Sibelius: Oceanides (The), Op. 73 / Symphony No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 63

Featuring

Neeme Järvi
Göteborgs Symfoniker
Jean Sibelius

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Compositional Technique

The opening of Sibelius's Fourth Symphony features a whole-tone formation built on a tritone motif (C-D-F#-E), played in the darkest register of the orchestra.

Composer Biography

Sibelius considered his Fourth Symphony his "most spiritualized work," referring to its inner world as his "secret garden."

Performer Biography

Neeme Järvi, the conductor on this recording, received his main training under Nikolaj Rabinovich and Yevgeny Mravinsky at the Leningrad Conservatory.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Sibelius once called his Fourth Symphony "a psychological symphony," aiming to explore "the infinite recesses of the soul."

Composition History

A trip to Koli mountain in North Eastern Finland in 1909, where Sibelius saw his life in perspective, may have inspired his Fourth Symphony.

Recording & Production

This recording was made in the Gothenburg Concert Hall, which is considered one of the world's finest concert venues, confirmed by scientific study and interviews with 23 internationally famous conductors.