Sibelius’s famous piece. Popular classical music.
Jean Sibelius, the renowned composer born in Finland.
A composer and violinist, Sibelius wrote a vast body of works ranging from symphonies to piano pieces and choral music.
Many of his compositions express a deep love for his homeland, Finland.
His symphonic poem Finlandia is a representative example, and in addition he wrote over a hundred songs with piano accompaniment, stage music, and choral works inspired by the Finnish national epic.
Here, we’ve selected some of Sibelius’s masterpieces from among those works!
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Sibelius’s masterpieces. Popular classical music (21–30)
Symphonic Poem ‘Tapiola’, Op. 112Paavo Berglund／RSO
The symphonic poem Tapiola, Op.
112, was composed in 1925, around the same time as the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies.
It was premiered on December 26, 1925, under the baton of Walter Damrosch.
Owing to its high degree of refinement, it is considered one of Sibelius’s greatest symphonic poems.
Symphony No. 7Muravinsukī / Reningurādo Firu
Symphony No.
7, Op.
105 was completed in 1924.
Work on the composition is thought to have begun around 1910, around the same time as the Sixth Symphony.
In March 1924, it was premiered at a Society of Friends of Music concert in Stockholm, conducted by Sibelius himself.
At its premiere, it was reportedly titled “Symphonic Fantasy.”
Karelia Suite, No. 2: BalladeNēme Yaruvui / Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
The second piece is music used in a scene where a bard sings, and in the original version it apparently included a baritone solo.
It begins quietly with a clarinet solo, and as more instruments gradually join, a beautiful melody unfolds that draws the listener into the piece.
fir treeSibelius
It is by a Finnish composer and is one piece from the Suite of Trees.
The piece is based on the spruce, a symbol of Finland.
You can feel the strength of the spruce, which lives robustly even in the snow.
It’s a very beautiful piece, and the flowing melody in the middle section is elegant and deeply moving.
KuolemaPekka Helasvuo/Finlandia Sinfonietta
“Kuolema” means “Death.” It was composed as incidental music for a play by Arvid Järnefelt, Sibelius’s brother-in-law.
Composed in 1903 and later revised in 1911, it is especially known for the standalone arrangement “Valse Triste.”
Night Ride and SunrisePāvo Yaruvu/Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
The symphonic poem Night Ride and Sunrise is an orchestral work composed in 1908.
Its premiere took place in January 1909 in Saint Petersburg under the baton of Siloti.
It is a rare symphonic poem for Sibelius in that it does not draw on ethnic, literary, or mythological subjects.
“The Spruce” from “The Trees Suite”Sibelius
The original title is “Five Pieces for Piano,” but because each piece is named after a tree, it is affectionately known in Japan as the “Suite of Trees.” The “Spruce” is an evergreen, and since its leaves do not wither and remain lushly green, it is regarded as a symbol of “eternal life” and is also used as a Christmas tree.
However, rather than conveying a festive Christmas mood, this piece depicts the powerful image of the spruce standing firm, keeping its green leaves through the long, harsh Finnish winters of composer Sibelius’s homeland.
Symphony No. 2, First MovementSibelius
After taking an extended several-month trip to Italy with his family, Sibelius began composing his Symphony No.
2 in the summer of 1901.
The brilliant sonorities found throughout the symphony are thought to reflect sketches he made during that journey, capturing the atmosphere of Italy and the Mediterranean and incorporating it into the work.
Symphony No. 5Sibelius
It is a commemorative symphony that Sibelius composed for himself for the celebratory concert in the year he turned fifty.
When composing this work, Sibelius left the following words: “The day is dim and cold.
But spring is gradually approaching.
Today I saw sixteen swans.
God, what beauty! The swans circled above me for a long time and disappeared into the dull sunlight.
The mystery of nature and the melancholy of life—these are the themes of the Fifth Symphony.” These words encapsulate the entire essence of the piece.
Symphonic Poem “Finlandia”Sibelius
It is a symphonic poem composed in 1899 by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.
It is perhaps one of the most famous pieces among his works.
At the time this piece was written, Finland was suffering under the oppression of Imperial Russia, and an independence movement was underway.
The imperial Russian government banned performances of the piece on the grounds that it stirred patriotic feelings toward Finland.
That shows just how effectively the piece expressed Finnish patriotism, doesn’t it?
