I'm sitting here, listening to his 4th symphony(my favorite) and the 3rd.
He, along with Tschaikowsky and of course Wagner, are my three favorite composers. Much has been written about the other two, but not so with Sibelius.
And it occurred to me, that some of you might like to share our respective thoughts and feelings that we experience when listening to his music.
I would describe mine in the following manner.
It's as if, God and Sibelius are sitting out on the veranda of Jeans's forest retreat up in the mountains of Finland.
Jean, out of his love for humanity, has asked God to permit us to listen in on their conversation: from a respectable distance. God has reluctantly agreed, and only out of his love for Sibelius.
We therefore are thus privileged to the most precious of transcendental knowledge. I feel greatly honored.
What about you?
Alberich-----------Wotan
2007-12-28 05:11:22 · 7 answers · asked by Alberich 7 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music ➔ Classical
"CANTILEN": I checked the encylopedia; a mountain is defined as a geographic point higher than 2,000 ft.. :"Haltialunturi", Finland's highest point, is 4,344 ft. high. This then qualifys as a mountain.
2007-12-28 07:59:23 · update #1
It's a huge coincidence that you suggested transcendent, because that's THE word I associated with Sibelius's music for years. For some reason a certain quality appears whenever I listen to his works that forces me to picture those glacial mountains like the ones in the Lord of the Rings movies. No other composer has written works that have evoked that same image. Different images, yes, but that specific one with Sibelius is very special.
He isn't one of my all-time favorite composers, but I do sincerely enjoy listening to his works. I absolutely adore his Second Symphony, the last movement especially. His violin concerto is also very nice.
I like your taste in music... Though I can't believe you put Tchaikovsky on there and then left out Rachmaninoff! Rachmaninoff's music is I think quite similar to Tchaikovsky's in certain ways but boasts more complexity.
2007-12-29 14:52:41 · answer #1 · answered by smashbros12 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't mind the main genres, but sub-genres are just too much for me. Labeling music in general has just been taken too far. These days people focus too much with staying inside their certain limits and sub-genre and you can never progress musically if you do that. And I agree with what you said about people not even knowing what some genres are. I asked a question a couple of months ago about what exactly makes a band metal and I got completely different answers from everyone. It's just another way to squeeze everything into a certain group and label.
2016-05-27 11:49:24 · answer #2 · answered by laurel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I enjoy sibelius, but I prefer mendelssohn. I guess different composers speak to different people. Sibelius is too little discussed for his abilities and contributions, though. I don't even remember him being a topic in my music history classes. But the best source of info on a composer will be found in the new groves encyclopedia of music.
2007-12-28 07:20:30 · answer #3 · answered by alwaysa(ducky)bridesmaid 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sibelius is an excellent composer and is often ignored in composition and theory classes, as well as in any discussion of Western music. He tried to be among the first Romantic Nationalists in composition, and my favorite of his works is his 'Eighth' Symphony, Kullervo. His given name was Johan, or Janne, but he Sweded his name for attention. In my opinion, his best work was his later, but the last thirty years of his life he wrote some mundane Mason garbage and stopped composing anything of substance.
2007-12-28 10:42:44 · answer #4 · answered by Jeff L 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mountains in Finland? There aren't any over here, just hills!! For me Sibelius represents forest-like scenery and lots of melancholy and the darkness of the Finnish winter, a bit too heavy/melancholic composer for my taste...
2007-12-28 07:41:34 · answer #5 · answered by cantilena91 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I do like his work. To be honest though, I am most familiar with his Valse Triste composition due to the Italian movie inspired by and spoof of Fantasia "Allegro Non Tropo". It is such a powerful and moving piece and it manages to tell a story without saying a single word.
2007-12-28 05:23:18 · answer #6 · answered by Todd 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I love his work. I recently played "Romance" by him and I loved playing it on the piano.
2007-12-29 15:00:45 · answer #7 · answered by Spartan888 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