The Snowshoed Sibelius

[vandermolen]

Nice! I should visit Ainola some day, too. Are you going to stay near Järvenpää the whole time, or are you planning to also visit Madetoja's home town?

I have friends in Espoo who are kindly arranging the Sibelius pilgrimage for me. I would love to visit Madetoja's home town (have been listening to his great 2nd Symphony). Where is it? I have never been to Finland before and have always wanted to visit.

[North Star]

I have friends in Espoo who are kindly arranging the Sibelius pilgrimage for me. I would love to visit Madetoja's home town (have been listening to his great 2nd Symphony). Where is it? I have never been to Finland before and have always wanted to visit.

Here in Oulu.
He went to school here

And here's a picture of the Madetoja Concert Hall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulu_Symphony_Orchestra

I can't say there is anything worth seeing here, especially since Espoo is quite far - it's almost 10 hours' drive from there. Plenty to see in the vicinity of Espoo and Helsinki.

[vandermolen]

Here in Oulu.
He went to school here

And here's a picture of the Madetoja Concert Hall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulu_Symphony_Orchestra

I can't say there is anything worth seeing here, especially since Espoo is quite far - it's almost 10 hours' drive from there. Plenty to see in the vicinity of Espoo and Helsinki.

Many thanks. I doubt whether I'll get to Oulo, although I like the architecture of both your school and the Concert Hall. Maybe I'll get to see a building by Alvar Aalto when I'm in Finland.
Thanks again.

[North Star]

Many thanks. I doubt whether I'll get to Oulo, although I like the architecture of both your school and the Concert Hall. Maybe I'll get to see a building by Alvar Aalto when I'm in Finland.
Thanks again.

Well I didn't go to that school.
Plenty of architecture to be seen in Helsinki:
Finlandia Hall by Aalto:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandia_Hall

Engel had a large role in rebuilding Helsinki in the first half of the 19th century
There's also Eliel Saarinen, whose son Eero had a major international career
And Lars Sonck, who designed Ainola.

[pencils]

Two Serious Melodies for Cello.

Stick a fork in me, I am done.

[pencils]

Just realized, the german language documentary "Sibelius - Musikgigant aus dem Norden" finally is available online I loved it but forgot to record it... Now it's on YT..:
It has a lot of information.

But, but... it is in German...

[jlaurson]

Just realized, the german language documentary "Sibelius - Musikgigant aus dem Norden" finally is available online I loved it but forgot to record it... Now it's on YT..:
It has a lot of information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BumnUw0ydws

Hmmm... a German documentary singing Sibelius' praises? That sounds almost oxymoronic. Must check out.

[TheGSMoeller]

Totally bummed right now.
Was making a puzzle with my son in the living room, decided we needed some music, turned on DrectTV's satellite radio station "Symphonic" that just started the second movement to Sibelius' 3rd. The second movement was at a very relaxed tempo, very smooth, slower than I'm used to, but with beautiful sound. The final third movement started at a moderate tempo but picked up steam as it reached its final minutes, right about the time the low brass takes the melody it had reached a level of intensity I haven't heard from any 3rd performance.
Then, realized that these stations don't give info on performers, only composer and piece  NOOOOOOO!!

Hey, does that sound like a performance any of you have heard? 

[Brian]

These are the folks who supply the recordings. Check the listings or we can research what labels they license from?

It may be Naxos so I will give Inkinen a listen momentarily.

[snyprrr]

These are the folks who supply the recordings. Check the listings or we can research what labels they license from?

It may be Naxos so I will give Inkinen a listen momentarily.

there's a pragmatic hypothesis!! jolly good work

[vandermolen]

It was wonderful to visit Sibelius's house 'Ainola' in Jarvenpaa outside Helsinki - a most moving experience as the house is full of echoes of Sibelius and the graves of Sibelius and his wife are located in the garden. I especially liked the seven ashtrays located on a table, ready for his cigars and the excellent guide (a music student) told us that the family could tell what mood Sibelius was in according to which ashtray he used! I also saw his famous white jacket, walking stick and the bed in which he passed away. Most poignant of all was a painting of a weeping mother with a dead child, above the piano in Sibelius's living room. I wonder what influence the death of one of his daughters at two years old had on his music. When I return to the UK and have my films developed (I am very low-tech) I may post some photos if they come out well.

