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  • Sibelius Forum II: Proceedings from the Third International Jean Sibelius Conference
  • William A. Everett
Sibelius Forum II: Proceedings from the Third International Jean Sibelius Conference. Edited by Matti Huttunen, Kari Kilpeläinen, and Veijo Murtomäki . Helsinki: Sibelius Academy, Department of Composition and Music Theory, 2003. [ 459 p. ISBN 952-9658-93-1.] Music examples, analytical charts, index.

In a volume of conference proceedings, the variety of topics and approaches is as diverse as the writers themselves. This collection of forty-two essays from the Third International Jean Sibelius Conference on topics related to the life, work, and cultural environment of Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is no exception. Some contributions are extremely technical and theoretical, such as Timothy L. Jackson's "Brucknerian Models: Sonata Form and Linked Internal Auxiliary Cadences" and Joseph C. Kraus's " 'From Fragments into Themes' Revisited; Sibelius's Thematic Process," while others offer more general overviews of repertory, such as Folke Gräsbeck's "Jean Sibelius's Youth Production for Piano, 1885-1891" and Rebekah Ann Brown's "Sibelius Unstrung: His Works for Violin and Piano Contrasted to More Popular Pieces by Contemporary Violinist-Composers." Taken as a whole, the collection offers a variety of perspectives on the music of Sibelius. Major Sibelius scholars are represented in the volume along with less familiar names. The wide range of backgrounds and experiences with Sibelius's music among the authors make the collection uneven while simultaneously giving it a vibrancy that echoes a live meeting. Some of the essays appear to be transcripts of what the author's read at the conference while others have been greatly expanded and revised.

The conference took place on 7-10 December 2000 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and at Järvenpää Hall in Järvenpää. (The previous two conferences took place in 1990 and 1995.) Participants came from eleven countries, clearly demonstrating the strong interest in Sibelius's music outside Finland.

The articles in the proceedings are divided into four categories: (1) "Source and Manuscript Studies," (2) "Historical Studies," (3) "Analytical Approaches," and (4) "Political and Cultural Perspectives." Three essays are in German while the rest are in English. The categories appear in the table of contents and are mentioned in the preface, but do not appear within the main part of the book.

"Source and Manuscript Studies" include investigations of Sibelius's diary, letters, sketches, and manuscripts. Also contained in this section is an extended discussion of the Jean Sibelius Complete Edition(JSW), of which five volumes had appeared by 2000. The JSW's Editorial Board, chaired by Glenda Dawn Goss, articulated the challenges of assembling what is "the largest and most ambitious project of its kind ever undertaken in Finland" (p. 27). The completed project, to be published by Breitkopf & Härtel under the auspices of the Helsinki University Library and the Sibelius Society of Finland, is estimated to contain forty-five volumes with a total of approximately ten thousand pages.

The second section, "Historical Studies," contains contributions on specific works, namely the Fourth Symphony (including an essay by Robert Layton on recordings) and Skogsrået, as well as comparisons of Sibelius's works with those of his contemporaries and successors. Barbara Hong draws parallels between Sibelius's Violin Concerto and Selim Palmgren's First Piano [End Page 128] Concerto; Edward Jurkowski between the symphonies of Sibelius, Einar Englund, and Joonas Kokkonen; Maris Männik-Kirme between Sibelius and Estonian choral music; and Timothy L. Jackson between Anton Bruckner and Sibelius. These essays all place Sibelius and his work into broader musical contexts, negating the isolationist treatment often afforded composers who are national icons.

A variety of methodologies fill the third section, "Analytical Approaches." Schenkerian reductions appear in several chapters: Joseph C. Kraus, " 'From Fragments into Themes' Revisited: Sibelius's Thematic Process"; Les Black, "The Story of C-B: Linear and Contrapuntal Projections in the Third Symphony of Sibelius"; and Lauri Suurpää, "Loss of Love in Two Sibelius Songs." Two essays explore aspects of time and its perception in Sibelius's music: Tapio Kallio's "Jean Sibelius's Metrical Revisions" and Steven A. Harper's "Sibelius's Progressive Impulse: Rhythm and Meter in The Bard." Pitch...

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