The Story
One of the greatest Scandinavian composers and a truly original figure in twentiethcentury music, Jean Sibelius (18651957) put his native country Finland on the musical map. According to Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, he was, in the fullest sense of the term a musical patriot [who] enriched Finnish music, both officially and spontaneously, with a large number of works likely to form Finlands national art treasures.Like the composers other symphonic music, the Fifth Symphony is entirely personal in content and form, taking on its character from the composers life experiences, and distinguished by a simplicity and lucidity that have made it one of Sibeliuss most popular works. Neither deliberately modern nor studiedly archaic, notes Groves, it is simply, in its most characteristic manifestations, unlike any other music.
Description
One of the greatest Scandinavian composers and a truly original figure in twentiethcentury music, Jean Sibelius (18651957) put his native country Finland on the musical map. According to Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, he was, in the fullest sense of the term a musical patriot [who] enriched Finnish music, both officially and spontaneously, with a large number of works likely to form Finlands national art treasures.Like the composers other symphonic music, the Fifth Symphony is entirely personal in content and form, taking on its character from the composers life experiences, and distinguished by a simplicity and lucidity that have made it one of Sibeliuss most popular works. Neither deliberately modern nor studiedly archaic, notes Groves, it is simply, in its most characteristic manifestations, unlike any other music.
