What do you think?
Rate this book
Sibelius
When the New York Philharmonic's radio audience was polled in 1935, the most popular composer was Jean Sibelius, whose music held a unique fascination for listeners of the 1930s, '40s and '50s. Having passed through a period of coolness on the part of the musical establishment, in the 1990s Sibelius's music again enjoys widespread critical appreciation, along with greater exposure than ever before in concert programs worldwide. Meanwhile, our knowledge of the man and the sources of his music has expanded and deepened. It is this new awareness that Robert Layton has distilled into this thoroughly revised edition of his groundbreaking biography, Sibelius.
More clearly than ever, Sibelius emerges as an artist who drew inspiration from two crucial nature and mythology. He belonged to a generation of composers who could still use music to capture an emotional response to landscape, weather, the natural rhythms of the world. Even more central to his creativity was his involvement with Finnish myth, as codified in the national epic poem, the Kalevala. This haunting world of warriors and enchantments provided Sibelius with the program for a series of memorable symphonic poems, from the poignant Swan of Tuonela to the majestic Tapiola. His artistic development was intertwined with his use of mythology to an extent unparalleled since Wagner.
Christened Johan and called Janne by his relatives and friends, Sibelius took the name Jean in imitation of a seagoing uncle who used the French form of his name when abroad. It seems an odd choice for a composer who led the least cosmopolitan of lives. He took an interest in the revolutionary new directions of twentieth-century music, but for himself he pursued the development of a personal voice in the context of the traditional symphonic idiom. And because he remained true to his inner vision, his music remains radiantly alive.
Robert Layton's Sibelius is a revealing guide to the life and to the works. Above all, he provides illuminating analyses of the music, both tracing the formal means that Sibelius developed at each new phase of his career, and identifying the events and experiences that left an imprint on this extraordinary musical personality.
More clearly than ever, Sibelius emerges as an artist who drew inspiration from two crucial nature and mythology. He belonged to a generation of composers who could still use music to capture an emotional response to landscape, weather, the natural rhythms of the world. Even more central to his creativity was his involvement with Finnish myth, as codified in the national epic poem, the Kalevala. This haunting world of warriors and enchantments provided Sibelius with the program for a series of memorable symphonic poems, from the poignant Swan of Tuonela to the majestic Tapiola. His artistic development was intertwined with his use of mythology to an extent unparalleled since Wagner.
Christened Johan and called Janne by his relatives and friends, Sibelius took the name Jean in imitation of a seagoing uncle who used the French form of his name when abroad. It seems an odd choice for a composer who led the least cosmopolitan of lives. He took an interest in the revolutionary new directions of twentieth-century music, but for himself he pursued the development of a personal voice in the context of the traditional symphonic idiom. And because he remained true to his inner vision, his music remains radiantly alive.
Robert Layton's Sibelius is a revealing guide to the life and to the works. Above all, he provides illuminating analyses of the music, both tracing the formal means that Sibelius developed at each new phase of his career, and identifying the events and experiences that left an imprint on this extraordinary musical personality.
- GenresMusic
247 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1992
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 27, 2018
Long one of the only decent contemporary treatments of the subject in English, this book has been largely superseded, in spite of the revised third edition, itself now out of date, being made in 1992. Layton's characteristic vocabulary is firmly ensconced in a vaguely moralistic Victorian idiom, where "stature," and "character," and the like are the most important critical terms on offer. Still, for a brief, though fairly comprehensive overview of Sibelius's life and works, it remains useful to novices coming to the composer for the first time, or for casual classical music listeners who want to know some more about their favorite composer.
May 17, 2019
Sibelius!
That name, alone, stirs my spirit, my heart, my soul, the intangible massless, spaceless, invisibly flowing manifestation of music within me and its warm flashes of flecks and specks in the darkest recesses of my being...
Too dramatic? Not for me! Not in the places where all arts blend together in a cacophonous elegance that splatters the result of all art within me...
