Post by erik on Nov 20, 2021 14:22:21 GMT -5
One of the lesser-known symphonies of Finland's greatest composer Jean Sibelius is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight.
Sibelius: SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN D MINOR, OP. 104
Arguably the most important composer ever to have come out of Scandinavia, Jean Sibelius’ music is often thought of as very austere, very much reflecting of the rugged and often snow-covered beauty of his native Finland, as well as an intense Finnish patriotism against all invaders (notably, of course Russia). But while a lot of this is indeed true, Sibelius also found a fair amount of time to work in much more relaxed circumstances. This was true of what would become his Sixth Symphony, a work whose gestation spans nine years, from 1914 to 1923, including the years encompassing what was called The Great War (World War I). A work in the standard four-movement symphonic form that last, surprisingly for Sibelius, a relatively standard amount of time (25 minutes) comparable to the symphonies of Mozart and Haydn a century before, the Sixth was thought of by the composer as reminding him of the scent of the first winter snows and a burst of cold-spring water, in contrast to the modernism and mass orchestration of contemporaries like Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev. In general, given that it has a relatively quiet quality to it, especially in comparison to its immediate predecessor’s familiar “swan call” motifs, the Sixth has often been deemed the “Cinderella” of Sibelius’ seven contributions to the symphonic form. The composer conducted the symphony’s premiere performance on February 19, 1923 with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; and while its initial reception outside of Finland was slightly frosty, so to speak, for many years, it eventually would find its way into the repertoire of major European and American orchestras. After Sibelius composed his single-movement Seventh Symphony and the tone poem “Tapiola” in 1925, however, he would retire, choosing to live out the final thirty-two years of life in that particular place of life, all the while witnessing his reputation as one of the giants of late Romantic and 20th century music accelerate, particularly after World War II.
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/HERBERT BLOMSTEDT (London/Decca)
Included:
SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN C MAJOR, OP. 52
Sibelius: SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN D MINOR, OP. 104
Arguably the most important composer ever to have come out of Scandinavia, Jean Sibelius’ music is often thought of as very austere, very much reflecting of the rugged and often snow-covered beauty of his native Finland, as well as an intense Finnish patriotism against all invaders (notably, of course Russia). But while a lot of this is indeed true, Sibelius also found a fair amount of time to work in much more relaxed circumstances. This was true of what would become his Sixth Symphony, a work whose gestation spans nine years, from 1914 to 1923, including the years encompassing what was called The Great War (World War I). A work in the standard four-movement symphonic form that last, surprisingly for Sibelius, a relatively standard amount of time (25 minutes) comparable to the symphonies of Mozart and Haydn a century before, the Sixth was thought of by the composer as reminding him of the scent of the first winter snows and a burst of cold-spring water, in contrast to the modernism and mass orchestration of contemporaries like Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev. In general, given that it has a relatively quiet quality to it, especially in comparison to its immediate predecessor’s familiar “swan call” motifs, the Sixth has often been deemed the “Cinderella” of Sibelius’ seven contributions to the symphonic form. The composer conducted the symphony’s premiere performance on February 19, 1923 with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; and while its initial reception outside of Finland was slightly frosty, so to speak, for many years, it eventually would find its way into the repertoire of major European and American orchestras. After Sibelius composed his single-movement Seventh Symphony and the tone poem “Tapiola” in 1925, however, he would retire, choosing to live out the final thirty-two years of life in that particular place of life, all the while witnessing his reputation as one of the giants of late Romantic and 20th century music accelerate, particularly after World War II.
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/HERBERT BLOMSTEDT (London/Decca)
Included:
SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN C MAJOR, OP. 52