This acclaimed study, available in English for the first time,
looks at the music of Jean Sibelius in its biographical context.
Myths have surrounded Sibelius (1865-1957) and his work, for more
than 100 years, often diverting attention away from his creative
output. Drawing on many unpublished sources, Makela's study leads
us back to Sibelius as a musician and a 'poet' of universal
validity. Chapters examine the composer's creativity, inspiration,
influence, aspects of genre, as well as the relationship of the
artist with nature and homeland. Those who knew Sibelius at an
early age tell of a youthful bohemian in the midst of European
decadence. This 'age of Carmen' (Eduard Munch) marked Sibelius's
formative years. The composer's most important works, dating from a
time between his third symphony and Tapiola, reflect the
modernistic mainstream. Sibelius's last three decades, known as the
'Silence of Ainola', have inspired the masculine cliches that this
book deconstructs. Sibelius was one of the least political artists
of his time who nevertheless became heavily politicized. The first
supreme musical talent in the region, he gave his nation a genuine
sound. Europeans of the late nineteenth century showed increasing
affinity with Nordic culture. Aino, Sibelius's wife, was
instrumental in creating the image of her husband as a Nordic icon.
The book closely scrutinizes this popular image. In an
Anglo-American artistic context his mix of regionalism and
modernity remained attractive even when these elements went out of
fashion in the art movement of continental Europe. Ideas of Finland
and the North vastly influenced the interpretation of meaning in
Sibelius's music, a music that until this day remains enigmatic. BR
TOMI MAKELA is the author of several books and essays on Finnish
music, Romanticism, and Western modernism. From 1996-2008 he was
professor of music in Magdeburg. Since 2009 he has been professor
of music at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg.
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