The Rapids-Rider's Brides

The Rapids-Rider's Brides (in Finnish: Koskenlaskijan morsiamet; sometimes translated to English variously as The Ferryman's Brides or The Rapids-Shooter's Brides), Op. 33, is a song for baritone (or mezzo-soprano) and orchestra written in 1897 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Sibelius later made two arrangements of The Rapids-Rider's Brides: in 1897–1899, for voice and piano; and in 1943, for male choir and orchestra.

Instrumentation
The Rapids-Rider's Brides is scored for the following instruments and voices, organized by family (vocalists, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings):


 * Baritone (or mezzo-soprano)
 * 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in A), and 2 bassoons
 * 4 horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in F), and 3 trombones
 * Timpani, bass drum, cymbals, and triangle
 * Violins (I and II), violas, cellos, and double basses

Discography
The Finnish conductor Jorma Panula and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, joined by the Finnish baritone Jorma Hynninen, made the world premiere studio recording of The Rapids-Rider's Brides in May 1984 for BIS. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:

In 2008, the Swedish baritone Gabriel Suovanen and the Finnish pianist Folke Gräsbeck made the world premiere studio (and, to date, only) recording of Sibelius transcription of The Rapids-Rider's Brides for BIS. The table below contains additional details about this recording:

Notes, references, and sources

 * Notes


 * References


 * Sources