Sibelius: Andante festivo

Jean Sibelius: Andante festivo
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons


The 'Andante festivo' was written for string quartet in 1922 shortly before the Sixth Symphony. The composer later expanded it for string orchestra with 'ad lib' timpani, and on 1 January 1939 he conducted a performance in Helsinki for short-wave radio transmission to the World Exhibition in New York. This performance was preserved on wax as a poignant historical memento. It was the last time Sibelius conducted, and is the only known recorded exemple of his conducting. The noble, seamless melody is as close as he came to a religious statement. There are, in addition, intriguing suggestions of Dvorak's Symphony 'From the New World' (or is it 'God Save the Queen'?) and Sibelius' own later Seventh Symphony, and an unmistakeable final 'Amen' cadence.
(c) Robert Dearling, 1993

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• jean
• sibelius
• andante
• festivo
• oslo
• philharmonic
• orchestra
• mariss
• jansons
• finland

[KRissRooTs]

Finding and listening to music like this is a valid and true reason to keep searching for something more.

[Emman27running]

I love how the violas and violins share the same melody at times. ;)

[sjmachin]

i dont like this version

i first heard it when i was a child

and it took me decades to find it again

i prefer Sibelius himself in the 1939 radio version

on youtube video OPb5UpAK4iM (i think!)

[MissJesusfan]

Beautiful.

[KRissRooTs]

@Gorax90 Chopin (obviously, the Nocturnes; I really appreciate the Barenboim recordings), Beethoven (quite everything, for istance, his late piano works; Pollini has done a great recording), Arvo Part (Arbos, Te Deum, ecc.), Ravel (I really appreciate his piano works, awesome), Liszt ("Années de Pèlegrinage"), Bach (Suites for Cello, as recorded by Wispelwey), ecc.

And I am talking only about Classical music..

..or you were asking about something more "spiritual", "philosophical"? ;)

[Gorax90]

@KRissRooTs E.g?

[EsaiasP]

Thanks, lovely.



[classicnorthwest]

@EsaiasP If you go to NPR Classical, and search "Dinner With The Dead: Questioning Composers From The Great Beyond", there is a recording of Sibelius conducting Andante Festivo, on that article.

[itapirkanmaa]

The link to Sibelius conducting this piece:

yle.fi/elavaarkisto/artikkelit­/sibelius_johtaa_andante_festi­vonsa_7142.html

[Heikkibat]

Minä itken. Se on liian kaunis kuin olamaan tosi. :'-)

[fredjmp]

Wonderful!

[EsaiasP]

There is only one recording of Sibelius conducting his music himself, it is Andante Festivo from 1 january 1939 radio transmission to America. It is not allowed to add link here. Therefore seach this in Internet sibelius_johtaa_andante_festiv­onsa