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Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance listings | Sibelius
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© Daniel Nyblin - Finnish Heritage Agency (CC BY 4.0)
Fact file
Year of birth1865
Year of death1957
NationalityFinland
PeriodEarly 20th century
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Sibelius 150: An anniversary playlist
For Sibelius's 150th anniversary in 2015, the Bachtrack team picked their favourites of his works for this playlist, from his symphonies to tone poems and the only surviving recording of him conducting his own music.
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AmsterdamIn higher spirits with Ligeti and Langgaard

Het Concertgebouw
Jockel, Sibelius, Ligeti, Langgaard
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Radio Filharmonisch Orkest); Oscar Jockel; Netherlands Radio Choir (Groot Omroepkoor); Benjamin Goodson; Laetitia Gerards; Elina Vähälä

AmsterdamPianist Series: Alexander Malofeev

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Schubert, Grieg, Sibelius, Scriabin, Lourié, Rachmaninov
Alexander Malofeev, Piano

HamburgKhatia Buniatishvili

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Sibelius, Mozart, Haydn
Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Khatia Buniatishvili

ManchesterNorthern Lights

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Rautavaara, Sibelius, Nielsen
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; John Storgårds; Simone Lamsma

ViennaÁlfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir • Kunal Lahiry

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Barber, Muhly, Sibelius, Wallen, Weir, Rachmaninov, Pramuk, Pritchard, Sigfúsdóttir, Haydn, Déodat de Séverac, Ravel, Bonds
Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir; Kunal Lahiry

OxfordSibelius Symphony No. 2

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Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Sibelius
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra; Andreas Ottensamer; Alexandra Conunova
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Patriotic angst with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Thomas Zehetmair

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Patriotic Sibelius and early Mendelssohn are served up at the Glasshouse in Gateshead. 
***11
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Houston Symphony vividly brings Peer Gynt to life

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Blending theater and symphony, the Houston Symphony reimagines Peer Gynt as Grieg intended – complete with dialogue, chorus, and a luminous cameo from Karita Mattila.
****1
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Ticciati and the LPO deliver epic Sibelius plus lively Wennäkoski

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Sibelius' Kullervo receives a dramatic performance from Ticciati and the LPO, with strong turns from Shenyang, Miina-Liisa Värelä and the YL Male Voice Choir.
****1
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Paavo Järvi marks his new LPO appointment in Tchaikovsky and Sibelius

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Paavo Järvi demonstrates just why the London Philharmonic Orchestra has chosen him as its next Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor. 
*****
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Vienna Philharmonic closes Carnegie residency

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Andris Nelsons pairs Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra with Sibelius’ Second Symphony to conclude the Vienna Philharmonic's latest Carnegie Hall residency. 
****1
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Canellakis, Mutter and the LPO at the Elbphilharmonie

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Anne-Sophie Mutter’s commanding presence meet the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s exceptional adaptability, yielding a concert that balances tradition-steeped authority with modern transparency, rhythmic vitality and the orchestra’s own electrifying spontaneity.

****1
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List of works
Andante festivoBarden (The Bard), symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.64Belsazars gästabud (Belshazzar's Feast), suite for orchestra, Op.51En Saga, a symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.9En slända, Op.17 no.5Finlandia, symphonic poem for orchestra, Op.26Five pieces for piano "The Trees", Op.75Five pieces for piano, Op.85Five pieces for violin and piano, Op.81Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (The girl comes from meeting her lover), Op.37 no.5Humoresque no. 1 in D minor, Op.87 no.1Humoresque no. 5 in E flat major, Op.89 no. 3Humoresque no. 6 in G minor, Op.89 no.4Höstkväll (Autumn Evening), Op.38 no.1Illalle, Op.17 no.6Julvisa: Giv mig ej glans, ej guld, ej prakt, Op.1 no.4King Christian II, Suite for orchestra, Op.27Kullervo, Op.7Lemminkäinen Suite (Four legends) for orchestra, Op.22Lemminkäinen's Return, Op.22 no.4Luonnotar, symphonic poem for soprano and orchestra, Op.70Night Ride and Sunrise, Op.55Norden (The North), Op.90 no.1Pan och Echo (Pan and Echo), Dance Intermezzo for orchestra, Op.53aPelléas and Mélisande, suite for orchestra, Op.46Pohjola's Daughter, Op.49Rakastava (The Lover) for string orchestra, Op.14Scene with Cranes, Op.44 no.2 Soluppgång (Sunrise), Op.37 no.3Songs: selectionSouvenir for violin and piano, Op.79 no.1String Trio in G minorString quartet in A minorString quartet in D minor "Voces intimae", Op.56Symphony no. 1 in E minor, Op.39Symphony no. 2 in D major, Op.43Symphony no. 3 in C major, Op.52Symphony no. 4 in A minor, Op.63Symphony no. 5 in E flat major, Op.82Symphony no. 6 in D minor, Op.104Symphony no. 7 in C major, Op.105Tapiola, Op.112The Oceanides symphonic poem for orchestra, (Aallottaret) Op.73The Swan of Tuonela, Op.22 no.2Valse triste, Op.44 no.1 Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47: Allegro ma non tantoVåren flyktar hastigt, Op.13 no.4