Finlandia

formfin-LAN-dee-ahfrom Finnish

A tone poem by Jean Sibelius (1899) that became an unofficial Finnish national anthem and a powerful‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‌ symbol of Finnish resistance to Russian oppression.

In Depth

Finlandia was composed in 1899 as the final tableau of a series of orchestral pieces accompanying a patriotic pageant protesting Russian censorship of the Finnish press.‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‌ The work's stirring hymn tune and defiant brass fanfares so powerfully expressed Finnish national feeling that the Russian authorities banned its performance under its real name, forcing it to be listed on concert programs under innocuous titles like "Impromptu" or "Happy Feelings at the Awakening of Finnish Spring." The hymn tune from Finlandia's central section has taken on a life of its own, arranged as a standalone hymn ("Be Still, My Soul" in English) sung in churches worldwide. Sibelius later created a standalone version of the hymn at the request of the Finnish national hymn competition. The piece remains one of the most emotionally direct expressions of national identity in all of orchestral music, and its performance in Finland still carries profound patriotic significance.

Did you know?

Russian authorities were so threatened by Finlandia that they banned it by name — Sibelius had to disguise it on concert programs as "Happy Feelings at the Awakening of Finnish Spring."

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Sibelius tone poem symphony

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