Jean Sibelius, there was a time this composer was never to be heard on the Dutch Radio. I used to listen to the BBC, and there I 1st heard the second symphony. I thought it was marvellous. And I never changed my mind. All this time I have been enjoying the symphonies, including his rejected Kullervo Symphony (listen to the opening bars, how can you reject such music?), the symphonic poems and other works. The music from Sibelius is truly a child of its time. Living in an era that showed great changes, political and cultural. And when you compare the first and the last symphony, incredible what a difference.

 

It is a composer you can easily attach to the landscape of Finland, forests, lakes. Remote, beautiful, dark, cold. All true for his music, although true should be more like ranging from cold winters to beautiful summers. But I would like everyone to think about that in his own way, music is just…. music.

I decided to start my exploration with his last symphony, nr 7. Also one is his last works. A piece in one movement, and I never know what to think of it. It starts, is beautiful but yet incomprehensible, it stops. And then I always want to start all over again. It is very delicate, very flowing, very subtle. And listen to the wonderful trombone tune, it appears again and again, until it all fades out!