Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is perhaps Finland's most important musical figure. His beautiful compositions, inspired primarily by Finnish landscapes and literature, helped to form a national identity for his homeland. Sibelius's innovative symphonies and descriptive tone poems encapsulate the composer's desire to create `pure' music, and have become staples of the orchestral repertoire all over the world. This intriguing biography, which includes previously unavailable material, examines the li…