Lovely classics

Sibelius’s famous piece. Popular classical music.

Representative, Elysion Philharmonic Orchestrasai-kisaragi
Heisei College of Music, Composition Course. Studied composition and conducting under Keizo Ideta, piano under Chinami Kira, and arts management under Takuma Konishi. With a focus on community and music, I work to revitalize my hometown of Saga Prefecture. While performing as a double bassist with wind ensembles and orchestras across Kyushu, I participated on double bass in the “Orchestra Without Borders” orchestra camp of the professional game and anime music ensemble Eminence Orchestra, held in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture in September 2012. During CAPCOM’s Kyushu Tour in 2016, I not only performed as an orchestra member but also served on the production staff. I currently serve as the managing representative for the game and anime performance groups Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra (Saga Prefecture) and Fukuoka Game Music Wind Orchestra (Fukuoka Prefecture), and handle conducting, arranging, and public relations.

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!

Sibelius Masterpieces: Popular Classical Music (31–40)

FinlandiaSibelius

Symphonic Poem “Finlandia” Composer: Sibelius

FinlandiaSibelius

At the time this piece was composed, Finland was suffering under Russian oppression, and an independence movement had begun.

Sibelius wrote this piece to inspire patriotic feelings for Finland, and its original title was “Finland Awakens.”

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The Tempest, Suite No. 1

Sibelius: “The Tempest” Suite No. 1, Op. 109, No. 2 (with Score)

The Tempest, Suite No. 1

The Tempest suites are works composed in 1925 on a commission from the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.

They were written as incidental music for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and this became Sibelius’s final stage music.

It can be regarded as a culmination of the stage music Sibelius composed just before turning sixty.

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Andantino in A minorLeslie Howard

Leslie Howard | Sibelius Piano Sonata Op. 12 | Mvt. 2

Andantino in A minorLeslie Howard

This is an early piano sonata by Sibelius, composed in 1891.

To fully draw out the resonance of the piano, it weaves melodies of remarkable beauty.

Throughout, you can hear distinctly Sibelius-like phrases and harmonies.

Focusing on those aspects may make for an enjoyable way to listen.

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String Quartet in E-flat majorShiberiusu

Sibelius: String Quartet in E-flat major – Sibelius Academy Quartet (1988)

String Quartet in E-flat majorShiberiusu

This is an early work by Finland’s celebrated composer Jean Sibelius.

Composed during his student years, it shows him exploring his own musical identity while reflecting the influence of Romanticism.

Its structure—featuring a light, nimble melody and a sentimental Andante—can be seen as a precursor to later, more mature works such as ‘Liebeslied’ (Voice of Love).

It is included in the 1996 Finlandia Records release ‘Sibelius: Complete String Quartets,’ performed by the Sibelius Academy String Quartet.

Drawing inspiration from Finland’s nature and folk traditions, this piece is recommended not only for classical music enthusiasts but also for anyone interested in the roots of Sibelius’s musical language.

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In conclusion

What did you think? To us, Brahms is a great composer, but he himself disliked being treated as a “great composer,” and he seems to have been a perfectionist.

Perhaps that is why his works, while strict, at times reveal a passionate and gentle side.

He greatly influenced later composers such as Arnold Schoenberg, the founder of the twelve-tone technique, and the late-Romantic Franz Schmidt, and his impact still reaches us today.

Beyond the orchestral works, please also listen to his pieces for piano, ensembles, and songs.