The links on this page lead to fuller descriptions of the works listed (members only).
The opus numbering of Sibelius’s works contains many inconsistencies and illogicalities. The composer first produced a numbered list of works in 1896, and a list of opus numbers the following year, but many of these numbers were later changed. Not until 1903 did his works start to be published with opus numbers, and only from 1930–31 onwards can the numbering be regarded as definitive. A full description of the development of Sibelius’s opus numbers is found in Fabian Dahlström’s Jean Sibelius: Thematisch-bibliographisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke (Breitkopf & Härtel 2003, pp.680–692).
In 1982 the Sibelius family donated a major collection of manuscripts to Helsinki University Library (HUL, now the National Library of Finland). Many of these works are now known by JS numbers, referring to the alphabetical list of Jean Sibelius’s compositions without opus number used in Dahlström’s above-mentioned catalogue. A significant number of these compositions will ultimately be published by Breitkopf & Härtel.
Op. 1 Five Christmas Songs voice & piano
1. Nu står jul vid snöig port (text: Topelius)
2. Nu så kommer julen (text: Topelius)
3. Det mörknar ute (text: Topelius)
4. Giv mig ej glans, ej guld, ej prakt (text: Topelius)
5. On hanget korkeat, nietokset (text: Joukahainen)
Short strophic songs written 1897–1913. Nos 4 and 5 especially popular and several of the songs are available in alternative versions.
Op. 2 Romance and Epilogue violin & piano
1. Romance in B minor
2. Epilogue
Two short pieces from 1890–91, revised heavily in 1911.
Op. 3 Arioso voice & piano (text: J.L. Runeberg)
Song composed in 1911, allegedly based on a much earlier original. Also available with orchestral accompaniment.
Op. 4 String Quartet in B flat major
I. Allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Presto
IV. Allegro
Composed 1890. Third movement also separately for string orchestra (Presto for strings)
Op. 5 Six Impromptus piano
1. G minor
2. G minor
3. A minor
4. E minor
5. B minor
6. E major
Composed 1893. Most popular is No. 5; Nos 5 & 6 based on earlier material from melodrama Svartsjukans nätter; these two also available as a single piece for strings orchestra (‘Impromptu’).
Op. 6 Cassazione orchestra
12-minute work for large orchestra (1904) subsequently revised for smaller orchestra. Unpublished during Sibelius’s lifetime.
Op. 7 Kullervo soloists, male choir, orchestra (text: Kalevala)
I. Introduction
II. Kullervo’s Youth
III. Kullervo and his Sister
IV. Kullervo Goes to War
V. Kullervo’s Death
Huge Kalevala-based five-movement work that marked Sibelius’s breakthrough when first performed in 1892. Choir in movs III & V; soloists in III only.
Op. 8 Ödlan (The Lizard) chamber ensemble
I. Adagio
II. Grave
Rarely heard incidental music to play by Mikael Lybeck. Composed 1909. Enigmatic, chromatic style, never adapted for concert use.
Op. 9 En saga orchestra
Tone poem composed 1892, substantially rev. 1902. No specific programme, represents rather ‘a state of mind’.
Op. 10 Karelia Overture orchestra
Overture from a set of historical, patriotic tableaux based on the history of Karelia, 1893.
Op. 11 Karelia Suite orchestra
I. Intermezzo
II. Ballade
III. Alla marcia
Three popular movements from a set of historical, patriotic tableaux based on the history of Karelia, 1893.
Op. 12 Sonata in F major piano
I. Allegro molto
II. Andantino
III. Vivacissimo
Sibelius’s only completed piano sonata, 1893
Op. 13 Seven Runeberg Songs voice & piano
1. Under strandens granar
2. Kyssens hopp
3. Hjärtats morgon
4. Våren flyktar hastigt
5. Drömmen
6. Till Frigga
7. Jägargossen
Seven songs composed 1900–92 to texts by J.L. Runeberg. Most famous and popular (by far) is Våren flyktar hastigt. Preliminary versions of Nos 2, 3 & 5 have also survived.
