Finlandia, op. 26/7 Jean Sibelius / Arr. Clark McAlister & Alfred Reed

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"Jean Sibelius called his tone poem "Finlandia", the work that made his name known beyond the borders of his homeland and is still his most popular composition today. Finlandia" was created on the occasion of one of the "Festivals for the Journalists' Pension Fund" that took place in Finland at the end of the 19th century. It was an event that, despite its rather harmless motto, was held as part of Finland's efforts to achieve independence from Russia. The civil rights of the Finns, not least the freedom of the press, were severely restricted at that time by the Russian authorities. At one of those celebrations, six "living pictures from the Finnish past and mythology", to which Sibelius had contributed the music, were performed in the Swedish theatre in Helsinki. The final piece, at the time still entitled "Finland awakens", was the crowning and highly acclaimed finale, and the composer then arranged it as a separate work. "Finlandia" immediately established itself as a document of Finnish national consciousness, even as an unofficial national anthem, and for several years the Russian authorities banned performances of the work in Finland. The dynamic momentum and obvious structure of the tone poem ensured its rapid spread and popularity also outside Finland. In contrast to the later symphonies, Sibelius in this work is still entirely on the ground of national romanticism, although direct influences cannot be identified.