Nors S. Josephson, the composer of Celestial Voyage, taught rock n' roll professionally and drew inspiration from 'Space Rock' artists like David Bowie for his work.
Composition History
The version of the Sibelius Violin Concerto known today is a 1905 revision, made after an unconvincing premiere in 1904 prompted the composer to tighten the score.
Composer Biography
Jean Sibelius, the composer of the Violin Concerto, originally planned a career as a virtuoso violinist before his compositional talents surpassed his violinistic ones.
Instruments
Fenella Humphreys, the violinist on this recording, plays a violin from the workshop of Peter Guarneri of Venice, on loan from Jonathan Sparey.
Historical Context
Sibelius's music, including works like Finlandia and En Saga, offered Finns a much-needed cultural identity during Russian Empire rule.
Compositional Technique
The Sibelius Violin Concerto features an unusual first movement structure where the soloist's cadenza, typically near the end for display, falls in the middle and develops the musical argument.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Sibelius described himself as 'An apparion from the woods' in a 1910 letter, a sentiment reflected in the Nordic, folkloric darkness of his Humoresques.
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