Alfred Einstein
German-American musicologist and music editor
Jean Sibelius was a renowned Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is considered Finland’s greatest composer, and his music is credited with helping the country develop a stronger national identity during a time of Russification. Sibelius composed numerous acclaimed works, including his seven symphonies, Finlandia, and the Violin Concerto, but stopped producing major compositions in the later part of his life.
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Family Info
Siblings
Christian Sibelius
Spouses
Aino Sibelius
Children
Ruth Snellman
Heidi Blomstedt
Katarina Ilves
About the Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibeliuswas a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country’s greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.
The core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies, which, like his other major works, are regularly performed and recorded in Finland and countries around the world. His other best-known compositions are Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkainen Suite). His other works include pieces inspired by nature, Nordic mythology, and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala; over a hundred songs for voice and piano; incidental music for numerous plays; the one-act opera The Maiden in the Tower; chamber music, piano music, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music.
Sibelius composed prolifically until the mid-1920s, but after completing his Seventh Symphony (1924), the incidental music for The Tempest (1926), and the tone poem Tapiola (1926), he stopped producing major works in his last 30 years–a retirement commonly referred to as the “silence of Jarvenpaa”, (the location of his home). Although he is reputed to have stopped composing, he attempted to continue writing, including abortive efforts on an eighth symphony. In later life, he wrote Masonic music and re-edited some earlier works, while retaining an active but not always favourable interest in new developments in music. Although this ‘silence’ has often perplexed scholars, in reality, Sibelius was clear: he felt he had written enough.
The Finnish 100 mark note featured his image until 2002, when the euro was adopted. Since 2011, Finland has celebrated a flag flying day on 8 December, the composer’s birthday, also known as the Day of Finnish Music. In 2015, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Sibelius’s birth, a number of special concerts and events were held, especially in Helsinki, the Finnish capital.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods, widely regarded as his country’s greatest composer. His music is often credited with helping Finland develop a stronger national identity in the late 19th century.
Jean Sibelius’ most famous compositions include his set of seven symphonies, as well as works like Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela.
After completing his Seventh Symphony in 1924, the incidental music for The Tempest in 1926, and the tone poem Tapiola in 1926, Jean Sibelius stopped producing major works in his last 30 years, a period commonly referred to as the ‘silence of Järvenpää’. This ‘silence’ has often perplexed scholars, but Sibelius himself felt he had written enough.
Sibelius’ image was featured on the Finnish 100 mark note until 2002, when the euro was adopted. Since 2011, Finland has celebrated a flag flying day on December 8th, Sibelius’ birthday, known as the Day of Finnish Music. In 2015, numerous special concerts and events were held in Helsinki to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sibelius’ birth.
Sibelius’ music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century. His compositions, inspired by nature, Nordic mythology, and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, were seen as a reflection of Finnish culture and nationalism.
The core of Sibelius’ oeuvre was his set of seven symphonies, which, like his other major works, are regularly performed and recorded in Finland and around the world. He also composed over a hundred songs for voice and piano, incidental music for numerous plays, a one-act opera, chamber music, piano music, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music.
Sibelius composed prolifically until the mid-1920s, but after completing his Seventh Symphony, the incidental music for The Tempest, and the tone poem Tapiola, he largely stopped producing major works in his last 30 years. While he is known for his late Romantic and early modern period compositions, he attempted to continue writing, including abortive efforts on an eighth symphony, in his later life.