Jean Sibelius was born in Finland in 1865 and soon became the most honoured musician in his country. His Second Symphony is Slavic in mood and expression. Intense feeling for his native Finland, combined with a deep love of nature, are the two aspects of Sibelius that are made manifest in his music. Sibelius composed his Second Symphony in Rapallo, Italy, in a room over-looking a beautiful garden of camellias, roses, almond trees, cypresses and palms. The setting in which the symphony was written is reflected in the music, which is pastoral in character, with an occasional suggestion of tragedy. The Finale seems to awaken an expression of hope in a future deliverance that stirs in Finnish hearts. This Symphony has proved to be the most popular of Sibelius symphonies, and its popularity can be well understood. It is dramatic, moving, tragic, and overwhelming in its emotions.