[North Star]

It was wonderful to visit Sibelius's house 'Ainola' in Jarvenpaa outside Helsinki - a most moving experience as the house is full of echoes of Sibelius and the graves of Sibelius and his wife are located in the garden. I especially liked the seven ashtrays located on a table, ready for his cigars and the excellent guide (a music student) told us that the family could tell what mood Sibelius was in according to which ashtray he used! I also saw his famous white jacket, walking stick and the bed in which he passed away. Most poignant of all was a painting of a weeping mother with a dead child, above the piano in Sibelius's living room. I wonder what influence the death of one of his daughters at two years old had on his music. When I return to the UK and have my films developed (I am very low-tech) I may post some photos if they come out well.

I trust you know this site? (I don't know if there are any signs of the death of Sibelius's child in 1900 affecting the music, though he did score the play Kuolema (Death) shortly afterwards...)
http://www.sibelius.fi/english/ainola/ainola_sali.html

[vandermolen]

I trust you know this site? (I don't know if there are any signs of the death of Sibelius's child in 1900 affecting the music, though he did score the play Kuolema (Death) shortly afterwards...)
http://www.sibelius.fi/english/ainola/ainola_sali.html

Great site - which I did not know. I guess that the area around Ainola is less remote now than when Sibelius lived there. A pity that the view of the nearby lake from Ainola is now obscured by trees.

[North Star]

Great site - which I did not know. I guess that the area around Ainola is less remote now than when Sibelius lived there. A pity that the view of the nearby lake from Ainola is now obscured by trees.

Oh, it was even more remote then, I believe! The Sibeliuses were quite isolated there, and, IIRC, that suited Sibelius's work - though he had to occasionally go to Helsinki, and apparently drank quite a bit on those trips. And I suspect that the lake view has been obscure from the house then, too. Finns tend to like that sort of thing - you can always walk to the shore or row on the lake.

[vandermolen]

Oh, it was even more remote then, I believe! The Sibeliuses were quite isolated there, and, IIRC, that suited Sibelius's work - though he had to occasionally go to Helsinki, and apparently drank quite a bit on those trips. And I suspect that the lake view has been obscure from the house then, too. Finns tend to like that sort of thing - you can always walk to the shore or row on the lake.

Interesting point. I think that Aino was devoted but long suffering. According to the guide she hardly spoke to Sibelius for a year!

[North Star]

Interesting point. I think that Aino was devoted but long suffering. According to the guide she hardly spoke to Sibelius for a year!

Did they tell when this was - perhaps before he burnt a bunch of the scores, and Aino couldn't bare to witness it - after doing that, Sibelius was much more easygoing.

[vandermolen]

Did they tell when this was - perhaps before he burnt a bunch of the scores, and Aino couldn't bare to witness it - after doing that, Sibelius was much more easygoing.

Possibly due to his drinking.

In response to her asking Sibelius when he would be home (presumably from a drinking excursion), he replied:

'I'm a composer, not a fortune-teller'.

I don't blame her for not talking to him!

Must remember to try this one on my wife when she next asks me when I will be home.

[North Star]

Possibly due to his drinking.

In response to her asking Sibelius when he would be home (presumably from a drinking excursion), he replied:

'I'm a composer, not a fortune-teller'.

I don't blame her for not talking to him!

Must remember to try this one on my wife when she next asks me when I will be home.

Hm. I guess this was too obvious for me to think of. 
If you do try that, be sure to first check that she hasn't got a handbag or anything like that near 
Anyway... I should get the complete tone poem set from BIS, as there are some things like the Wood Nymph that I don't have on disc, and have actually quite recently got to know 
Same goes for much of the theatre music.

[Parsifal]

Interesting point. I think that Aino was devoted but long suffering. According to the guide she hardly spoke to Sibelius for a year!

Not clear that she was devoted rather than simply dependent, as women typically were in that era.  I adore the music of Sibelius but I don't see how that requires me to adore or even admire the man himself.  He sounds like a mean drunk.  Common enough.

[vandermolen]

Not clear that she was devoted rather than simply dependent, as women typically were in that era.  I adore the music of Sibelius but I don't see how that requires me to adore or even admire the man himself.  He sounds like a mean drunk.  Common enough.

Yes, you may well be right, although other accounts suggest a generally united family and don't suggest that Sibelius was that bad. I got the impression that in the early years he was, to some extent, dependent on Aino.