But I digress before I begin my review. Apologies...
This was not quite what I had hoped it to be, but it’s certainly worth the read and the slim spot it will permanently claim on my bookshelf. Sibelius was a remarkable man, a fierce nationalist who would compose with complete and deeply explicit yet unnoticed folk music of Finland, with vitriol directed at Russian interference and the unwelcome, unwanted, societal changes they brought. Finlandia, for example, one of the greatest tone poems ever written, was composed toward the goal of glorifying all that was Sibelius’ motherland: his history, his story, his home. Many times pieces were titled with laughable and strange descriptors that did not indicate the true spirit of the piece, Sibelius instead having composed what was inspired almost purely by folk tune and song. Sibelius would not allow the music of Finland to fade away nor be transformed, bastardized or methodically excised by Russian culture.
So, here we have another attempt at encapsulating the man, the marvel, the master. The book is a fine primer with a few bits of lesser known information and, if only because it’s about Sibelius, it is worth the read. I suppose the understanding one must have when opening the book for the first time is that a small entry such as this offering cannot contain Sibelius; he and his music will never be contained, though I am most pleased that people are awaking to this gifted, patriotic, well-rounded, intense and productive composer who succeeded in all musical mediums. Enjoy the read, certainly, but continue to seek out more books about, as he titled another of his magical pieces, “The Bard.”
That name, alone, stirs my spirit, my heart, my soul, the intangible massless, spaceless, invisibly flowing manifestation of music within me and its warm flashes of flecks and specks in the darkest recesses of my being...
Too dramatic? Not for me! Not in the places where all arts blend together in a cacophonous elegance that splatters the result of all art within me...
But I digress before I begin my review. Apologies...
This was not quite what I had hoped it to be, but it’s certainly worth the read and the slim spot it will permanently claim on my bookshelf. Sibelius was a remarkable man, a fierce nationalist who would compose with complete and deeply explicit yet unnoticed folk music of Finland, with vitriol directed at Russian interference and the unwelcome, unwanted, societal changes they brought. Finlandia, for example, one of the greatest tone poems ever written, was composed toward the goal of glorifying all that was Sibelius’ motherland: his history, his story, his home. Many times pieces were titled with laughable and strange descriptors that did not indicate the true spirit of the piece, Sibelius instead having composed what was inspired almost purely by folk tune and song. Sibelius would not allow the music of Finland to fade away nor be transformed, bastardized or methodically excised by Russian culture.
So, here we have another attempt at encapsulating the man, the marvel, the master. The book is a fine primer with a few bits of lesser known information and, if only because it’s about Sibelius, it is worth the read. I suppose the understanding one must have when opening the book for the first time is that a small entry such as this offering cannot contain Sibelius; he and his music will never be contained, though I am most pleased that people are awaking to this gifted, patriotic, well-rounded, intense and productive composer who succeeded in all musical mediums. Enjoy the read, certainly, but continue to seek out more books about, as he titled another of his magical pieces, “The Bard.”
December 21, 2019
This book did a great job of helping me to understand and appreciate Sibelius and his music more. Unfortunately, the biography sections are too brief and superficial. Layton goes through the narrative of Sibelius' life in a nearly perfunctory manner, concentrating on his professional activities to the near exclusion of his personal life, personality, or inner life. The childhood death of one of his daughters is even relegated to an aside in a discussion of the genesis of one of Sibelius' smaller works. The reader is thus left with a rather narrow and superficial sense of Sibelius as a person. Luckily, Layton's discussion of Sibelius' music, especially the symphonies, is quite good. He gives just enough technical detail to give the reader a sense of how the music works without being overwhelming. I especially liked the way Layton compares pieces and places them in the context of Sibelius' output. His discussions of the composition and reception of the major works was also enjoyable.
June 28, 2019
The best biography of my favorite composer that I have ever read, this book also analyzes the master's works. Well-written & concise.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews