Goss - Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland

Artists are often trapped between the desire to communicate something of substance, a unique contribution to understanding the world, and reaching the masses of people to whom they seek to communicate.  The problem is that the ability of the masses to hear and understand is sometimes disconnected from the creator's language. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is sadly one of the most prominent examples of a composer of great music whose works were so popular in his early days that it confined his ability to explore his fuller creative interests. Indeed, Sibelius was so central to the rise of Finnish national pride and aspiration that it was impossible for Finns to accept anything but the style for which he had become so renowned in his early career.

Glenda Dawn Goss completed the Jean Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland (2009) biography through exhaustive review of previous published biographic records and historic evidence related to the rise of Finnish nationalism to yield this insightful story of a great artist. Finland was ruled for over 600 years by Sweden and for 100 by Russia. Part of the discovery of Finnish culture was based on reviving Finnish as the national language. The only problem was that the privileged elites of Finland in Sibelius' time, including him, all spoke Swedish. Even with the separation of the elites by language and education from the working class, discovery of cultural heritage through the elites of Finnish society created a wildly successful era for the arts. One of Sibelius' first major compositions, Kalevala, memorialized the epic stories that defined Finnish culture, depicting a world of "peaceful workers laboring together for the greater common good" (Loc 5120 in Kindle version), an idealization that was never really part of Sibelius' own life experience.

Goss characterized Finland in the 19th century (as well as today) as a "high-context culture," one influenced by close association of family and friends with few explicit rules but many shared assumptions. Bonding through shared stories and heritage is very powerful in such an environment and it would be this natural social bonding, coupled with celebrated stories, that Sibelius and others would ignite into a frenzy of nationalism. A significant boost came to Sibelius and other Finnish artists after Swedish domination was rejected and Russian sponsorship began under the rule of "the good Czar," Alexander II. During this time, much was invested by Russia in education and the arts, a self-interested strategy to foster Finnish pride, separation from Sweden, and loyalty to Russia. Sibelius benefitted from studying music with some of Europe's greatest musicians and the opportunity to immerse himself in Germany, Vienna, and Italy during this time. This would all eventually be undone when Czar Nicholas of Russia appointed Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov as the Russian representative to oversee the undoing of Finnish independence in 1898. The Golden Age of education and art in Finland was over and the subjugation of its people began.

Sibelius was gifted in music from an early age and was supported by his Uncle Pehr who funded his education and musical training. Because of the elite status of the Sibelius family, Jean was allowed connection with other elites, including the Jarnefelt family. The Jarnefelt brothers, Armas and Eero, provided the entree to their sister, Aino, who would become Sibelius' wife in 1890. In addition to the familial relationship with the Jarnefelts, they were politically active and eager to shape the birth of Finnish nationalism. This provided the perfect platform for Sibelius to compose music that would place him in a central position in the national movement, a part of his life that would be constant and vital. The Symbolist movement (example to the right by Jarnefelt) that swept Finland and other countries in the region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was obsessed with legends, saga, ancient history, all of which were integrated into the nationalist movement in general and Sibelius' music, with one of the finest examples being the Swan of Tuonela.

Sadly, Sibelius became trapped by his own success. The work he and his compatriots Aho, Eero Jarnefelt, Eino Leino, and J.H. Erkko had done to awaken Finnish identity among the people through national enlightenment, education, and defending national rights - had succeeded beyond expectation. Sibelius became increasingly isolated from his own movement. As political aspiration and ideology grew more strident and divisive, Sibelius was offered the opportunity to move to America to join the faculty of the Eastman School of Music. His loyalty to country and comfort with the notoriety he had achieved among Finns transcended the opportunity of new artistic horizons. The choice to remain in Finland, enveloped in a landscape of emerging nationalism that was different from his own idealizations of what that would be, resulted in the trailing off of creative work and silencing the voice of one of the early 20th centuries most revered national and international composers.

Standing between the multiple oppositions of modernism/antimodernism, avant-garde/conservative, elitist/democratic, nationalist/internationalist, and classic/reactionary, Sibelius likely suffered deep regret in having to take sides. Yet, the list of compositions that stand the test of time and ideologies includes such great compositions as the following:

• 1893 - Swan of Tuonela
• 1893 - Karelia Suite
• 1894 - Skogsraet
• 1900 - Finlandia
• 1903 - Violin Concerto
• 1904 - Valse Triste
• 1908 - Night Ride and Sunrise
• 1914 - Luonnator
• 1915 - Symphony No. 5
• 1926 - Tapiola

Sibelius Symphony No. 5, one of his most celebrated compositions, became the centerpiece of his 50th birthday celebration in Helsinki. The inspiration he claimed was, "As if God the Father had thrown down the shards of a mosaic from the floor of heaven and asked me to find out what it had looked like."