Op. 14 Rakastava strings, triangle, timpani
I. The Lover; II. The Path of His Beloved; III. Good Evening!… Farewell!
Suite for small orchestra (1911, rev. 1912) based on choral work of the same name (1894). Highly regarded for its sensitive string writing.
Op. 15 Skogsrået (The Wood-Nymph) orchestra
Long neglected, large-scale (22-minute) tone poem based on a poem by Viktor Rydberg, 1894–94. Also exists as melodrama for narrator and small orchestra.
Op. 16 Vårsång (Spring Song) orchestra
Short tone poem (1895) based on an ‘Improvisation’ for orchestra from 1894.
Op. 17 Seven Songs voice & piano
1. Se’n har jag ej frågat mera (text: J.L. Runeberg)
2. Sov in! (text: Tavaststjerna)
3. Fågellek (text: Tavaststjerna)
4. Vilse (text: Tavaststjerna)
5. En slända (text: Levertin)
6. Illalle (text: Forsman)
7. Lastu lainehilla (text: Calamnius)
Seven songs composed 1891–1902. Most famous are Se’n har jag ej frågat mera (also with orchestra) and the two Finnish-language songs Illalle and Lastu lainehilla. Preliminary versions of Nos 1 [piano solo] & 6 have also survived.
Op. 18 Six Songs male choir a cappella
1. Sortunut ääni (text: Kanteletar)
2. Terve, kuu (text: Kalevala)
3. Venematka (text: Kalevala)
4. Saarella palaa (text: Kanteletar)
5. Metsämiehen laulu (text: Kivi)
6. Sydämeni laulu (text: Kivi)
Some of Sibelius’s best-loved choral songs, composed 1898–1901. Nos 1, 3, 4 & 6 also for mixed choir.
Op. 19 Impromptu women’s choir & orchestra (text: Rydberg)
Fairly short pièce d’occasion composed in 1902, revised 1910.
Op. 20 Malinconia cello & piano
Sibelius’s longest piece for cello and piano (12 min), 1900.
Op. 21 Natus in curas male choir a cappella (text: Gustafsson)
Hymn (Latin words) composed in 1896, slightly revised 1898.
Op. 22 Lemminkäinen orchestra
1. Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of the Island
2. The Swan of Tuonela
3. Lemminkäinen in Tuonela
4. Lemminkäinen’s Return
Four major Kalevala-inspired tone poems premièred 1896. First revision of whole suite 1897. The Swan and Lemminkäinen’s Return revised again for publication in 1900, remaining movements revised 40 years later. Material drawn from abandoned opera Veneen luominen.
Op. 23 Songs from the University Cantata of 1897 mixed choir a cappella (text: Forsman)
1. Me nuoriso Suomen
2. Tuuli tuudittele
3. Oi toivo, toivo, sä lietomieli
4. Montapa elon merellä
5. Sammuva sainio maan
6. Soi kiitokseksi Luojan
7. Tuule, tuuli, leppeämmin
8. Oi Lempi, sun valtas ääretön on
9. Kun virta vuolas
10. Oi kallis Suomi, äiti verraton
Complete orchestral score of the 1897 cantata is lost (parts of piano version survive). These ten songs represent its most important musical material. Includes the famous hymn Soi kiitokseksi Luojan.
Op. 24 Ten Pieces piano
1. Impromptu
2. Romance in A major
3. Caprice
4. Romance in D minor
5. Waltz
6. Idyll
7. Andantino
8. Nocturno
9. Romance in D flat major
10. Barcarola
Ten characterful piano pieces from 1895–1903. Includes two of Sibelius’s most enduringly popular piano pieces, the Caprice and Romance in D flat major.
Op. 25 Scènes historiques I orchestra
I. All’ Overtura
II. Scena
III. Festivo
Three movements substantially revised in 1911 from the patriotic Press Celebrations tableaux of 1899, depicting scenes from Finnish history.
Op. 26 Finlandia orchestra
Stirring and perennially popular tone poem, probably Sibelius’s most famous work, slightly revised from the last tableau of the Press Celebrations Music of 1899.
