Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius was aย Finnishย composer of the lateย Romantic period. His music played an important role in the formation of the Finnishย national identity.

The core of Sibelius's oeuvre is his set of sevenย symphonies. Likeย Beethoven, Sibelius used each successive work to further develop his own personal compositional style. His works continue to be performed frequently in the concert hall and are often recorded.

In addition to the symphonies, Sibelius's best-known compositions includeย Finlandia, theย Karelia Suite,ย Valse triste, theย Violin Concerto in D minorย andย The Swan of Tuonelaย (one of the four movements of theย Lemminkรคinen Suite). Other works include pieces inspired by the Finnishย national epic, theย Kalevala; over 100 songs for voice and piano;ย incidental musicย for 13 plays; the operaย Jungfrun i tornetย (The Maiden in the Tower);ย chamber music;ย piano music;ย Masonicย ritual music;ย ย and 21 separate publications ofย choral music.

Like many of his contemporaries, Sibelius was initially enamored of the music ofย Wagner. A performance ofย Parsifalย at theย Bayreuth Festivalย had a strong effect on him.ย However, his appreciation for Wagner waned and Sibelius ultimately rejected Wagner'sย Leitmotifย compositional technique, considering it to be too deliberate and calculated. More lasting influences includedย Ferruccio Busoni,ย Anton Brucknerย andย Tchaikovsky. Hints of Tchaikovsky's music are particularly evident in works such as Sibelius'sย First Symphonyย (1899) and hisย Violin Concertoย (1905). Similarities to Bruckner are most strongly felt in the 'unmixed' timbral palette and sombre brass chorales of Sibelius's orchestration, a fondness for pedal points, and in the underlying slow pace of the music.

Sibelius progressively stripped away formal markers ofย sonata formย in his work and, instead of contrasting multiple themes, he focused on the idea of continuously evolving cells and fragments culminating in a grand statement. His later works are remarkable for their sense of unbroken development, progressing by means of thematic permutations and derivations.

Sibelius composed prolifically until the mid-1920s. However, after completing hisย Seventh Symphonyย (1924), theย incidental music toย The Tempestย (1926), and theย tone poemย Tapiolaย (1926), he produced no large scale works for the remaining thirty years of his life. Although he is reputed to have stopped composing, he in fact attempted to continue writing, including abortive efforts to compose anย eighth symphony. He wrote some Masonic music and re-edited some earlier works during this last period of his life, and retained an active interest in new developments in music, although he did not always view modern music favorably.