Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius

1865-1957

Jean Sibelius: Life and Famous Works

Jean Sibelius was a breathtaking Finnish composer due to his ability to alter the norms of traditional classical music.His music takes the forms of beautiful melodies and tunes like no other. A lot of people actually call him Finland’s national composer because his music made people proud to be Finnish, especially when the country was under Russian rule. His songs and symphonies are emotional, dramatic, and full of energy. Even today, people all over the world still listen to his music.

Early Life

Sibelius was born in a town called Hämeenlinna in 1865. His real name was Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, but he liked using “Jean” instead. His dad died when he was only two, so his family didn’t have much money. When he was a kid, he started playing the violin and totally fell in love with it. At first he wanted to be a violinist, but later he figured out he was better at writing music than performing it.

He went to the Helsinki Music Institute, and later he studied in Berlin and Vienna. There he learned about big composers like Wagner and Brahms, but he didn’t just copy them. He started making his own style, which sounded different from what everyone else was doing at the time.

Career

Sibelius became famous when Finland was trying to get free from Russia. His music made people feel strong and hopeful. One of his first big hits was Finlandia (1899). It was basically like Finland’s unofficial anthem and gave people a sense of pride in their country.

He ended up writing seven symphonies, plus a lot of other stuff like tone poems, suites, and a violin concerto. What’s cool is that while other composers were experimenting with super weird, modern music, Sibelius kept his music clear and powerful. That’s why his pieces are still popular today.

Famous Works

The Symphonies (1–7):

First Symphony (1899) sounds very dramatic and Romantic, kind of like Tchaikovsky. 

Second Symphony (1902) is really bold and is sometimes called the “symphony of independence.”

Fifth Symphony (1915, later revised in 1919) is famous for its “swan theme.” 

Seventh Symphony (1924), is unusual because it’s just one continuous piece instead of several separate parts.

Finlandia (1899): Probably his most famous work. It’s inspiring and patriotic, and the big melody in the middle has even been turned into church hymns.

Karelia Suite (1893): A lighter and more cheerful piece, based on Finnish folk legends.

Violin Concerto in D Minor (1904/1905): One of the hardest violin concertos ever written, but also one of the most loved and my personal favorite classical music piece.

The Swan of Tuonela (1895): A dark and haunting piece based on Finnish mythology. The English horn solo is really beautiful and sad.

Later Life and Legacy

After the 1920s, Sibelius kind of stopped writing music. Fans kept waiting for his Eighth Symphony, but he never finished it. Some people think he actually wrote parts of it but burned the pages because he wasn’t happy with it. He spent the rest of his life living quietly in the Finnish countryside at his home, Ainola. Sibelius died in 1957 at the age of 91.

Even though he didn’t write music for the last 30 years of his life, his work had already made a huge impact. His symphonies, Finlandia, and other pieces gave Finland a voice and showed the world how powerful music can be. Sibelius’s music is still played everywhere, and it continues to inspire people, such as me. Sibelius inspires me to become a better musician every day and someday maybe become good enough to play his violin concerto. Thanks for reading! -Kenny Zhang 

Works Cited

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Jean Sibelius. 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Sibelius 

2. World History Encyclopedia. Mark Cartwright. Jean Sibelius. 

https://www.worldhistory.org/Jean_Sibelius/ 

3. Wikipedia. Karelia Suite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karelia_Suite

Written by Kenny Zhang