The study of music history can also be a study of cultures, progress, development, and perhaps most importantly, a study of the human spirit and creativity. The life and work of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius embodies this idea of a study of music history being akin to the study of native culture, creativity, and progress or rather, in his case, refusal to progress. For Sibelius rejected, not an unusual path for composers of that era, the temptation to alter his personal approach to music making and was not tantalized in the least to jump on the serial or avant garde or experimental train that so many others joined.
That stated, and there is more to come on Sibelius, I must say that I am not a proponent against modernism in music. I have a great love for the experimentalists of the latter half of the twentieth century and attribute much of the mounting success of music to the unusual and creative spark in those who carved their own path against the pressures of traditionalism. While much of their music has been relegated to peripheral academic settings or small cultish coffee houses, there is no denying the vast influence that their music has had on today's world. The first half of the twentieth century is more difficult to label in that composers and the world in general seemed to vacillate between the old and the new, in an attempt to learn from the past but make a forward statement. As we look back on this important time in music, we find ourselves entranced by those writing in a Romantic vein and fascinated by those pushing the envelope of modernity. More on that at another time however!
Returning to Sibelius, he was born in 1865 in the country of Finland where he spent his entire career devoting much of his music to the nationalistic spirit of the country. His music is distinctly Finnish, with folk idioms, and powerful images causing the listener to visualize the stunning landscape of the country. From orchestral suites, symphonies, chamber music, concertos, and songs, Sibelius music covers the gamut of musical output, and all of it within a traditional framework yet distinctly Sibelius with rich chorale writing, vibrant, relentless string writing, long transitions, variety of tempo, and colorful orchestration without resorting to trickery and extreme excess. Although his musical canvas is tonal, his melodies romantic, and his texture complex, Sibelius' sound is a unique, personal expression of his own majestic optimism and powerful energy.
My personal favorite work, at least as of this writing (I tend to be drawn to whatever piece I happened to be studying at the time), is the Violin Concerto with its beautiful 2nd movement orchestrated with 4 horns serving as accompaniment to the soloist. The harmonic suspension of this movement gives a tension and relief that almost causes a physiological reaction in the listener. Each movement is vibrant, rich, and musically demanding on the players as well as the audience, with the last movement being a fireball of rhythm and excitement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXYXUd_N2YI.
Other enjoyable works are the symphonies with the most popular being the 2nd symphony, Finlandia Suite, and the rarely heard but quite engaging Lemminkäinen Suite which includes The Swan of Tuonela. In truth, I enjoy everything Jean Sibelius wrote and expect to continue to champion his music and what he represented as one of the finest nationalistic composers of the 1st half of the 20th century. A traditionalist? Yes, but certainly one of the best of that genre.
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