Composer

:

Jean Sibelius

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Incidental Music

Compose Date

:

1898

Average_duration

:

23:38

Movement_count

:

7

Movement ....

"King Christian II" is a song cycle composed by Jean Sibelius in 1898-1899. The work is based on poems by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, a Finnish poet. The premiere of the work took place in Helsinki on November 13, 1899, with Aino Ackté as the soloist and the composer conducting. The song cycle consists of six movements, each of which tells a different story from the life of King Christian II of Denmark. The first movement, "Ett drömspel" (A Dream Play), sets the scene for the rest of the work, with the narrator describing a dream in which he sees the king and his queen. The second movement, "Soldat Fabian" (Soldier Fabian), tells the story of a soldier who falls in love with the queen and is executed for his crime. The third movement, "Kung Kristian" (King Christian), is a lament for the king's lost love. The fourth movement, "Balladen om den sjuka flickan på slottet" (The Ballad of the Sick Girl in the Castle), tells the story of a sick girl who is cured by the king's touch. The fifth movement, "Drottningens juvelsmycke" (The Queen's Jewel), tells the story of a jewel that the queen gives to a knight as a token of her love. The final movement, "Epilog" (Epilogue), brings the work to a close with a reflection on the transience of life. The music of "King Christian II" is characterized by Sibelius's use of rich harmonies and expressive melodies. The orchestration is lush and colorful, with the composer making use of a wide range of instruments to create a variety of textures and moods. The vocal writing is also highly expressive, with the soloist given ample opportunity to showcase their range and dramatic abilities. Overall, "King Christian II" is a powerful and evocative work that showcases Sibelius's skill as a composer of both instrumental and vocal music. Its premiere was a great success, and the work has since become a staple of the Finnish classical repertoire.

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