Sibelius Symphony No. 5 [Paperback]

A fresh look at the work and its composer with implications beyond Sibelius himself into the entire repertory of Post-Wagnerian symphonic composition.Sibelius's Fifth is one of the great late-Romantic symphonies. In this searching account, based on a wealth of new information, James Hepokoski takes a fresh look at the work and its composer. His findings have implications beyond Sibelius himself into the entire repertory of post-Wagnerian symphonic composition. In addition to providing a descriptive analytical overview, the book also chronicles the work's initial composition and subsequent revisions. It concludes with a discussion of the composer's own prescribed tempos, along with a comparison of several different recordings.1. Introduction: Sibelius and the problem of 'Modernism'; 2. The crisis, 1909-1914: 'Let's let the world go its own way'; 3. Reassessed compositional principles, 1912-1915: the five key concepts; 4. Of Heaven's door and migrating swans: composing a confession of faith; 5. Musical process and architecture: a proposed overview; 6. Editions and performance tempos: a brief note.