View source for Spring Song (Sibelius)

{{Short description|Tone poem by Jean Sibelius}}
{{Infobox musical composition
| type                = [[Tone poem]]
| name                = ''Spring Song''
| native_name         = {{lang|sv|Vårsång}}
| composer            = {{nowrap|[[Jean Sibelius]]}}
| image               = JSibelius c.1885-1890.jpg
| image_upright       = 1
| caption             = The composer ({{c.|1895}})
| border              = Yes
| opus                = 16
| composed            = {{start date|1894}}, {{abbr|rev.|revised}}&nbsp;1895
| publisher           = {{ill|Fazer & Westerlund|fi|Fazerin musiikkikauppa}} (1903){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=58}}{{efn|On 20&nbsp;July 1905, the Helsinki-based music publisher {{ill|Fazer & Westerlund|fi|Fazerin musiikkikauppa}} ({{lang|sv|Helsingfors Nya Musikhandel|italics=no}}) sold its Sibelius holdings (the publishing rights and printing plates) to the German firm of [[Breitkopf&nbsp;& Härtel]].{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=xxiv}}}}
| duration            = 8&nbsp;mins. ({{abbr|orig.|originally}} 10&nbsp;mins.){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=57}}
| premiere_date       = {{start date|1894|06|21|df=y}}{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=28}}
| premiere_location   = [[Vaasa]], [[Grand Duchy of Finland]]
| premiere_conductor  = Jean Sibelius
| premiere_performers = Orchestra of the Song Festival
}}

'''''Spring Song''''' (in Swedish: '''{{lang|sv|Vårsång}}'''; in Finnish: '''{{lang|fi|Kevätlaulu}}'''), [[Opus number|Op.]]&nbsp;16, is a single-[[movement (music)|movement]] [[tone poem]] for [[orchestra]] written in 1894 by the Finnish composer [[Jean Sibelius]].

==History==
The piece was initially composed as ''Improvisation for Orchestra'', in the key of [[D&nbsp;major]]. It was premiered on 21&nbsp;July 1894{{sfn|Barnett|2007|page=91}} at an outdoor festival in [[Vaasa]], organized by the {{ill|Society for Popular Education|fi|Kansanvalistusseura}} ({{lang|fi|Kansanvalistusseura|italics=no}}). Short, lyrical, and delicately scored, Sibelius's piece was ill-suited for the open-air concert, and the audience received it less enthusiastically than another work on the program: ''[[Korsholm (Järnefelt)|Korsholm]]'', by Sibelius's brother-in-law and friend [[Armas Järnefelt]]. Shortly therefore, Sibelius withdrew ''Improvisation'' for revision. In 1895, he recast it in [[F&nbsp;major]] and retitled the work ''Spring Song'' ({{lang|sv|Vårsång}}), appending the subtitle "The Sadness of Spring" to that (unpublished) version.{{sfn|Tawaststjerna|2008|p=142}}

==Structure==
The work is scored for 2 [[flute]]s (both doubling [[piccolo]]), 2 [[oboe]]s, 2 [[clarinet]]s (in B{{music|flat}}), 2 [[bassoon]]s, 4 [[french horn|horn]]s (in F), 3 [[trumpet]]s (in F), 3 [[trombone]]s, [[tuba]], [[timpani]], [[Tubular bells|glocken]], [[violin]]s, [[viola]]s, [[cello]]s, and [[double bass]]es.<ref>Score, Sibelius: Vårsång (Frühlingslied), [[Breitkopf und Härtel]], [[Leipzig]], 1903</ref> ''Spring Song'' takes about 8 minutes to play.

<score>
\relative c' \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } {
 \key f \major \time 3/4 \tempo ""
 r4^\markup \italic cantabile c\mp ( d) c4.\( bes8( d bes) c4\) f--( e-- f) c2
 d4-- \( e8\> ( d e4\! d4.) \) \< c8( \> \( e c\! ) d2.\) \< d2.*5/6 s8\!
}
</score>

The tempo marking is: Tempo moderato&nbsp;e sostenuto. The piece contains an optimism that is relatively rare among Sibelius' works. It is known for its prominent use of bells at the end of the song.{{sfn|Barnett|2007}}

