Light Cavalry Overture – Franz von Suppé

Franz von Suppé (1819-1895) was an Austrian composer known primarily for his compositions of light opera (operetta) and theater music. With a vast output of music, Suppé played a large role in influencing the operatic music of the 20th century. Accounts of his early life are widely disputed, however it is clear that from an early age, Suppé was intrigued by composers of opera and theatre such as Verdi, Donizetti and Rossini. In particular the music of Offenbach had a huge influence on the young composer, and in the early years, some of Offenbach’s scores were used as the basis of Suppé compositions. After a brief period of studying law, he moved to Vienna with his family and decided to pursue a career in music. Suppé began his early career in Vienna working as a composer and conductor for Franz Pokorny who managed and owned several theatres, and through these theatres, he was able to put on productions of his own compositions as well as conduct the music of many other great composers.

The operetta Light Cavalry was written in 1866 and is named after a type of cavalrymen who wore light armor and carried light swords to increase their mobility while on horseback. The story takes place in an Austrian village which is visited by a regiment of hussars (Hungarian cavalrymen). Through a series of events and love interests, a father and daughter are reunited. Like many operettas by Suppé, the entirety of the work is rarely performed while the overture is perhaps one of the most widely recognized orchestral tunes. As you listen, you will hear a triumphant opening, a frantic allegro section, the arrival of men on horseback, as well as a slow, dramatic, Hungarian-inspired tune.

Symphony in D Major, II. Andante, Op. 11 No. 2 – Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George (1745-1799) was a composer born in Guadalupe who spent most of his career living in France during the early classical era. He was the son of an African slave and a white nobleman, and despite the barriers he faced as a biracial man in French society, he became one of the most accomplished men of the eighteenth century. He not only was a respected conductor, violinist and composer, but was equally accomplished in riding, shooting, running, fencing and dancing. His fame was international and was even described by the second US President, John Adams, as being a master over these many activities.

After moving to Paris at the age of ten, Joseph Bologne received the highest level of education through private teachers and tutors. Even from a young age, he showed immense skill and promise in both his formal education and in the many sports he practiced. He was a very charming, eager and hard-working student and had already begun making a name for himself. His father was an active patron of music in Paris (including Antonio Lolli and Carl Stamitz) and because of this, his son was surrounded by the greatest musical minds of Paris. It was in the year 1773 that Joseph Bologne took up the baton at the Concert des Amateurs, an orchestra of which he served as concertmaster for many years. While serving as their music director, the orchestra grew to have a reputation for “precision, sensitive playing and nuance”, and it was also this orchestra that introduced Haydn’s symphonic works to France. Bologne would later conduct the premiere of Haydn’s Paris Symphonies beginning in 1787.

Joseph Bologne’s composition Deux sinfonies Op. 11 contains two symphonies, the first in G Major and the second in D Major. This afternoon you will hear the second movement of the D Major symphony which is written for string orchestra. Written in ternary form (ABA) with a few repeats, you will hear Bologne’s mastery over simple yet balanced textures and the influence of Haydn and Mozart.

Karelia Suite, Op. 11 – Jean Sibelius

 Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was a Finnish composer well known for bringing Finnish music into the spotlight. He played a large role in the Finnish cultural revolution, a period of time leading up to Finnish independence when the Finnish people were distinguishing themselves as a nation. One of the major historical events that ignited the fire of Finnish nationalism was the compilation and cultivation of the national epic “The Kalevala” by Elias Lönnrot. Lönnrot created The Kalevala from songs, poems and stories collected from Finnish oral tradition. These stories inspired the people in Finland, and many poets, artists and musicians began to create art based on this national tale as a way to establish a national culture and as a way to resist occupation from Russia and Sweden. A focus on writing and speaking in Finnish were at the forefront of this movement as most educated people of the time primarily used Swedish. Sibelius participated in this huge cultural movement often using stories and characters from The Kalevala as the subjects of his compositions in his early works. His Op. 7, Kullervo is a five movement, choral-symphonic work which depicts several stories that come directly from the epic poem.

Karelia Suite Op. 11 was a piece of music that came out of this cultural revolution in Finland. Sibelius was in attendance at a concert put on by a folk-singer from the Karelia region. Hearing this music certainly inspired his writing of the Karelia Music in 1893. The music was written for a performance by students at the Imperial Alexander University (now the University of Helsinki) with Sibelius conducting the premiere. The original piece, titled Karelia Music, consisted of an overture, 8 parts and 2 intermezzos. From the original music, Sibelius compiled the three-movement suite that is most often performed today. The original score to Karelia Music was never published and thought to be lost, but since then, recreations of the full piece have been recovered. 

Many people in Finland continue to praise the music of Sibelius for his ability to invoke images of nature; the great forests and lakes of Finland. Although Sibelius never used actual folk songs in his compositions, his music contains the flavor of folksongs that one might hear in the countryside. In the various movements of Karelia Suite one can hear the folksong-like quality in the simple melodies and cheerful dance rhythms of the first and third movement (Intermezzo and Alla Marcia) and the melancholic lullaby of the second movement (Ballade). As you listen, I hope you are transported to the magical and mystical world of Sibelius.