Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

THE STORY

     It is said that Jean Sibelius, who wrote seven symphonies altogether, began to speak his own personal symphonic language with his Symphony No. 2. The composer himself wrote, “My second symphony is a confession of the soul.”
     Sibelius’ work on the symphony began in 1901 during a family trip to Rapallo, Italy, funded by a patron who correctly guessed that a change of scenery would prove inspirational. The symphony was premiered in Helsinki in 1902, after a two-month delay during which Sibelius continued to tinker with the score. It was worth the wait—the symphony was a great success, with one of the most highly regarded Finnish musicians of the day, Oscar Merikanto, proclaiming that it “exceeded even the highest expectations.”
     Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 is one of the rare instances of a work that was unconventional yet popular with audiences and critics from the outset. Rather than the traditional sonata form structure (in which a theme is presented and then developed throughout the movement), Sibelius reverses the pattern. The theme seems to be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle—introduced in fragments and only appearing in full at the finale—as if Sibelius is laying out his compositional process of exploration and discovery for everyone to hear. 
     Nationalistic sentiments may have contributed to the widespread admiration of the symphony. Eagerness to win independence from Russia was rising at the turn of the 20th century in Finland, and with that, the Finnish people wholeheartedly embraced the art and culture of their homeland. Many interpreted the second movement of Sibelius’ symphony as a broken-hearted protest against injustice and his grandiose finale as a metaphor for Finland’s struggle for freedom. 
     Sibelius rejected these interpretations, preferring that no programmatic influence be read into the work. Still, his Symphony No. 2 remains a source of pride and inspiration for the Finnish people to this day. 

LISTEN FOR

• The rising three-note pattern at the beginning that will be an important building block of the entire symphony

• The mysterious pizzicato (plucked strings) in the cellos and basses at the opening of the Andante and the restless mood throughout the movement 

• Blistering fast figures in the strings followed by a lyrical oboe solo in the third movement, Vivacissimo; a single note repeated nine times in the oboe solo provides breathtaking emotional tension  

• The victorious arrival of D major in the finale (which follows the third movement without pause) and the heroic transformation of the three-note motif

INSTRUMENTATION

Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, strings