based on your post i cant imagine you having heard some of his better tone poems like tapiola or the oceanides - those are every bit as colourful and tumultuous as any similar work - and can by no stretch of the imagination be called mundane or soundtracky whereas some of hs most popular pieces - finlandia, symphony 2 etc. - yes I can agree

You're welcome for the "Kullervo" recommendations.

I whole-heartedly disagree with your assessment of this composer's music. Sibelius created beautifully original melodies, harmonies, and rhythms.

Anyway, I think Sibelius was a brilliant composer. He completely created his own musical language like all great composers do. Nobody sounds like him. Go listen to "Pohjola's Daughter" and tell me that isn't one of most gorgeous pieces of music you've ever heard. If you don't like that piece even a little bit, then there's something seriously wrong I think.

I agree with Jake. It seems to me unlikely that you have not heard enough Sibelius to write him off completely yet. If you have yet to hear the 4th Symphony, I wonder if you have heard all the others. Also, what tone poems have you heard?

Sibelius is, however, not an easy composer for a lot of folks. His sound is so singular that it comes of as odd, cold and ininviting to many.

As for it sounding like "soundtrack music," I don't see that as a bad thing. His tone poems are like soundtracks to an invisible movie, so if it is music that tells some sort of story, I will buy that.

His music is too calm? Some of it is, a lot of it is not. There is nothing calm in the energy of his early works like Kullervo and the 1st Symphony, but there is much serenity in, for example, his 6th Symphony. So to attempt to paint this composer with one all-purpose adjective is not possible.

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"Music is not philosophy." --Akira Ifukube

I agree (a surprise isn't it? ), but I also think this poster hasn't heard enough Sibelius to completely write him off yet.

Sibelius must be listened to repeatedly. Sibelius was one of the first composers that turned me onto classical music or at least turned me onto it more seriously.

I have heard symphonies 1,2,5,6,7, Violin Concerto, The Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia and Karelia Suite. For example the fifth symphony and the Swan of Tuonela left me completely cold and wondering, "What, these are among his most popular compositions? There's nothing interesting happening here." The Second symphony I enjoyed mildly but that's about it.

If the "soundtrackiness" would be just that it would invoke extramusical ideas then that would be only a good thing. However, soundtracks have a bad tendency to not be very interesting on their own. The music for example in films cannot be too distracting and they don't necessarily need to work outside their context, they just work as mood enhancers, simplistic effects being enough. With Sibelius I get the feeling that there's just this atmosphere but no substance, no meat, nothing to grab. Definately not unpleasent or annoying though.

Of the tone poems I'm gonna check Pohjola's Daugher and Tapiola next.

As I suspected, you've only scratched the surface here!

Finlandia and the Karelia Suite are "pops" SIbelius. While very good in their own right, they do not touch on the composer's greater, more "serious" abilities.

As for the Swan, I think it should be heard in the conext of the entire Lemminkainen Legends, from which it comes. It is actually one movement of a greater 4-part work, one might even say a symphony.

The tone poems are a good place to romp around, and Pohjola's Daughter and Tapiola are two of the best. I also suggest the Oceanides (very impressionistic work) and En Saga. For theater music, check out his Tempest music, either the two suites or the full score.

I am not sure what recordings of the symphonies you have heard, but I can tell you, in the hands of the wrong conductor, they can fall flat on their faces. I suggest Vanska/Lahti, Segerstam/Helsinki, Maazel/Vienna and Davis/London SO from the LSO Live label.

For you to say Sibelius's music is soundtrack music and thus not very interesting on its own is your opinion and I respect that...as flawed as I believe your opinion to be! But I think you need to hear good performances of his other works before you can really make up your mind once and for all. Sibelius's music is very complex and is full of light and shadow. It takes a good ensemble to pull this music off just right, and if you would like any further suggestions, it would be my pleasure to offer them up.

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"Music is not philosophy." --Akira Ifukube

I'm beginning to think Cmaj7 has heard what is on the Davis/BSO cycle, which would actually explain very well why he isn't getting into Sibelius. It's just the worst of the famous cycles, and that's all there is to it. Of course, this is to say nothing of the same conductor 40 years later, who seems to see music as a whole in a completely different light. His BSO Sibelius just "falls flat on its face." It's too polite, it's too thick, and it's just scrappily interpreted.

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"Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!"
-Gustav Mahler

Yes, Violist (a great admirer of Sibelius also!) is very right here on the Davis/BSO cycle. It is one of the most talked-about cycles around and many people swear by its authenticity. Speaking for Violist and myself (I'd like to think we know a thing or two about what makes Sibelius tick), this is a grossly over-rated cycle and, if it was one's intro to Sibelius's soundworld, I could understand the dissapointment and frustration. Thank God this was not the first cycle I heard...I probably would want to stop there, too.

Of course, we don't know if this is the cycle you have heard or not, Cmaj7. Maybe you heard one of the cycles I have suggested! At any rate, I now feel it's my duty to steer you in the right direction and hopefully sway your opinions on this great composer.

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"Music is not philosophy." --Akira Ifukube

Yes, I used to actually like the cycle until I heard his LSO cycle. Now, I don't even listen to those BSO recordings, because they are lackluster, dull, unimaginative, and ultimately leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. The same can be said about his RCA recordings. These aren't very good either.

The cycle to be beat in my opinion is now Vanska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra on Bis. Good luck finding more passion, more fire than these performances.

Vanska and Neeme Jarvi excel in the tone poems, but I'm still wanting to hear Segerstam's readings.

Well, I'm basically jumping into the middle of a deep discussion, but I wanted to post an answer to the original question.

My favorite Sibelius symphony is No. 6. Sibelius has always seemed to me to be a great "starter" composer for listeners on the verge of diving into classical music. His music tugs all the right strings- sweeping tone painting, romantic melodies, and dramatic climaxes.

Basically, the guy aims for the jugular every time out. Which is why the sixth symphony is such a delight- it's relatively understated and subtle and it gradually envelopes the listener instead of hitting him with a sledgehammer. And, perhaps most importantly, it sounds effortless. If Sibelius ever sounded just like Sibelius (and not Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, or Richard Strauss), it's during the sixth.

Just my couple cents.

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Take a look at the Bandit's blog, Americana Avenue.

A fine post about a fine symphony.

To my ears, it is his most understated of the 7 symphonies. And the composer does make it sound effortless: melodies flow into each other with the greatest of ease; it is the perfect representation of the composer's "organic" symphonic writing. It's also astoudingly odd with its fascination with ostinati.

A quote about the 6th that has always interested me is by Sibelius himself: "passion and rage are essential in it." I would not say myself that this work has rage per se, but perhaps if that's only if you are listening on the surface. I've been working on this symphony for years and I still cannot claim to understand the rage in this serene but mysterious work...and perhaps that's why I keep coming back to it. We all like a good mystery...

As I have mentioned before, I'm not crazy about his symphonies. I do enjoy the 1st, 5th, and 7th the best. The 7th is especially powerful to me. It has some very dark corners that I enjoyed quite a bit. If you consider "Kullervo" a "symphony," then mark that one down for me too.

For me, I'll be forever grateful for his tone poems and Violin Concerto.

I didn't realize this...

Yep, it's true. Sorry my fellow Sibelians.