Jean Sibelius

The music of JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957) has had a unique and profound impact on Finnish culture and the image of Finland, to which it opened up entirely new vistas. The earliest works of the composer were produced at a time when Finland needed powerful achievements and stirring feelings for its emergent culture. Sibelius drew on folk music and the folk poetry heritage for the subjects and stylistic materials that were transformed in his fruitful imagination into a highly personal form of artistic expression. While approaching the European symphonic tradition, he incorporated his own solutions of form and a strident tonal language. The seven symphonies form the monumental core of Sibelius’ works, which orchestras and conductors have continually researched and re-interpreted to find new performance dimensions. These interpreters have also been encouraged by orchestral conducting competitions held every five years, in which young conductors show their skills with the Sibelius symphonies, and at the violin competitions arranged at similar intervals, in which the Sibelius violin concerto holds pride of place.

Among the orchestral compositions of Sibelius, particular acclaim has been reserved for the Lemminkäinen Suite, four legends for orchestra, the tone poem En Saga, the symphonic poem Tapiola and Finlandia, which has become a symbol of national resolve and integrity. There are many legends surrounding the genesis and fate of Sibelius’ eighth symphony, but the composer evidently destroyed this before it was completed.

The works of Sibelius include a great deal of chamber music, and particularly vocal works, of which the most widely known include Song of the cross-spider (to words by Adolf Georg), Was it a dream? (to words by J. J. Wecksell), The girl came from meeting her lover (to words by J. L. Runeberg), Reeds, reeds, whisper (to words by G. Fröding) and the Christmas songs, particularly Give me no splendour, gold or pomp (to words by Z. Topelius). One of the best known choral works of Sibelius is the Jäeger March. Of his works for piano the three sonatas, the Kyllikki Suite and the suite named after types of tree ­ the best known part of which is Kuusi the spruce tree ­ deserve special mention.