These are a rousing Intermezzo, a more reflective Ballade and an upbeat Alla Marcia. For some reason the experience was rather shocking and moving. For 25 years I have had the Vänskä/Lahti version of the 1915 version, too, but I rejected the music back then. Disastrously, in 1945 Sibelius burnt the score of Karelia Music along with his Eighth Symphony, but at least we still have the three parts of it that make up the Karelia Suite that the composer had put together for a concert. 5, The Original 1915 version The final version was completed only in 1919. Sibelius's Karelia Music was written in 1893 and was a grand affair, consisting of an overture, eight tableaux and two intermezzos.
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With different words, the music is also used in the Christian hymn Be Still, My Soul. The Finlandia Hymn was later reworked into a stand-alone piece, and is an important Finnish national song.
SIBELIUS 5 SYMPHONY SERIES
This tone poem was written in 1899 as part of the Press Celebrations Music suite – a series of works depicting Finnish history – and covertly intended to protest against increasing Russian censorship. After receiving such poor reception Sibelius revised the work extensively, and the revised version was performed by the Berlin Court Orchestra conducted by Richard Strauss a year later.
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The violinist Sibelius had dedicated the work to was unable to travel to Finland, so Sibelius engaged violin teacher Victor Nováček, who was not an experienced soloist, to perform the premiere.
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The 1904 premiere of Sibelius’s only concerto was a disaster.