SKU: A0.1511019

An arrangement for String Orchestra of the national anthem of Finland. There are also versions for Brass Quintet & Symphony Orchestra in my two stores.

Maamme (Finnish: [?m??m?e]) or Vårt land (Finland Swedish: [?vo?rt ?l?n?d]; both meaning Our Land) is Finland's national anthem. The music was composed by the German immigrant Fredrik Pacius, with (original Swedish) words by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, and with this music it was performed for the first time on 13 May 1848. Originally it was written for the 500th anniversary of Porvoo and for that occasion it was Runeberg himself who wrote the music.The poem has been influenced by the Szózat (Appeal) of Mihály Vörösmarty, both in style and content.[

The melody of Maamme is also used for the national anthem of Estonia with a similarly themed text, Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy, 1869).It is also considered to be the ethnic anthem for the Livonians as Min iz?m? (My Fatherland).

The original poem, written in 1846 but not printed until 1848, had 11 stanzas and formed the prologue to the verse cycle The Tales of Ensign Stål (Fänrik Ståhls Sägner), a classic example of Romantic nationalism. The current Finnish language text is usually attributed to the 1889 translation of Ensign Stål by Paavo Cajander, but in fact originates from the 1867 translation by Julius Krohn.

The Tales of Ensign Stål were much appreciated throughout all of Scandinavia. Up until the time of Finland's independence in 1917 and 1918, when the song began to be recognized as specifically applying to Finland, Pacius's tune and Runeberg's text were often also sung in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Note that in the original Swedish text there is no reference to Finland (except for in verses 4 and 10, which are rarely sung), only to a country in the north, but the Finnish text explicitly refers to Finland. The poem's theme is, furthermore, remarkably similar to that of the national anthems of Sweden (Du gamla, Du fria) and Norway (Ja, vi elsker dette landet).[citation needed]

There is no law regarding an official national anthem in Finland, in the way the coat of arms and flag of Finland are legally defined. Instead its position has been established gradually by convention over the years.

Today, Maamme is firmly established by convention. Children learn it in school; in formal occasions it is sung both in Finnish and in Swedish. It is played at sporting events, such as the Olympics. In the 1880s and in the 1920s there were more attempts to replace it with a Finnish language version but these ceased by the 1930s. Some Finns have proposed that the Finnish national anthem be changed to Finlandia by Jean Sibelius, with lyrics by V.A. Koskenniemi (Finnish) and Joel Rundt (Swedish). There are also those who simply prefer Finlandia as a musical piece, although critics claim that it is difficult to sing.[citation needed]

It is said that Pacius composed the tune in four days. It was popular throughout the 19th century, but established as national anthem only after Pacius' death.

The melody of Maamme has similarities with the German drinking song Papst und Sultan. Many believe that Fredrik Pacius intentionally or unintentionally copied parts of the tune. Another Finnish patriotic song, Sotilaspoika, composed by Pacius, also includes similarities with Papst und Sultan.[citation needed]

During 1993, an instrumental version of Maamme was used as Finnish professional wrestler Tony Halme's (under the ring name Ludvig Borga) entrance theme 

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SKU: A0.1256697

This classic, uplifting hymn has been rearranged as an SATB a capella masterpiece with luscious harmonies, a solo for any voice part, an original bridge, and an outro that concludes this beautiful piece.

SKU: A0.549541

Duration: ca. 4:00, Score: 9 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 4 pages. Super-famous instantly recognizable tune, not very difficult - suitable for a recital or church meditation.

Grieg Background

In the first place, Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907) was a Norwegian composer as well as a concert pianist. As a matter of fact, most music historians consider him one of the foremost Romantic era composers. Consequently, his music is part of the international standard classical repertoire. Grieg moreover used Norwegian folk music in his own compositions.  Consequently, he ushered Norwegian music to transnational consciousness. Furthermore, he forged a national musical identity for Norway. It is important to realize that he did this in a manner similar to Jean Sibelius in Finland, and BedÅ™ich Smetana in Bohemia.

Legacy

Grieg is especially celebrated in the city of Bergen. For example, the city has erected numerous statues depicting Grieg. Specifically, the city has named a concert hall (Grieg Hall), a music school (Grieg Academy) and a professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor) after him. As a matter of fact, there is also a museum located at his former home in Troldhaugen.

Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (Op. 46)

Grieg wrote incidental music for the purpose of illustrating a play by Ibsen known as Peer Gynt. The play includes, in particular, the famous selection entitled, In the Hall of the Mountain King. In this composition, Grieg indeed depicts the exploits of the scoundrel, Peer Gynt. In one famous episode, for example, Peer steals a bride at her wedding. For this reason, the people chase him, but soon Peer falls, thereupon striking his skull on a boulder. He wakens forthwith in a highland bounded by angry gnomes. Consequently, the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King represents the mad gnomes taunting Peer. Therefore, each time the theme repeats it gets louder and faster. In the end, Peer surprisingly escapes from the mountain.

Holberg Suite and Misc. Summary

It must be remembered that Grieg originally wrote his Holberg Suite for the piano. In other words, he only later arranged it for strings. Further, Grieg composed by and large many songs with lyrics by famous writers such as Heine, Goethe, Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling, and others. On balance, Norwegian pianist Eva Knardahl recorded altogether Grieg’s whole piano catalog on LP in 1980. These recordings were released again on CD in 2006. In any event, Grieg himself performed and recorded the bulk of these pieces toward the end of his life.