Petite Suite (Sibelius)
Jean Sibelius (arr. Fransman)
Subtitle: For Brass Septet
General Info
Year: c. 1891 / 1988
Duration: c. 7:30
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $50.95
Movements
1. Prelude (or Preludium) – 4:00
2. Andantino - 2:15
3. Minuet (or Menuetto) - 1:36
Instrumentation
Full Score
B-flat Cornet I-II-II
Horn in F
Alto Horn
Euphonium
Tuba
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Sibelius often spoke of the happy summers he used to spend in the hospitable home of his Eveliina in the little southern coastal town of Loviisa. There he would enjoy the congenial company of friends and relatives, with whom small ensembles would be formed to play music. A major portion of his early chamber works were composed at Lovsiia during his boyhood and student days. I was there too that certain of the last works of Sibelius's early period saw the ight of day, his Overture and Petite Suite for brass septet, which are documents shedding interesting light on one of the master's developmental stages.
The Overture and the three movements of the Petite Suite were written during the 189-91 period for various functions held in Loviisa. The Andantino movement was performed at the Tammisaari Music Festival in 1891, where Sibelius was a member of a four-man jury.
The Overture and Petite Suite were originally composed for a bass septet: a brass band can lay them by simply adding to the number of players performing each part. Before the turn of the century, Finnish brass bands often appeared reinforced to formidable size.
- Program Note by Holgar Fransman
Media
- Audio CD: Baltic Brass - 2002
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of Miami (Coral Gables) Frost Symphonic Winds (Jay Rees, conductor) - 30 April 2023
- University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory Wind Ensemble (Cory Seapy, conductor) – 6 December 2017
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Andante Festivo (arr. Thurston) (1922/1930/1999)
- Be Still My Soul (arr. Swearingen) (1900/2016)
- Finlandia (tr. Cailliet) (1900/1939)
- Finlandia (tr. Hindsley) (1900/1971)
- Finlandia (arr. Kuikka) (1900/1967)
- Finlandia (tr. McAlister; ed. Reed) (1900/2004)
- Finlandia (arr. Molenaar) (1900/1964)
- Finlandia (arr. Page) (1900/1928)
- Finlandia (tr. Winterbottom) (1900/1908(?))
- Onward, Ye Peoples! (arr. Goldman) (1940)
- Overture in F Minor (trans. Ambrose) (1889/1988/2018)
- Petite Suite (arr. Fransman) (1891/1988)
- Preludio (ed. Corporon) (2010)
- Swan of Tuonela (tr. Hartman) (1895/2023)
- Tiera (1899/c. 2011)
- Valse Triste (arr. Schyns) (1903/1911/2007)
- Valse Triste (arr. Winterbottom) (1903/1911/1939/)
Resources
- Fransman, Holgar. "Petite Suite for Brass Septet." Hickey's. Web] Accessed 6 February 2018.
- Sibelius, J.; Fransman, H. (1988). Petite Suite for Brass Septet [score]. Fazer Musiikki Oy: Helsinki, Finland.