Composed 1899; Duration: 8 minutes

First BPO Performance: April 5, 1936 (Lajos Shuk, conductor) 

As an autonomous state of the Russian Empire, the Grand Duchy of Finland was subject to increasing Russification policies in the final decades of the nineteenth century, reaching its fever pitch under Nicholas II. Jean Sibelius had studied music in Vienna and Berlin, but sadly gave up on his dream of a career as a violinist, instead returning to Helsinki with the sounds of Europe’s modern composers in his ears. Through the 1890s, he rose to fame as a composer with a patriotic voice that paralleled Finland’s growing desire for independence.

In 1899, Sibelius provided a series of patriotic movements, or tableaux, for a concert during the Finnish Press Pension Celebration, a not-so-subtle protest against Russian censorship. Originally titled Finland Awakes, the final movement was later presented as an independent tone poem titled Finlandia. The work opens with powerful brass presenting a stern chorale that is echoed by the strings. The music becomes vibrant and celebratory, leading to the heart of the work, the Finlandia Hymn. Sibelius’ melody would later have words and gain adoration as Finland’s unofficial national anthem. With Finlandia, Sibelius enshrined himself as a Finnish national hero whose compositions instill pride as they stand against Finland’s oppressors.