The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Cato]

I wonder if the young host was working at a college radio station? 

PD

Many moons ago, from a college radio station which played classical music, I heard the announcer say:

"And now, the Symphony #2, by Gene Cybil Leeus."       

[vers la flamme]

Is there a good biography/life-and-works type book of Sibelius out there?

[Madiel]

I had my eye on the one by Andrew Barnett but I don't THINK I've actually read it...

[Scion7]

Is there a good biography/life-and-works type book of Sibelius out there?

I have these - I greatly enjoy the man's work but am not a fanatic and have not poured over these tomes in the same manner I would for, say, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, etc.  One day I suppose I need to spend a week and read them cover to cover. 

Sibelius - Andrew Barnett
Sibelius: A Composers Life and the Awakening of Finland - Glenda Goss
Sibelius: Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers - David Burnett-James
Sibelius - Robert Layton

There is the New Grove entry on him, of course - fairly extensive.

I wish that R.A. Leonard had done a whole chapter on Sibelius in his authoritative book, The Stream of Music, but we just have his short entry:

[vers la flamme]

I have these - I greatly enjoy the man's work but am not a fanatic and have not poured over these tomes in the same manner I would for, say, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, etc.  One day I suppose I need to spend a week and read them cover to cover. 

Sibelius - Andrew Barnett
Sibelius: A Composers Life and the Awakening of Finland - Glenda Goss
Sibelius: Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers - David Burnett-James
Sibelius - Robert Layton

There is the New Grove entry on him, of course - fairly extensive.

I wish that R.A. Leonard had done a whole chapter on Sibelius in his authoritative book, The Stream of Music, but we just have his short entry:

Thanks!

[Symphonic Addict]

For some reason I had never properly paid attention to Sibelius' The Tempest. Listening to the two suites on the Ondine recording (Segerstam and the Helsinki P.O.) I realized I was missing a masterpiece. This is top-drawer Sibelius, and very different from his symphonies; here the use of the orchestra is a little more adventurous and a tad of aggressiveness is added, but the music is not devoid of totally beautiful and subdued moments, where Berceuse from the First Suite has rapturing gorgeousness, it's one of the purest music I've heard from him. That First Suite sounded much more interesting than the Second one, where each number had really strong ideas. The next step will be to listen to the complete incidental music.

[kyjo]

For some reason I had never properly paid attention to Sibelius' The Tempest. Listening to the two suites on the Ondine recording (Segerstam and the Helsinki P.O.) I realized I was missing a masterpiece. This is top-drawer Sibelius, and very different from his symphonies; here the use of the orchestra is a little more adventurous and a tad of aggressiveness is added, but the music is not devoid of totally beautiful and subdued moments, where Berceuse from the First Suite has rapturing gorgeousness, it's one of the purest music I've heard from him. That First Suite sounded much more interesting than the Second one, where each number had really strong ideas. The next step will be to listen to the complete incidental music.

Oh yes, the two suites from The Tempest contain some of Sibelius' finest and most individual music. It's definitely his most interesting score of incidental music IMO, though I very much like the Swanwhite suite as well. I don't recall the First Suite from The Tempest being significantly more inspired than the second one, after all the latter contains the hauntingly beautiful movement titled Miranda.

[Madiel]

IIRC, The Tempest is also the one case where there's quite a lot of difference between the suites and the complete score.

[Symphonic Addict]

Oh yes, the two suites from The Tempest contain some of Sibelius' finest and most individual music. It's definitely his most interesting score of incidental music IMO, though I very much like the Swanwhite suite as well. I don't recall the First Suite from The Tempest being significantly more inspired than the second one, after all the latter contains the hauntingly beautiful movement titled Miranda.

King Christian II and Belshazzar's Feast have great music as well.

It was curious to notice the differences between the two suites of The Tempest given that they belong to the same work, but yes, the First Suite has the best music overall methinks. In the Second Suite, the numbers Intermezzo, Song I and II were a little anonymous to me.