Höstkväll

"Höstkväll" (literal English translation: "Autumn Evening"), Op. 38/1, is an art song for vocal soloist (typically soprano) and piano written in 1903 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The piece, which is a setting of the eponymous poem by the Swedish poet Viktor Rydberg, premiered on 12 September 1903 at the Finnish National Theatre in Helsinki, with the Finnish soprano Aino Ackté as soloist accompanied by the Finnish composer Oskar Merikanto on piano.

In 1904, Sibelius arranged "Höstkväll" for voice and orchestra—along with its catalogue mates, "På verandan vid havet" ("On a Balcony by the Sea", Op. 38/2) and "I natten" ("In the Night", Op. 38/3). This version of the song received its first performance on 14 January 1905 in Paris, with Alfred Cortot conducting; the soloist was the American soprano Minnie Tracey.

Instrumentation
The orchestrated version of "Höstkväll" is scored for the following instruments and voices, organized by family (vocalists, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings):


 * Soprano (or baritone)
 * 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, and 1 contrabassoon
 * 4 horns and 3 trombones
 * Snare drum
 * Violins (I and II), violas, cellos, double basses, and harp

Reception
The British musicologist Robert Layton has praised "Höstkväll" as "astonishingly forward-looking" and it is routinely celebrated as being among Sibelius's best songs.

Discography
The Norwegian conductor Øivin Fjeldstad and the London Symphony Orchestra, joined by the Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad, made the world premiere studio recording of "Höstkväll" in 1958 for Decca. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings of the version for orchestra: † = version for vocal soloist and string orchestra (1904)

The version of "Höstkväll" for piano accompaniment received its first studio recording in 1967, when the Finnish baritone Tom Krause and the Finnish pianist Pentti Koskimies recorded it for Decca. The table below includes this and other commercially available recordings: