The Tempest, Op. 109

Composer: SIBELIUS, Jean
  • Sibelius wrote the incidental music (music that accompanies a theatrical work) for a 1926 production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. The following year, the composer arranged pieces from this production into an overture and two concert suites – 19 pieces in total.1
  • The movements of the suites don’t follow the original theatrical order. Instead, they’re either character portraits or accompaniments to specific scenes of the play.2
  • Sibelius originally scored the The Tempest for quite a large ensemble – solo voices, choir, large orchestra, and harmonium.

Sources

  1. Andrew Barnett, “Incidental Music to ‘The Tempest,’ Op. 109,” in accompanying booklet, Jean Sibelius: The Tempest performed by the Gothenberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi, BIS 448, 1989, compact disc.
  2. Andrew Barnett, Essay in accompanying booklet, Sibelius: The Tempest / The Bard / Tapiola performed by the Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Okko Kamu, BIS 1945, 2011, compact disc.

Cut IDs

20565 20566 24642 15035