Sibelius: Swanwhite, JS 189, The Lizard, Op. 8, The Lonely Ski Trail, JS 77b & The Countess's Portrait, JS 88

Featuring

Leif Segerstam
Riko Eklundh
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Jean Sibelius

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Composition History

The incidental music for Svanevit (Swanwhite) was commissioned by the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki after actress Harriet Bosse suggested Sibelius to author August Strindberg.

Compositional Technique

Sibelius's score for Svanevit (Swanwhite) includes two musical instruments with magical qualities, a horn and a harp, which assist the main character throughout the drama.

Compositional Technique

In the incidental music for Svanevit (Swanwhite), Sibelius included staccato flute rhythms that he would later develop in the central movement of his Fifth Symphony.

Composer Biography

After composing Tapiola in 1926, Sibelius produced no large-scale works for the remaining thirty-one years of his life, a period often called the 'Silence from Järvenpää'.

Performer Biography

Leif Segerstam, the conductor, has had a prominent international career, conducting in major opera houses worldwide and serving as chief conductor for several orchestras, including the Royal Opera in Stockholm and the Helsinki Philharmonic.

Performer Biography

The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1790, is the oldest orchestra in Finland and has received awards for its recordings, including the EMMA Classical Album of the Year.

Composer Biography

Jean Sibelius, the composer, is so significant to Finnish national identity that Finland celebrates a Flag Day on his birthday, December 8th, also known as the 'Day of Finnish Music'.