Jean Sibelius: Life, Music, Silence

Description

Few composers have enjoyed such critical acclaim - or longevity - as Jean Sibelius, who died in 1957 aged 91. Always more than simply a Finnish national figure, an 'apparition from the woods' as he ironically described himself, Sibelius's life spanned turbulent and tumultuous events, and his work is central to the story of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century music. This book situates Sibelius within a rich interdisciplinary environment, paying attention to his relationship with architecture, literature, politics and the visual arts. Drawing on the latest developments in Sibelius research, it is intended as an accessible and rewarding introduction for the general reader, and also offers a fresh and provocative interpretation for those more familiar with his music.

Daniel M. Grimley is Professor of Music at the University of Oxford and Douglas Algar tutorial fellow at Merton College. His books include Delius and the Sound of Place (2018).

"With a new spring in his step across already familiar ground, Grimley reinvigorates the life-and-works format by vividly placing Sibelius within the ever-shifting artistic and geopolitical landscape of his time, and that of existing scholarship. Grimley's elegant fusion of 'audible' musicological detail and warm human insight will enrich the academic and general reader alike." -- Hilary Finch, former music critic,Times (UK) "Grimley's Jean Sibelius: Life, Music, Silence is a concise, balanced, and reader-friendly volume that combines successful biographical study with cultural-historical cross-section and discussion about up-to-date topics in the literature, such as the debate on Sibelius's political orientation. Extending the examination beyond the standard Sibelius repertoire, the author's perspective on the composer's music is fresh and inventive." -- Timo Virtanen, lecturer at Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, editor-in-chief of the Jean Sibelius Works