| Death | |
|---|---|
| Theatre score & associated works by Jean Sibelius | |
 The composer (c. 1902) | |
| Native name | Kuolema |
| Catalogue | JS 113 (score) |
| Opus |
|
| Text | Kuolema by Arvid Järnefelt |
| Composed | 1903 (score), arr. 1904 (Op. 44), rev. 1906–1911 (Op. 62 additions) |
| Duration | Approx. mins. |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 2 December 1903 |
| Location | |
| Conductor | Jean Sibelius |
| Performers | Helsinki Philharmonic Society |
Death (in Finnish: Kuolema), JS 113, is a theatre score originally comprising six numbers written in 1903 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.
Associated works are Valse triste (Op. 44/1) and Scene with Cranes (Kurkikohtaus, Op. 44/2), as well as Canzonetta (Op. 62b) and Valse romantique (Op. 62b)
Sibelius excerpted and revised the score to produce two concert pieces for orchestra: in 1904, No. 1—Tempo di valse lente – Poco risoluto—as Valse triste (Op. 44/1); and in 1906, the outer sections of No. 3 (Moderato assai and Poco adagio) with No. 4—Andante—as Scene with Cranes (Op. 44/2). In 1904, he also transcribed Valse triste for solo piano.
Finally, for a 1911 production of the play, he wrote two new numbers for a revised version of Järnefelt's play: Canzonetta (Op. 62/1)—originally titled Rondo der Liebenden (Rondo of the Lovers) and written in 1906—and Valse romantique (Op. 62/1)—originally titled Vals-intermezzo.
.jpg)
Structure and roles
editDeath is in three acts, comprising five tableaux. It features two vocal soloists and two songs. A typical performance lasts about ?? minutes.
| Roles | Appearances | Premiere cast (2 December 1903)[1] |
|---|---|---|
| Paavali's mother | Act I | Katri Rautio |
| Paavali (young) | Act I | Olga Leino |
| Paavali (adult) | Acts II and III | Knut Weckman (albeit with song sung by Ojanperä) |
| Witch | Act II | Mimmi Lähteenoja |
| Elsa | Acts II and III | Hanna Granfelt |
| Stranger | ? | Benjamin Leino |
- ^ Päivälehti, No. 280 1903, p. 3.