| The Captive Queen | |
|---|---|
| Cantata byJean Sibelius | |
 The composer (c. 1905) | |
| Native name | Vapautettu kuningatar |
| Opus | 48 |
| Text |
|
| Language | Finnish |
| Composed | 1906 (1906) |
| Publisher | Lienau (1907)[2] |
| Duration | 12 mins.[1] |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 12 May 1906 (1906-05-12)[2] |
| Location | Helsinki,Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Conductor | Jean Sibelius |
| Performers | Helsinki Philharmonic Society |
The Captive Queen (inFinnish:Vapautettu kuningatar; sometimes translated to English asThe Liberated Queen; subtitled "Cantata in Celebration of Snellman's Birth"),Op. 48, is a single-movement,patrioticcantata formixed choir andorchestra written in 1906 by the Finnish composerJean Sibelius. The piece, which is a setting of the Finnish authorPaavo Cajander'sFinnish-language poem of the same name, is chronologically the fifth of Sibelius's nine orchestral cantatas.
The Captive Queen was first performed in Helsinki on 12 May 1906[a] by theOrchestra of Helsinki Philharmonic Society, conducted by the composer;[1] however, it premiered under the title "There Sings the Queen" ("Siell' laulavi kuningatar") in order to avoid the attention of theimperialcensors.[3] Sibelius arranged the piece formale choir in 1910; this version was first performed on 28 November 1913 by the Choir of the Students' Union, withHeikki Klemetti [fi] conducting.[4]
The Captive Queen is scored for the following instruments and voices,[1] organized by family (vocalists,woodwinds,brass,percussion, andstrings):
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Sibelius composed the cantata for the centennial festivities that marked the birth (12 May 1806) ofJohan Vilhelm Snellman,[5] a philosopher and statesman who was an important contributor to theFennoman cause.[a]
The Finnish composerOskar Merikanto also contributed a new piece for the occasion, theCantata in Memory of J. V. Snellman (Kantaatti J. V. Snellmanin muistolle, OM100; text byA. V. Koskimies). This premiered two hours beforeThe Captive Queen, albeit at a different venue: theFinnish National Theatre.[6]
The Finnish conductorJorma Panula and theHelsinki Philharmonic Orchestra made the world premiere studio recording ofThe Captive Queen in September 1987 forOndine; they were joined by a mixed choir credited as the "Academic Choir of Helsinki University" ("Helsingin Yliopiston Opettajankoulutuslaitoksen Kuoro").[2]Fabian Dahlström [fi], in his 2003 catalogue of Sibelius works, however, connects this ensemble toAkateeminen Laulu [fi],[2] which was founded in 1953 as the mixed choir of theStudent Union of the University of Helsinki. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:
| No. | Conductor | Orchestra | Chorus | Rec.[c] | Time[d] | Venue | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jorma Panula | Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra | Akateeminen Laulu [fi] | 1987 | 11:22 | Kulttuuritalo | Ondine | |
| 2 | Osmo Vänskä (1) | Lahti Symphony Orchestra (1) | Dominante Choir [fi] | 2004 | 9:16 | Sibelius Hall | BIS | |
| 3 | Osmo Vänskä (2) | Lahti Symphony Orchestra (2) | YL Male Voice Choir | 2005 | 9:27 | Sibelius Hall | BIS | |
| 4 | Alberto Hold-Garrido [fi] | Malmö Opera Orchestra | Lunds Studentsångförening | 2011 | 10:11 | Luftkastellet [sv] | Naxos |
