Jean Sibelius

The Captive Queen op. 48

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) composed The Captive Queen, Op. 48 (Vapautettu Kuningatar; Die Gefangene Koenigin) in 1906 as a patriotic cantata for mixed chorus and orchestra to commemorate the centenary of the birth of the Finnish philosopher, statesman, and nationalist Johan Vilhelm Snellman. Setting a poem by Paavo Cajander, the work tells the allegorical story of an imprisoned queen who is freed by a young hero, a transparent symbol of Finland's yearning for national identity and freedom during a period of Russian rule. Because of its unmistakable patriotic implications, the premiere in Helsinki on May 12, 1906, conducted by Sibelius with the Helsinki Philharmonic Society, was given under the innocuous title There Sings the Queen (Siell' laulavi kuningatar) to avoid provoking the imperial censors. Richly orchestrated and dramatic in conception, the cantata combines heroic declamation with moments of lyrical warmth, anticipating the nationalist spirit of works such as Finlandia. Today, The Captive Queen is performed less frequently than Sibelius's symphonies and tone poems, yet it has gained increasing recognition through modern recordings and performances as one of his finest patriotic choral-orchestral works and an important expression of Finland's cultural awakening in the early twentieth century. Instrumentation: 2(2nd dPicc).2.1+1(BCl).1: 4.2.3.0: Timp.Perc(2-3): Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Mix Chorus. Reprint edition.