Sibelius, "Finlandia" - tone poem

The land we know today as Finland was absorbed into the Russian Empire in 1809 with the decorous name of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Ninety years later, in 1899, irrepressible nationalist winds forced Russia to impose strict censorship on the small nation's press. As a result, in November of the same year, the Finnish press organized a fundraising gala in Helsinki, which was in reality a subterfuge to drum up support for a free press.

The gala ended ceremoniously with the performance of a recently created work by Jean Sibelius. For the occasion, the work was presented with careful innocence under the title "Music for the Press Ceremony". Composed of six tableaux and an overture, the work ended with the piece entitled "Awakening of Finland". Such was the reception given to this sixth tableau that Sibelius revised it the following year, transforming it into an independent tone poem which he retitled straight and simply "Finlandia".

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Finlandia, a tone poem

Premiered as an autonomous work on July 3, 1900, the tone poem revealed to the world the poetic mastery of Sibelius, becoming the starting point of a rapturous nationalist feeling, of which the composer was an outstanding protagonist.

From then on, Finlandia became the second national anthem practically. However, due to censorship, the work was presented in those years under the most diverse titles, which ranged from the cautious Nocturne to the more daring Heroic Sentiments, or The Awakening of the Finnish Spring. This was a mandatory practice until Finland achieved independence after the First World War.

The superb rendition is by the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Caracas, conducted by maestro César Iván Lara. Its most celebrated passage is presented at 4:00 minutes; first in a reverent atmosphere; by the end, it will turn into a powerful statement of victory.