Suite for Violin and String Orchestra

{{short description|Concertante suite by Jean Sibelius}}

{{Infobox musical composition

| name = Suite for Violin and String Orchestra

| type = Concertante piece

| composer = {{nowrap|Jean Sibelius}}

| image = JSibelius 1927.jpg

| image_upright = .9

| caption = The composer ({{c.|1927}})

| border = Yes

| catalogue = JS 185 (Op. 117){{efn|The Suite for Violin and Orchestra is sometimes designated as Sibelius's {{em|de facto}} Op. 117. However, Sibelius's final opus list from 1952 did not assign Op. 117 to any composition. In addition to the Suite, several other compositions at one point provisionally held this designation, including Andante festivo (JS 34; 1922, arranged for strings and timpani in 1938), the Academic March ({{lang|fi|Promootiomarssi}}; JS 155, 1919), and the choral piece for male choir and piano Karelia's Fate ({{lang|fi|Karjalan osa}}; JS 108, 1930).{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=492, 617–618, 687}}{{sfn|Barnett|2007|p=331}}|name=Op. 117}}

| key = D minor

| composed = {{start date|1929}}

| publisher = {{ill|Fazer Music|fi|Musiikki-Fazer}} (1994){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=618}}

| duration = 7 mins{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=617–618}}

| premiere_date = {{start date|1990|12|8|df=y}}{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=618}}

| premiere_location = Lahti, Finland

| premiere_conductor = Osmo Vänskä

| premiere_performers = {{unbulleted list|Lahti Symphony Orchestra|John Storgårds (violin)}}

}}

The Suite for Violin and String Orchestra in D minor, JS 185 (Op. 117),{{efn|name=Op. 117}} is a concertante composition for violin and strings written in 1929 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The piece is in three movements, as follows:

{{ordered list|list_style_type=upper-roman

|Country Scenery. Allegretto

|Serenade: Evening in Spring. Andantino

|In the Summer. Vivace}}

The individual movements bear English language titles,{{efn|A recording of the Suite by Deutsche Grammophon provides the following Finnish titles: I. {{lang|fi|Maalaismaisema|italics=no}}, II. {{lang|fi|Kevätilta|italics=no}}; and III. {{lang|fi|Kesällä|italics=no}}.}} as Sibelius intended to sell the Suite to the New York-based publisher Carl Fischer.{{sfn|Barnett|2007|pp=330–331}}

Fischer wrote to Sibelius on 5 October 1928: "However, we would be much more interested in works for piano, voice and piano, and violin and piano ... If we are permitted to make the suggestion, we would like to recommend that you write some characteristic numbers in the form of an orchestra suite ... We have every reason to believe that an orchestral suite from your pen ... would be a very commercial proposition".{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=484}}

Sibelius wrote back to Fischer on 15 February 1929: "I take pleasure in handing to you herewith the following compositions: Op. 114 Piano-solo .../ Op. 115 Violin-solo with piano .../ Op. 116 Violin-solo with piano .../ Op. 117 [JS 185] Suite for Violin-solo with accomp. of strings".{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=484–485}}

Fischer responded to Sibelius on 7 September 1929: "We must reluctantly inform you that in view of the extremely unfortunate constellation in the music publishing field in the United States, it seems to us inadvisable at the present time to publish compositions of the high standard which you have submitted to us. The market is very unfavorable for this class of music and we are compelled to return them to you with our regrets".{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=485}}

As a result of Fischer's rejection, Sibelius wrote on the manuscript, "Sketch. To be reworked!"{{efn|The original Swedish is: "{{lang|sv|Skizz. Omarbetas!|italics=no}}".{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=618}}}}—although he never completed a revision.{{sfn|Barnett|2007|p=331}}

The Suite was never performed in Sibelius's lifetime. It received its world premiere in Lahti, Finland on 8 December 1990, the composer's sesquicentennial; the Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä conducted the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, with the Finnish violinist John Storgårds as soloist.{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=618}}