Xtend
Listen
Period
Country
Quotation
Projects
Dictionary
Finders
|
Born: 8 December
1865, Hämeenlinna, Finland
Died: 20 September 1957, Järvenpää, Finland
Sibelius,
Jean
Like Stravinsky's
father, Sibelius's father also insisted that his son went to law school,
yet he insisted on his own will to learn music. He became an excellent
violinist
and began writing national music,
of unique Finnish influences, music that gave Finland
a meaningful place in European music.
Just like the Norwegian Grieg,
and other nationalist
composers, Sibelius was also inspired by his country's folk tales.
He composed a series of national symphonic poems
that were based on ancient Finnish legends,
especially the epic "Kalevala".
Such were "The Swan of Tuonela",
the bleak "Tapiola", and
"Finlandia",
that became a Finnish anthem.
Sibelius also composed orchestral music including his
seven symphonies,
more than 100 songs, the dark "Valse Triste"
and the demanding Violin Concerto in D minor.
The Finnish government decided to meet his financial needs,
in order to free all of his time for composing, and indeed, ever since
then he dedicated most of his life to composing music that reflected the
world of the Finnish people.
Sibelius wrote little in his last 30 years, feeling out
of sympathy with the new musical trends of the 20th
century.
His work is, however, considered among the most significant and original
written in this era. He was simply a Romanticist
in a new, non-romantic period.
Sibelius on the WWW
Sites
|
Audio
|
Video
|
Images
|
MIDI
|
|
Description
He played
He Lived in the
Romantic period
In
Finland
|