Two Rondinos

The Two Rondinos, Op. 68, is a collection of compositions for piano written in November 1912 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

Structure and music

Rondino No. 1

The First Rondino is in G-sharp minor and begins with the tempo marking Andantino.

Rondino No. 2

The Second Rondino is in C-sharp minor and is marked Vivace.

Reception

characterizes the Two Rondinos as "closely related ... in character" to the Three Sonatinas for solo piano from the same year, and as such, he endorses as "highly probable" the music lexicographer and critic Eric Blom's speculation that the rondinos might have originated as movements for an incomplete fourth sonatina, with the First Rondo serving as a central slow movement and the Second Rondino as "delightful finale."

Discography

The Hungarian pianist Ervin László made the world premiere studio recording of Rondino No. 1 in 1959 for RCA Victor. In contrast, Rondino No. 2 was first recorded in 1971 by the Japanese pianist Izumi Tateno for EMI. The sortable table below lists this and other commercially available recordings of the Rondinos: