Sibelius: Songs, Vol. 1

Featuring

Hannu Jurmu
Jouni Somero
Jean Sibelius

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Composition History

Sibelius achieved early success in Finland in 1892 with his symphonic poem Kullervo, based on an episode from the Finnish epic Kalevala.

Composer Biography

After being passed over for a professorship at the University of Helsinki, Sibelius was awarded a government stipend for ten years, which later became a pension for life.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Sibelius considered his songs, which are often dark, melancholic, and vocally demanding, to represent his 'innermost self'.

Recording & Production

This album includes several world première recordings of Sibelius's songs, indicated by an asterisk in the tracklist.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Sibelius wrote around a hundred songs, mostly settings of Swedish words, as it was his first language, with a few in German and Finnish.

Composer Biography

Jean Sibelius, a Finnish composer, was born in 1865 to a Swedish-speaking family and learned Finnish at school, where he also developed an interest in his country's early legends.

Composer Biography

Sibelius initially aimed to be a violinist, but his compositional talent, developed through studies in Berlin and Vienna, ultimately outweighed his performing abilities.