Karelia Overture, Op. 10 [Alf:36-A539502]

The KARELIA OVERTURE, Op. 10 is part of Jean Sibelius' (1865-1957) larger KARELIA MUSIC, which he wrote for the Viipuri Students' Association in 1893 to serve as incidental music for their historical tableau about the Karelia region of Finland that borders Russia. While not quoting any folk tunes directly, Sibelius' music does convey the essence of Finnish folk music. This example of nationalism in music premiered at the Imperial Alexander University in Helsinki on November 23rd, 1893, with Sibelius conducting. The KARELIA MUSIC, the included overture, and the KARELIA SUITE that premiered only ten days later remain among Sibelius' most popular works. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2,2: 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(3): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).