==Discography==
The sortable table below lists commercially available recordings of ''Spring Song'':
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right:0; font-size:95%"
!scope="col"|{{abbr|No.|Chronological number}}
!scope="col"|Conductor
!scope="col"|Orchestra
!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|Berglund|[[Paavo Berglund]]}}
|[[Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra]]
|1973<!--June 28-->
|8:21<!--CD notes-->
|[[Southampton Guildhall]]
|[[EMI Classics]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.discogs.com/release/11208644-Sibelius-Bournemouth-Symphony-Orchestra-Paavo-Berglund-Orchestral-Works P.&nbsp;Berglund–EMI Classics ({{nowrap|5 69773 2}}) 1997]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|2
|{{sort|Groves|[[Sir Charles Groves]]}}
|[[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|1975<!--July, per WorldCat-->
|6:56<!--Per WorldCat-->
|[[Liverpool Philharmonic Hall]]
|[[EMI Classics]]
|{{center|{{efn|[http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/nov03/Sibelius_Groves.htm C.&nbsp;Groves–EMI Classics ({{nowrap|5 85532 2}}) 2003]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|3
|{{sort|Gibson|[[Alexander Gibson (conductor)|Sir Alexander Gibson]]}}
|[[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]]
|1977<!--Aug.-->
|7:10<!--CD notes-->
|[[Glasgow City Halls]]
|[[Chandos Records|Chandos]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7933756--sibelius-tone-poems A.&nbsp;Gibson–Chandos (CHAN&nbsp;8395/6) 1985]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|4
|{{sort|Järvi|[[Neeme Järvi]]}}&nbsp;(1)
|[[Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra]]&nbsp;(1)
|1986<!--June-->
|8:17<!--CD notes-->
|[[Gothenburg Concert Hall]]
|[[BIS Records|BIS]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7937668--sibelius-spring-song-the-bard-other-orchestral-suites N.&nbsp;Järvi–BIS (CD–384) 1988]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|5
|{{sort|Sinaisky|[[Vassily Sinaisky]]}}
|[[Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|1991<!--Sep. to Dec.-->
|8:19<!--CD notes-->
|[[Mosfilm Studios]]
|[[Brilliant Classics]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8037487--sibelius-complete-symphonic-poems V.&nbsp;Sinaisky–Brilliant Classics (BC9212) 2010]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|6
|{{sort|Järvi|[[Neeme Järvi]]}}&nbsp;(2)
|[[Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra]]&nbsp;(2)
|1994<!--May-->
|7:46<!--CD notes-->
|[[Gothenburg Concert Hall]]
|[[Deutsche Grammophon]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7937833--sibelius-tone-poems Neeme.&nbsp;Järvi–DG (00028947755227) yyyy]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|7
|{{sort|Vänskä|[[Osmo Vänskä]]}}&nbsp;(1)
|[[Lahti Symphony Orchestra]]&nbsp;(1)
|1999<!--June-->
|8:14<!--CD notes-->
|[[Ristinkirkko]]
|[[BIS Records|BIS]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7922255--sibelius-lahti-vanska O.&nbsp;Vänskä–BIS (CD–1125) 2000]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|8
|{{sort|Sato|Shuntaro Sato}}
|{{ill|Kuopio Symphony Orchestra|fi|Kuopion kaupunginorkesteri}}
|2002<!--Nov. 6-8-->
|8:32<!---->
|{{ill|Kuopio Music Centre|fi|Kuopion Musiikkikeskus}}
|[[Finlandia Records|Finlandia]]
|{{center|{{efn|[http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/feb04/Sibelius_Sato.htm S.&nbsp;Sato–Finlandia (0927–49598–2) 2003]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|9
|{{sort|Vänskä|[[Osmo Vänskä]]}}&nbsp;(2)
|[[Lahti Symphony Orchestra]]&nbsp;(2)
|2007<!--May-->
|7:34<!--CD notes-->
|[[Sibelius Hall]]
|[[BIS Records|BIS]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7983770--the-sound-of-sibelius O.&nbsp;Vänskä–BIS (SACD–1645) 2009]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|10
|{{sort||[[Leif Segerstam]]}}
|[[Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|2007<!--June-->
|8:56<!--CD notes-->
|[[Finlandia Hall]]
|[[Ondine (record label)|Ondine]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7961074--pictures-from-finland L.&nbsp;Segerstam–Ondine (ODE&nbsp;1112–2) 2007]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|11
|{{sort|Gardner|[[Edward Gardner (conductor)|Edward Gardner]]}}
|[[Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|2018<!--May 7-9-->
|7:45<!--CD notes-->
|[[Grieg Hall]]
|[[Chandos Records|Chandos]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8919578--sibelius-luonnotar-tapiola-spring-song E.&nbsp;Gardner–Chandos (CHSA&nbsp;5217) 2021]}}}}
|-
!scope="row"|12
|{{sort|Oramo|[[Sakari Oramo]]}}
|[[BBC Symphony Orchestra]]
|2018<!--May 22-23-->
|9:03<!--CD notes-->
|[[Watford Colosseum]]
|[[Chandos Records|Chandos]]
|{{center|{{efn|[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8617743--sibelius-lemminkainen-suite-spring-song-suite-from-belshazzars-feast S.&nbsp;Oramo–Chandos (CHAN&nbsp;20136) 2019]}}}}
|}

==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}}
*{{cite book|first=Erik|last=Tawaststjerna|author-link=Erik Tawaststjerna|title=Sibelius: Volume&nbsp;I, 1865–1905|date=2008|orig-date=1965/1967; {{abr|trans.|translation}}&nbsp;1976|translator-first=Robert|translator-last=Layton|translator-link=Robert Layton (musicologist)|location=London|publisher=Faber and Faber|isbn=978-0-571-24772-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Vernon |first=David |date=2024 |title=Sun Forest Lake: The Symphonies & Tone Poems of Jean Sibelius |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Candle Row Press |isbn=978-1739659943 |ref=none}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{IMSLP2|work=Spring_Song%2C_Op.16_(Sibelius%2C_Jean)|cname=''Spring Song'' (''Vårsång''), Op.&nbsp;16}}
*{{allMusic|first=Blair |last=Johnston |class=composition |id=mc0002371213}}

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[[Category:Tone poems by Jean Sibelius]]
[[Category:1894 compositions]]
[[Category:Compositions in F major]]

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