The Six Songs, Op. 36, is a collection of Swedish-language art songs for vocal soloist and piano written from 1899 to 1900 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. As a group, Op. 36 is Sibelius's most popular song set; indeed, "" is arguably the best-known song in his entire oeuvre. "", too, is oft-performed.

Constituent songs Ordered by catalogue number, the Op. 36 songs are as follows:

"" ("Black Roses"), Op. 36/1 (1899); text by the Swedish poet Ernst Josephson "" ("But My Bird is Long in Homing"), Op. 36/2 (1899); text by the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg "" ("Tennis at Trianon"), Op. 36/3 (1899); text by the Swedish poet Gustaf Fröding "" ("Sigh, Sigh, Sedges"), Op. 36/4 (1900); text by Fröding "" ("The March Snow"), Op. 36/5 (1900); text by the Finnish poet Josef Julius Wecksell "" ("The Diamond on the March Snow"), Op. 36/6 (1900); text by Wecksell

The collection was first published piecemeal by two Helsinki-based firms: () printed Nos. 1–4 from 1900 to 1901, while Axel E. Lindgren printed Nos. 5–6 in 1901. The table below provides additional information about each song: SongTempoTimeKeyPremiereSoloistPianistDateVenueCommodoSolemnity Hall, HelsinkiAndantinoVivaceAndantinoAutumn ?Andantino, HelsinkiCommodoSolemnity Hall, Helsinki

Orchestral version of No. 6 In January 1917, Sibelius arranged "" for vocalist and orchestra, which he intended for his frequent collaborator, the celebrated Finnish soprano Ida Ekman; she premiered this version of the song on 22 February 1917 in Helsinki, with her husband, , conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. It is scored for the following instruments and voices, organized by family (vocalists, woodwinds, and strings):

Vocalist (typically soprano or baritone) 2 flutes and 2 clarinets Violins (I and II), violas, cellos, double basses, and harp

The orchestral version of "" was first published in Volume VIII/1 of the Jean Sibelius Works (JSW) critical edition, an ongoing collaborative project involving the National Library of Finland, the German firm of Breitkopf & Härtel, and the Sibelius Society of Finland.

Notes, references, and sources Notes

References

Sources

External links