Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (forename in the French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃] surname in the Finland Swedish: [siˈbeːliʉs] ⓘ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius;[1] 8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957) was 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 his country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.[2]
"Sibelius" redirects here. For the music notation software, see Sibelius (scorewriter). For other uses, see Sibelius (disambiguation).
Jean Sibelius
8 December 1865
20 September 1957 (aged 91)
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 Lemminkäinen 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,[3] 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 Järvenpää", (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.[4] Since 2011, Finland has celebrated a flag flying day on 8 December, the composer's birthday, also known as the Day of Finnish Music.[5] 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.[6]
Activities and interests[edit]
Freemasonry[edit]
When Freemasonry in Finland was revived, having been forbidden under the Russian reign, Sibelius was one of the founding members of Suomi Lodge No. 1 in 1922 and later became the Grand Organist of the Grand Lodge of Finland. He composed the ritual music used in Finland (Op. 113) in 1927 and added two new pieces composed in 1946. The new revision of the ritual music of 1948 is one of his last works.[119]
Sibelius attended six sessions of the lodge during its first year of operation. These visits became less frequent in the following years. His name no longer appears in the minutes of the Suomi Lodge after January 1927.[120]
Nature[edit]
Sibelius loved nature, and the Finnish landscape often served as material for his music. He once said of his Sixth Symphony, "[It] always reminds me of the scent of the first snow." The forests surrounding Ainola are often said to have inspired his composition of Tapiola. On the subject of Sibelius's ties to nature, his biographer, Tawaststjerna, wrote:
Manuscripts[edit]
Parts of the literary estate of Sibelius—correspondence and manuscripts—are preserved at the National Archives of Finland and National Library of Finland, but several items are in foreign private collections, even as investments, only partially accessible for scholars.
In 1970, a lot of 50 music manuscript items was acquired by the National Library with aid from the government of Finland, banks and foundations.[143] Sibelius's personal music archive was donated to the National Library in 1982 by the heirs of the composer.[144]
Another lot of 50 items was procured in 1997, with aid from the Ministry of Education.[145] In 2018, the Italian-Finnish collector and benefactor Rolando Pieraccini donated a collection of Sibelius's letters and other materials to the National Museum of Finland.[146] On the other hand, in 2016 the manuscript of Pohjola's Daughter was sold to an anonymous buyer for 290,000 euros, and it is no longer available to scholars.[145]
In early 2020, the current owner of the Robert Lienau collection offered for sale 1,200 pages of manuscripts, including the scores of Voces intimae, Joutsikki, and Pelléas and Mélisande, and the material was not available to scholars during negotiations. The original price tag was said to be over one million euros for the lot as a whole.[147] At the end of the year, the National Library was able to acquire this collection with aid from foundations and donors. The final price was "considerably below one million euros."[148]
Nowadays, it is not legally possible to export Sibelius's manuscripts from Finland without permission, and, according to Hufvudstadsbladet, such permission would probably not be given.[145]
In 2021, the music manuscripts of Sibelius were included in the Memory of the World Programme by the UNESCO.[149]