Symphony No. 2 (Sibelius)

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Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 in D major, Opus 43 was started in winter 1900 in Rapallo, Italy, and finished in 1902 in Finland. It was first performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic Society on 8 March 1902 with the composer conducting. After the first performance, Sibelius made some revisions, and the revised version was given its first performance by Armas Järnefelt on 10 November 1903 in Stockholm. It is in four movements, with the third movement and the finale played attacca:

Allegretto - Poco allegro - Tranquillo, ma poco a poco ravvivando il tempo all'allegro - Poco largamente - Tempo I - Poco allegro
Tempo andante, ma rubato - Poco allegro - Molto largamente - Andante sostenuto - Andante con moto ed energico - Allegro - Poco largamente - Molto largamente - Andante sostenuto - Andante con moto ed energico - Andante - Pesante
Vivacissimo - Lento e soave - Tempo primo - Lento e soave - (attacca)
Finale: Allegro moderato - Moderato assai - Meno moderato e poco a poco ravvivando il tempo - Tempo I - Largamente e pesante - Poco largamente - Molto largamente

The duration is approximately 45 minutes.

[edit] Orchestration

Sibeluis scored his second for an orchestra consisting of standard insturments:

Woodwind: 2 Flutes; 2 Oboes; 2 Clarinets; 2 Bassoons

Brass: 4 Horns; 3 Trumpets; 3 Trombones; Tuba

Percussion: Timpani

Strings: 1st and 2nd Violins; Violas; Cellos; Double basses

[edit] Reception

In Finland, this popular work with its grandiose finale was connected with the struggle for Finland's independence, even being dubbed the "Symphony of Independence" as it was written at a time of Russian sanctions Finnish language and culture. Sibelius' reaction to this has been widely debated; some claim that he had not intended any patriotic message and was purely identified as a nationalist composer, while others believe that he wrote the piece with an independent Finland in mind.^{[citation needed]}

Tying in with Sibelius' philosophy on the art of the symphony ('The Finnish composer wrote that he "admired [the symphony's] severity of style and the profound logic that created an inner connection between all the motifs..."'[1]) The work grows almost organically out of a rising three-note motif heard at the opening of the work, which, after appearing in many guises throughout the entire symphony (and indeed forming the basis for most of the material) forms the dramatic theme of the finale.

The first recording was made by Robert Kajanus with the London Symphony Orchestra for the HMV label in May 1930.