Sibelius: Finlandia / Karelia Suite / The Swan of Tuonela

Featuring

Neeme Järvi
Göteborgs Symfoniker
Jean Sibelius

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Performer Biography

The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1905, is one of the oldest orchestras in Scandinavia and has hosted conductors like Jean Sibelius, Carl Nielsen, and Herbert von Karajan.

Composition History

The Canzonetta and Valse Triste were originally incidental music for the play Kuolema (Death) by Sibelius's brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt.

Composer Biography

Jean Sibelius, the Finnish composer, is primarily known for his orchestral music, which includes seven symphonies, a violin concerto, theatre music, and numerous tone poems.

Performer Biography

Neeme Järvi, the chief conductor since 1982, is also the Principal conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has recorded extensively for the BIS label.

Composition History

The Karelia Suite (1893) also originated from music for a pageant organized by the Viipuri students' union at the University of Helsinki.

Composition History

Finlandia, one of Sibelius's most frequently-heard compositions, originated in 1899 as part of music for a charity gala that served as a Finnish protest against Russian control.

Compositional Technique

Pohjola's Daughter, a symphonic fantasy from 1906, draws its subject matter from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, and evokes its atmosphere with great power.