Jean Sibelius
Andante Festivo
The long career of Jean Sibelius is inextricably bound with the history of his home country, Finland–and not simply because he is that country’s most famous composer. Born during increasing Russian repression in the 1870s that led to a Finnish nationalistic movement, Sibelius attended one of the first Finnish-language schools, in Hämeenlinna. His schooling in Finnish literary tradition provided him the thematic basis for much of his life’s work, as his musical compositions consistently referred to the Finnish mythological cycle, the Kalevala, for inspiration. Indeed, some of his early successes as a composer were symphonic poems based on tales from the Kalevala: Kullervo (1892) and the Lemminkäinen Suite, which includes his well-known Swan of Tuonela (1893). His other inspiration came from the very landscape around him: the mountains, lakes, and river valleys of Finland. By 1897 his work was considered so important to his country’s culture that the Finnish government gave him a pension for life so he could compose his works undisturbed by more mundane matters.
Sibelius originally wrote his Andante Festivo for string quartet in 1922, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Saynatsalo plywood mill in Finland. While another composer might have tried to portray the mechanical features of the mill, Sibelius was always inspired by nature, and the work is one of broad chords and a hushed solemnity. It is not what one might think of as “festive,” but most definitely “andante” (a moderately slow, walking pace).
Sibelius later arranged the work for string orchestra and timpani, to be broadcast on New Year’s Eve 1939 as a greeting to the world at the World Exhibition in New York. During the recording session at the Helsinki radio station, Sibelius told the performers: “Play with more humanity.” The simple repeated melody played by the strings and echoed briefly at the end by the timpani has been called an emotional balm to a world about to be torn again by war. It continues to be played in Finland during solemn state occasions, including Sibelius’ own funeral. As Redwood Symphony’s Assistant Conductor Kristin Link writes, “It is a balm our world once again sadly requires.”