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Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957) Background Jean Sibelius was born in Hameenlinna, Finland, on 8th December, 1865, during a period of Russian rule, and a time when Swedish was most commonly spoken in his country. The Finnish-speaking population was in the minority, and considered second-class citizens. Sibelius was brought up by his mother Maria in a middle-class, Swedish-speaking family of three children. Every summer, he visited his grandmother in Loviisa, and frequently visited his uncle in Turku. Sibelius began schooling at eight, and developed a love of nature. He was introduced to music at an early age, and it was obvious that he was enthusiastic in the field of composition, especially after his first small work - Water Drops for violin and cello. A musical career gained renewed interest in the eyes of Sibelius when he was presented with a violin at age 15, later becoming an exceptional player. Early tuition Sibelius's family disapproved of his ambition to study music and composition as a full-time career, and enrolled him in Helsinki University to study law. Sibelius also entered the Helsinki Academy of Music to study violin and composition under Martin Wegelius. Later, he was encouraged by an uncle to study music professionally, so he became a full-time student at the Academy of Music. Sibelius soon realised that it was in composition that success was more likely to come, rather than violin playing. During his time at the Academy, he composed many works, including a String Trio in A major and a String Quartet in A minor. After three years of study in Helsinki, Sibelius decided to broaden his experience, and in 1890 he began studies in Berlin. The next year, after staying home for a few months, Sibelius studied under Carl Goldmark in Vienna. |
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The Kalevala Inspiration Sibelius returned to Finland at a time when it was concerned about its future under Russian control. A strong sense of nationalism had swept the country, and Sibelius was overcome by a need to express Finland's identity through his music. This marked some of the busiest months in Sibelius's life. A Finnish epic, the Kalevala, largely inspired the patriotic works that followed. The work that brought Sibelius instant fame was performed in 1892 and was called Kullervo, a five-movement symphonic poem based on Finnish mythology. After his marriage to Aino Jarnefelt, Sibelius taught at the Helsinki Academy of Music and at Kajanus' Orchestral School. For the next seven years, he composed many Kalevala-inspired works, including En Saga, the Karelia Suite, the Lemminkainen Suites, and Finlandia. The latter contains strong national sentiments, and was performed after the Russians greatly reduced the morale of the Finnish by practically abolishing the right of free speech. The Russian authorities banned the work due to its enormous effect on the people of Finland. His final years Sibelius celebrated his 50th birthday by conducting his Fifth Symphony for the first time, during World War 1. Three years later, he was forced to leave Finland due to the dangers of the Russian Revolution. He returned with his wife when Finland was finally granted independence from Russia. His last major work was the tone-poem Tapiola (1926), and for the next 31 years, his life was clouded in silence. His retirement marked the end of his compositional career. He died on 20th September, 1957, aged 91. Inspired by the beauty and grace of his homeland, Jean Sibelius has remained the most prominent of all Finnish composers. His works display a deep love and devotion to his country, and possess a powerful sense of nationalism and pride. In contrast to this, a feeling of animosity is also portrayed in some of his works. This is due to his strong objection to the menacing grip of Russian domination that was restricting his country's independence, and weakening its national identity. Most of Sibelius's works, particularly the symphonic poems, were based on the legends and myths of his country, and his melodic and rhythmic patterns are characteristic of Finnish folk music. He wrote seven symphonies (an Eighth is rumoured to have existed, but has never been found). His First Symphony in E minor is a blatantly Romantic work, portraying Sibelius's love for Tchaikovsky's music. The Second Symphony in D major is a more characteristic piece which demonstrates for the first time his technique of building large symphonic movements with short 'cells', which later expand into long-breathed melodies. He once told Mahler that the art of the symphony was about 'profound logic creating a connection between all the motifs'. His other symphonies include: No.3 in C major, No. 4 in A minor, No. 5 in E flat, No. 6 in D minor and No. 7 in C major. His other orchestral works include the Violin Concerto in D minor, small orchestral pieces, chamber music, songs and choral music, and incidental music to various plays such as A. Paul's King Christian II and Shakespeare's The Tempest. Back to top of page |
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