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Unlocking the Masters #12
Sibelius: The Orchestral Works: An Owner's Manual
Unlocking the MastersJean Sibelius was not only Finland's greatest composer, he was one of the most distinctive and appealing musical voices in the first half of the 20th century, especially renowned for his characterful handling of the romantic symphony orchestra. His example has led directly to an unprecedented cultural flowering in his homeland, making this small country of 5 million people a powerhouse in the world of classical music composition and performance. Sibelius The Orchestral Works An Owner's Manual considers over 80 individual orchestral pieces, from songs and choruses to symphonies, tone poems, overtures, and theatrical music. Along the way, readers are invited to identify and enjoy the fascinating mix of elements that make up Sibelius's colorful personal idiom. Two CDs accompanying the text offer not only a rich selection of music by Sibelius, including two complete symphonies and two of his most popular tone poems, but also a representative selection of the best Finnish music by his contemporaries and successors. This approach offers a unique opportunity: to hear Sibelius in context and gain an understanding of exactly what distinguishes him from his contemporaries, how he influenced later generations, and how it was that he came to be viewed as the musical spokesperson of an entire nation.
- GenresMusic
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
7 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
David Hurwitz
29 books20 followersDavid Hurwitz (born 29 August 1961) is an American music critic and author who specializes in classical music.
Based in New York, he is the founder and executive editor of ClassicsToday.com and frequently reviews recordings there. Hurwitz has published numerous books, primarily guides on specific composers for the Amadeus Press "Unlocking the Masters" series, namely, Mahler, Mozart, Dvořák, Haydn, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Bernstein, Strauss, C. P. E. Bach and Handel. Other publications include an introduction to classical music, two articles on the 19th-century use of vibrato as well as surveys on the symphonies of Beethoven (the 5th and 7th) and Brahms (all four). He was the chairman for the Cannes Classical Awards while it existed from 1994 to 2010.
In 2020 Hurwitz launched a YouTube channel on which he regularly posts video reviews and discographical surveys.
Based in New York, he is the founder and executive editor of ClassicsToday.com and frequently reviews recordings there. Hurwitz has published numerous books, primarily guides on specific composers for the Amadeus Press "Unlocking the Masters" series, namely, Mahler, Mozart, Dvořák, Haydn, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Bernstein, Strauss, C. P. E. Bach and Handel. Other publications include an introduction to classical music, two articles on the 19th-century use of vibrato as well as surveys on the symphonies of Beethoven (the 5th and 7th) and Brahms (all four). He was the chairman for the Cannes Classical Awards while it existed from 1994 to 2010.
In 2020 Hurwitz launched a YouTube channel on which he regularly posts video reviews and discographical surveys.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 19, 2008
David Hurwitz's SIBELIUS, THE ORCHESTRAL WORKS: An Owner's Manual" is a guide to the symphonies and major tone poems of the great Finnish composer, meant for an audience of home listeners who may not be able to read music. He attempts to give people a movement-by-movement guide to what is going on within each work, concentrating on the musical development itself and not really the historical background of the pieces. If you are a novice classical listener who still has difficulties with recognizing things like sonata form, Hurtwitz's book can be useful to better understand how Sibelius structured this music so successfully. Hurwitz's also brings one's attention to aspects of Sibelius' orchestration that one might initially overlook.
Still, there's much I don't like about the book. Hurwitz's knocks of modernism seem entirely unnecessary, and his neglect of some figures in favour of less important ones is ridiculous (Dvorak was the great master of using "fake" folk materials, not Bartok?). Throughout he speaks of the music in arbitary terms ("this sounds like a forest", "the Third is a story of tragedy") that might make sense to people brought up on a diet of Romanticism, but will probably alienate people who want to enjoy the music as abstraction. The book also introduces in boxed texts several later Finnish composers who were inspired to some degree by Sibelius, and some extracts of their works are included on a second CD. Why he limited himself to Finnish composers I don't know (maybe Ondine wanted his help in marketing), but Sibelius' influence spread throughout all the Nordic countries. The Danish composer Vagn Holmboe, for example, would be better selected to show such influence than Magnus Lindberg, whose generation was trying to shake Sibelius off. Another Danish composer, Per Norgard, has long spoken of his admiration for the last movement of the Fifth, where Sibelius has a theme moving in different tempi simultaneously, and Norgard sees it as an inspiration for his own infinity series.
If you can read music, a great guide to Sibelius' Fifth is the Cambridge Music Handbook by James Hepokoski. I hope to find similar more rigorous introductions to the other symphonies. But for listeners who don't want anything academic, I'd still suggest looking at Hurwitz's book, though it is sure not to please everyone.
Still, there's much I don't like about the book. Hurwitz's knocks of modernism seem entirely unnecessary, and his neglect of some figures in favour of less important ones is ridiculous (Dvorak was the great master of using "fake" folk materials, not Bartok?). Throughout he speaks of the music in arbitary terms ("this sounds like a forest", "the Third is a story of tragedy") that might make sense to people brought up on a diet of Romanticism, but will probably alienate people who want to enjoy the music as abstraction. The book also introduces in boxed texts several later Finnish composers who were inspired to some degree by Sibelius, and some extracts of their works are included on a second CD. Why he limited himself to Finnish composers I don't know (maybe Ondine wanted his help in marketing), but Sibelius' influence spread throughout all the Nordic countries. The Danish composer Vagn Holmboe, for example, would be better selected to show such influence than Magnus Lindberg, whose generation was trying to shake Sibelius off. Another Danish composer, Per Norgard, has long spoken of his admiration for the last movement of the Fifth, where Sibelius has a theme moving in different tempi simultaneously, and Norgard sees it as an inspiration for his own infinity series.
If you can read music, a great guide to Sibelius' Fifth is the Cambridge Music Handbook by James Hepokoski. I hope to find similar more rigorous introductions to the other symphonies. But for listeners who don't want anything academic, I'd still suggest looking at Hurwitz's book, though it is sure not to please everyone.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews