Jean Sibelius is a bright representative of the era of late romanticism. The composer made an undeniable contribution to the cultural development of his native country. The work of Sibelius mostly developed in the traditions of Western European romanticism, but some of the maestro's works were inspired by impressionism.
Childhood and youth Jean Sibelius
He was born in an autonomous part of the Russian Empire, in early December 1865. His childhood years were spent in the small town of Hämeenlinn.
Jan did not enjoy his father's affection and attention for long. The head of the family, who worked in the medical industry, died when the boy was three years old. The mother, along with her young son and older children, plunged into debt. She was forced to move to her parents' house.
Sibelius adored local beauties. He was inspired by untouched nature and the silence that reigned in this area. At the age of seven, my mother gave her son to music lessons. Since that time, Yang has been learning to play the piano. He didn't like to play music. Sibelius was attracted to improvisation from an early age.
Over time, playing the piano completely ceased to interest him. The young man picked up the violin. Having achieved recognition as a virtuoso violinist, Sibelius leaves this occupation. Jan finally decided that he wanted to become famous as a composer.
The creative path and music of Jean Sibelius
At the end of the 80s, the young talent had a unique opportunity - he received the right to continue his studies in Austria and Germany. Here Jan became acquainted with the works of other outstanding composers. The works of the famous maestros inspired him to immediately begin working on his own compositions.
Jan soon completed the score of the preface to his first symphony. We are talking about the musical work "Kullervo". The symphony was incredibly warmly welcomed not only by admirers of classical music, but also by authoritative critics.
Sibelius received the support of connoisseurs of classical music. Soon he presented the symphonic poem "Saga" and the full concert version of the overture and suite "Karelia". During the season, the presented works were played more than two dozen times.
Jean Sibelius: the peak of popularity
Based on the texts of Kalevala, Jan took up composing an opera. As a result, the composer never completed the work. At the end of the 90s, the maestro began composing his first symphony and patriotic pieces for orchestra.
The composition and presentation of the poem "Finland" made Jan a real national hero. From that moment on, the maestro's work was of great interest not only in his homeland, but also beyond its borders.
On the wave of popularity, he went on a big European tour, which covered "musical" countries. Some time later, the premiere of the 2nd symphony took place, which repeated the success of the previous work.
Popularity bordered on a significant increase in income. Yang spent a lot of money on liquor. He developed alcoholism. The case could have ended in failure, if not for a serious illness and a nervous breakdown.
The situation forced Sibelius to “tie up” with an addiction. The musical works that come out from Yang's pen during this period of time are academic. Fans flooded the composer with compliments, saying that he was very “suited” to compose music in a clear mind.
Music critics, in turn, praised the 3rd and 4th symphonies, which were first performed in London. In 1914, two poems were premiered at once. We are talking about the works of "Bard" and "Oceanides".
In the following years of his creative life, he did not depart from his beloved work. The maestro composed many worthy works. Among the works that Jan wrote during this period of time, it is worth highlighting studies for the piano, symphonies and choral hymns. When inspiration left the composer, he not only stopped writing, but also destroyed most of the works.
Details of the composer's personal life
While studying at the music institute, he often visited his friend Edward Armas Järnefelt. At that time, he met his friend's sister, Aino. He fell in love with the charming girl and soon proposed to her. They built a house in a picturesque place, near the Tuusula River. Five children were born in this marriage.
Popularity influenced the behavior of the composer. The calm fate of Aino ended there. Sibelius drank a lot, and when he was given a disappointing diagnosis and an operation was prescribed, he had to stop drinking alcohol.
In the 30th year of the last century, Aino and Jan moved to the territory of Helsinki. But, during the war, they again moved to the house, which they never left again.
Jan Sibelius: interesting facts
- For a long time, the weakness of the maestro remained - alcohol and cigars. There was an uncountable amount of tobacco products in his house.
- The favorite pastime of the composer for a long time was walking in the vicinity of Ainola, accompanied by the noise of the forest and the singing of birds.
- He did not allow his family to use his piano.
Death of Jean Sibelius
He died on September 20, 1957. He died while listening to the 5th symphony. The cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage. A few years later, a monument was erected in honor of the composer in Helsinki.
