Art Collage JANG: 104. Classical Music: 19. Jean Sibelius, ACJ Music Academy

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This week's lecture is “Jean Sibelius”, the 19th topic of “Classical Music”, which is a summary of the contents of “104. Classical Music: 19. Jean Sibelius” introduced on September 23rd, 2017.

Jean Sibelius, born on December 8, 1865 and died on September 20, 1957, was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods.

Sibelius (1913)

He is recognized as Finland's greatest composer, and his music is credited with helping Finland develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.

The core of his works is his seven symphonies, performed and recorded regularly in Finland and many other countries, like his other major works. His other famous works include Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite).

Finlandia premiere edition

Sibelius was born in Hämeenlinna in the Grand Duchy of Finland, an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. He was the son of the medical doctor Christian Gustaf Sibelius and Maria Charlotta Sibelius. His surname comes from the Sibbe estate in Eastern Uusimaa, which was owned by his paternal great-grandfather.

Sibelius's birthplace in Hämeenlinna

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 composing for his last 30 years, commonly referred to as the "silence of Järvenpää", derived from the place where his home was located. However, even during this period, when it is known that he stopped composing, traces of his efforts to continue composing can be seen such as his eighth symphony.

Jean Sibelius and wife Aino in Ainola's dining room

He died of a brain haemorrhage on the evening of September 20, 1957 in Ainola at the age of 91. At the time of his death, his Fifth Symphony, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, was being broadcast via the radio in Helsinki, and at the same time as the UN General Assembly in progress, Sir Leslie Munro of New Zealand, who was the then-General Assembly President, ordered a moment of silence, saying, "Sibelius belonged to the whole world. With his music, he enriched the life of the entire human race”. Sibelius was honored with a state funeral and buried in the garden at Ainola.

Sibelius's funeral in Helsinki (1957)

Finland's 100 mark note featured his image until 2002, when the euro was adopted. Since 2011, the Finnish government has celebrated a flag flying day on December 8, the composer's birthday, also known as the "Day of Finnish Music". In 2015, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, many special concerts and events were held, especially in Helsinki, the Finnish capital.