Sibelius

The most balanced and complete biography of Sibelius to date, published on the 50th anniversary of the great composers death Informed by a wealth of information that has come to light in recent years, this engaging biography tells the complete story of the life and musical work of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Drawing on Sibeliuss own correspondence and diaries, contemporary reviews, and the remarks of family and friends, the book presents a rich account of the events of the musicians life. In addition, this volume is the first to set every work and performable fragment by Sibelius in its historical and musical context. Filling a significant gap, the biography also provides the first accurate information about much of the composers early music. Writing for the general music-lover, Andrew Barnett combines his own extensive knowledge of Sibeliuss music with the insights of other scholars and musicians. He lays to rest a number of myths and untruthsthat Sibelius wrote no chamber music of value, for example, and that he stopped composing in 1926 and didnt need to compose to earn a living. Barnett completes the volume with the most thorough worklist available and an authoritative chronology of Sibeliuss entire output.