No. 1 Serenade in D major. Completed 1912; first performance 8th December 1915 (Richard Burgin, Helsinki City Orchestra under Jean Sibelius).

No. 2 Serenade in G minor. Completed 1913; first performance 8th December 1915 (Richard Burgin, Helsinki City Orchestra under Jean Sibelius).

In addition to the violin concerto, Jean Sibelius composed a few excellent minor works for solo violin and orchestra. The serenades are impressive works, lasting less than seven minutes. They were completed in 1912-1913 but they were not performed until Sibelius’s 50th birthday concert, 8th December 1915. At the time they were overshadowed by the festivities and by the first public performance of the fifth symphony.

The serenades are performed far too rarely considering their quality. Yet they are excellent, highly concentrated pieces, and they have a more serious atmosphere than the humoresques.