Kuningas Kristian II

The strong and memorable melodies of these orchestral pieces derive from incidental music that Sibelius composed for a play by his friend, the Swedish playwright Adolf Paul, about the love of an otherwise tyrannical 16th-century Scandinavian monarch for his Dutch mistress. When the play opened in 1898, Sibelius’s score came in four sections that he later extended to seven. But realising the commercial possibilities of what he’d done, he then refashioned the whole thing into a five-movement concert suite, lasting about 25 minutes, that did indeed become a popular hit—often conducted by the composer himself. It opens with a “Nocturne” adapted from one of the play’s love scenes. Then comes an “Elegy” that originally served as an introduction, setting the mood for all that follows. A woodwind-driven “Musette” uses dance music heard under the mistress’ window. A “Serenade” recalls music from a scene with a court ball. And finally a stormy “Ballade” is taken from music that depicts King Christian’s anger.