Jean Sibelius

• Born: December 08, 1865, Hämeenlinna, Finland
• Died: September 20, 1957, Järvenpää, Finland
• Active: 1900s, '10s, '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s
• Genres: Classical
• Instrument: Composer

Biography

A Finnish composer identified with the Finnish nationalism movement before 1918 who is popularly known for the romantic, nationalist works he produced at that time, including Finlandia (written for the Press Celebrations of 1899) and the Valse Triste. His last work in this style, written a few years later, was Symphony no. 2, with its Scandinavian flavor of open spaces. Sibelius continually sought new techniques and sounds, from the neo-classicism of the third symphony to the almost nontonal-based Symphony no. 4 (1911). The symphonic poem Tapiola, op. 112 of 1925 is a good example of his later style. Sibelius also wrote piano music, mostly bagatelle-style pieces but also some that are more serious, like the three Sonatine, op. 67 and Kyllikki, Three Lyric Pieces for Piano, op. 41, based on the Finnish epic Kalevala. ~ Blue Gene Tyranny, All Music Guide