(program)
Angel Records recording. Printed in England // Jean Sibelius(1865-1957) // Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, op.39 // Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Paul Kletzki
Symphony No. 1
- Andante, ma non troppo — Allegro energico
- Andante, (ma non troppo lento)
- Scherzo
- Finale (Quasi una Fantasia)
in one of mary oliver’s poems she stops to make the observation that “All important ideas must include trees, the mountains, and the rivers.” (‘Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way’, Felicity). Good music too should make room for trees, mountains and rivers, no? That’s the unique aesthetic to the music of sibelius, and in all of his symphonies after this first one, you can hardly find trees as tall, mountains as scenic, rivers as wide as the one found in its landscape.
In the first movement we find the full-blooded rhetoric of romanticism wedded to a directness of utterance and economy of design that are truly classical. One could cite as an example of this superb craftsmanship the way in which the confident and assertive climax of the first group flows so swiftly and unobtrusively into the second. While in so many Romantic first symphonies the seams and joins in the structure are clearly visible, this transition is astonishingly smooth and accomplished. “” robert layton on the first movement, Sibelius
almost everywhere i’ve heard his symphonies discussed, however, this one seems to hold the least sway, finds the least favour in those who hold form over function in regards to the symphonic format. function , in the almost mathematical set whereby the general idea of a scenery is laid out in equation of a handful of melodies, ready for the input of variously contrasting, seemingly incompatible domains. my experience of a symphony is more or less a survey of a spreading landscape...within which there is width and breath enough to get lost, but replete with hills and cliffs enough for sightseeing, monuments to mark one’s trail. in that admittedly narrow sense did i first become hooked on this symphony years ago---it’s mostly cliffs, the jagged contours of which are chiseled by an excessively active timpani. at a lower altitude there are grumbling boulders everywhere the double-bass makes an appearance, and right next to them are the diverse oddities of terrestrial creatures scurrying about at the prompt of the countless little phrases that leap out the clarinets, piccolos, oboes and bassoons. a full-throated brass section fills in the cloistral ear with the thick greenery of vernal stalks that invite cellos and violas into a slashing contest, their bows wielded like cutlasses. the violin section, the main opposition to the fury on timpani, push the galloping pace of the excursion.
‘Blue Landscape’ by March Chagall (1949)
For the opening theme of the slow movement, Sibelius writes the first fully formed melody in the symphony so far. Although it is not overtly like a folk song, it has gestures that give it a distinct flavour of traditional music. The entire melody is over a sustained bass note, like a drone. Each phrase contains repeated, sighing pairs of notes and the insistent tug of a dotted rhythm, giving the melody the character of a lament. “” robert philip on the second movement, The Classical Music Lover’s Guide to Orchestral Music
entirely different from the scenery of the first, the second movement is set in a slower mood. the main melody, on french horns, is humid and lamentatious. Every time i’ve returned to this symphony over the years i’m reminded always of a film by italian director federico fellini called La Strada (1954). it’s something of a tragedy, and because it’s fellini it’s made more devastating because of its proximity to comedy (one of the inspirations for roberto bellini’s Life is Beautiful (1997)). the capacity for joy of the main character Gelsomina (giulietta masina) infectious and insurmountable, this despite the conveyor belt of misfortune that her life scrolls through in film time. nothing belies the fortitude of her inner life than the film’s main musical motif, played by her on a trumpet. it’s a slow and distant lament, eerily similar to the french horn. theme of this symphony’s slow movement. then there’s an insane Scherzo, the craziest this i’ve seen the timpani do.
The finale begins with a broad, passionate theme on the strings. This is the start of the clarinet meditation with which the symphony opened, now transformed into the grandest of utterances (this transformation is one of the most striking occasions when Sibelius shows his debt to Liszt). After a few bars of musing on this theme, the woodwind introduce a chattering motif. At first tentative, this develops tension and, with the introduction of a snappy dotted rhythm, a fiere energy. An acceleration ends in a sudden rapid descent in the violins, and an abrupt moment of silence. “” robert philip on the fourth movement, The Classical Music Lover’s Guide to Orchestral Music
(song of the week: Midiwan - Bombino)
What a great song makes us feel is a sense of awe. There is a reason for this. A sense of awe is almost exclusively predicated on our limitations as human beings. It is entirely to do with our audacity as humans to reach beyond our potential. ““ nick cave, The Red Hand Files
My friends, my friends
Never forget what
We learned from our parents
My friends, my friends
Let us not forget this heritage
That our parents have left us
Let us keep it fondly
This heritage is our identity
My friends, my friends!
Imidiwane, imidiwane
Wirhintitewegh
Awa nilmade
Imarawane nanagh
Imidiwane, imidiwane
Wirhintitewegh
Awa ha nilmade
Dagh imarawane nanagh
Imidiwane, imidiwane