Sibelius’s landscapes in sound

So many outstanding recordings of his symphonies.

Jean Sibelius: a man of all the seasons

If ever there were a composer of landscape, it was Sibelius, whose symphonies conjure up a realm of icy winds and scurrying clouds, morning mist and rustling leaves – with the occasional magnificent burst of sunshine.

Karelia and Finnish nationalism

Borderlands are rich in history and often bitterly contested. Karelia, in the east of Finland, is a region of astonishing natural beauty and 18th century wooden churches. Its tranquillity belies its turbulent history.

Sibelius and Ainola

Finland is renowned in the world of classical music for the evocative symphonies of Jean Sibelius, the country’s leading composer. There are many monuments to Sibelius, but one of the best is surely Ainola, the house in which he lived from 1904 until his death.