Sun Forest Lake: The Symphonies & Tone Poems of Jean Sibelius

by David Vernon

510 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2024

About the author

David Vernon is a full time writer and editor. While he is known for his non-fiction books about birth: Men at Birth, Having a Great Birth in Australia, Birth Stories and With Women, he has turned his hand to writing science articles for newspapers and magazines as well as scribbling the odd short story or two. He established the Stringybark Short Stories Awards in 2010 to promote short story writing. He recently completed "A Good Yarn" an Australian history book. He was the Chair of the ACT Writers Centre for six years.

Reviews

[Matt Villa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! Amazing introduction to Sibelius, his life, and his works. It functions well both as a biography and as a survey of his symphonies, tone poems, and other major works.

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scholar, a gentleman, a ready wit and an infinitely cerebral and cultured prose stylist, Vernon gives us in this new book not only a biographical overview of Sibelius’s life and times, but the socio-political context that shaped them; not only a guide to and in-depth analysis of the major works, but a thorough trawl through the recorded repertoire; not just the importance to history of Sibelius, but the continuation of his legacy via an extensive concluding essay on twenty (mostly contemporary) Scandinavian composers which has had me mining Spotify and making jaw-dropping discoveries since I closed the cover on this wonderful, affirming and wholeheartedly recommended book.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful exposition of Sibelius' larger orchestral works. Listen to the music as you read!