|{{sort|Vikman|Laura Vikman}}

|{{sort|Koskela|Silva Koskela}}

|{{sort|Kangas|Tiila Kangas}}

|{{sort|Lampela|Ulla Lampela}}

|29:42

|2004

|{{ill|Länna Church, Uppland|sv|Länna kyrka, Uppland}}

|BIS

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7956254--sibelius-string-quartets Tempera–BIS (CD–1466) 2007]}}}}

The Finnish conductor {{ill|Pekka Helasvuo|fi}} and the {{ill|Finlandia Sinfonietta|fi}} made the world premiere studio recording of Presto in 1985 for Finlandia.{{efn|The musicologist {{ill|Fabian Dahlström|fi}}, in his 2003 catalogue of Sibelius's works, credits the Estonian-American conductor Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra with the world premiere studio recording of Presto.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=14}} However, according to liner notes, this recording was made in 1987 for BIS, about two years after the 1985 recording by Helasvuo and the Finlandia Sinfonietta.}} The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:

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

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

!scope="col"|Conductor

!scope="col"|Ensemble

!scope="col"|{{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.}}

!scope="col"|Time

!scope="col"|Recording venue

!scope="col"|Label

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

scope="row"|1

|{{sort|Helasvuo|{{ill|Pekka Helasvuo|fi}}}}

|{{ill|Finlandia Sinfonietta|fi}}

|1985

|6:41

|{{ill|Laurentius Hall|fi|Laurentius-sali}}

|Finlandia

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/13205752-Jean-Sibelius-Finlandia-Sinfonietta-Pekka-Helasvuo-Works-For-Small-Orchestra P. Helasvuo–Finlandia (FACD 354) 1986]}}}}

scope="row"|2

|{{sort|Järvi|Neeme Järvi}}

|Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

|1987

|6:41

|Gothenburg Concert Hall

|BIS

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7937668--sibelius-spring-song-the-bard-other-orchestral-suites N. Järvi–BIS (CD–384) 1987]}}}}

scope="row"|3

|{{sort|Kangas|{{ill|Juha Kangas|fi|Juha Kangas (kapellimestari)}}}} (1)

|Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra (1)

|1994

|6:00

|{{ill|Kaustinen Church|fi|Kaustisen kirkko}}

|Finlandia

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/4599884-Sibelius-Ostrobothnian-Chamber-Orchestra-Juha-Kangas-Works-For-String-Orchestra J. Kangas–Finlandia (4509–98995–2) 1996]}}}}

scope="row"|4

|{{sort|Vänskä|Osmo Vänskä}}

|Lahti Symphony Orchestra

|2004

|6:45

|Sibelius Hall

|BIS

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7949926--seriously-sibelius O. Vänskä–BIS (CD–1485) 2006]}}}}

scope="row"|5

|{{sort|Kangas|{{ill|Juha Kangas|fi|Juha Kangas (kapellimestari)}}}} (2)

|Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra (2)

|2011

|5:57

|Snellman Hall, Kokkola

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

|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8027605--nostalgia-lyrical-finnish-music-for-strings J. Kangas–Alba (ABCD 344) 2012]}}}}

Notes, references, and sources

;{{large|Notes}}

{{notelist}}

;{{large|References}}

{{Reflist}}

;{{large|Sources}}

{{refbegin}}

  • {{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}}

{{refend}}

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Category:String quartets by Jean Sibelius

Category:1890 compositions

Category:Compositions in B-flat major