Karelia Suite

The Karelia Suite has its origins in a sequence of tableaux Sibelius wrote in 1893 for a fundraising occasion organised by the Viipuri Students’ Association. Given that this was intentionally a one-off event, he extracted or reworked several of these items for concert use. The first became known as the Karelia Overture, while the remaining three became the Karelia Suite. All four were first heard in this guise in Helsinki on 23 November 1893, with the Suite establishing itself among Sibelius’ most popular works. Beginning with expectant horn calls over rustling strings, the opening “Intermezzo” builds into a heady processional, with trumpets carrying one of the composer’s most indelible melodies before returning to its earlier calm. The “Ballade” comprises three interdependent sections: the first features a sombre woodwind theme that passes to strings, where its modal harmonies intensify before receding into the distance; the second is a hymn-like theme for strings, whose growing fervency is suddenly curtailed by woodwind; and the third is a plaintive melody for cor anglais over pizzicato strings that concludes with a gentle reminiscence of the initial theme. The “Alla Marcia” alternates between a vivacious theme on strings and bracing fanfares for brass, with elements from both combining joyfully toward the close.