Op. 27 King Christian II, suite orchestra
1. Nocturne
2. Elegy
3. Musette
4. Serenade
5. Ballade
Well-liked, colourful orchestral suite from the 1899 incidental music to Adolf Paul’s historical drama.
Op. 28 Sandels male choir & orchestra (text: J.L. Runeberg)
Rarely performed 10-minute work (1898, rev. 1915) on the subject of General Sandels’s surprise defeat of Russian forces at the battle of Virta Bro in 1808.
Op. 29 Snöfrid recitation, mixed choir & orchestra (text: Rydberg)
Neglected cantata of outstanding quality, composed 1900, a vigorous, dramatic and appealing 14-minute setting of Rydberg’s poem.
Op. 30 Islossningen i Uleå älv recitation, male choir & orchestra (text: Topelius)
Little-known 10-minute patriotic pièce d’occasion composed in 1899.
Op. 31 Three Songs male choir & orchestra
1. Laulu Lemminkäiselle (text: Weijola) (1896)
2. Har du mod? (Text: Wecksell) (1904)
3. Athenarnes sång (text: Rydberg) (1899)
Three songs composed for different occasions. No. 1 reuses material from the early versions of Lemminkäinen’s Return; Nos 2 & 3 exist in many arrangements. Especially No. 3 was very popular in its day owing to its patriotic sentiments.
Op. 32 Tulen synty (The Origin of Fire) baritone, male choir & orchestra (text: Kalevala)
Cantata for the inauguration of the Finnish National Theatre in Helsinki, 1902, substantially revised in 1910.
Op. 33 Koskenlaskijan morsiamet voice & orchestra (text: Oksanen)
Vivid ballad for baritone or mezzo-soprano and orchestra, 1897, tells of a nymph’s love for a human. Version for male choir and orchestra dates from 1943.
Op. 34 Ten Bagatelles piano
1. Valse
2. Air de danse
3. Mazurka
4. Couplet
5. Boutade
6. Rêverie
7. Danse pastorale
8. Joueur de harpe
9. Reconnaissance
10. Souvenir
Short and charming piano pieces, later than opus number suggests: 1913–16.
Op. 35 Two Songs voice & piano (texts: Josephson)
1. Jubal (text: Josephson)
2. Teodora (text: Gripenberg)
Two searching and profound (though rarely performed) songs from 1908.
Op. 36 Six Songs voice & piano
1. Svarta rosor (text: Josephson)
2. Men min fågel märks dock icke (text: J.L. Runeberg)
3. Bollspelet vid Trianon (text: Fröding)
4. Säv, säv, susa (text: Fröding)
5. Marssnön (text: Wecksell)
6. Demanten på marssnön (text: Wecksell)
Includes some of Sibelius most popular solo songs from the turn of the century (1899-1900): Svarta rosor, Säv, säv, susa and Demanten på marssnön.
Op. 37 Five Songs voice & piano
1. Den första kyssen (text: J.L. Runeberg)
2. Lasse liten (text: Topelius)
3. Soluppgång (text: Hedberg)
4. Var det en dröm? (text: Wecksell)
5. Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (text: J.L. Runeberg)
More of Sibelius most popular solo songs from the turn of the century (1900–02): Den första kyssen, Var det en dröm? and Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte. Preliminary version of No. 3 has also survived.
Op. 38 Five Songs voice & piano
1. Höstkväll (text: Rydberg)
2. På verandan vid havet (text: Rydberg)
3. I natten (text: Rydberg)
4. Harpolekaren och hans son (text: Rydberg)
5. Jag ville, jag vore i Indialand (text: Fröding)
The first two in Op. 38 (1903–04) are recognized as among Sibelius’s vocal masterpieces. The remaining three are far less well-known.
Op. 39 Symphony No. 1 in E minor orchestra
I. Andante, ma non troppo – Allegro energico
II. Andante (ma non troppo lento)
III. Scherzo. Allegro
IV. Finale. Quasi una fantasia
Composed 1899, rev. 1900. ‘The greatest work that Finnish music has hitherto brought forth’ (Oskar Merikanto, Päivälehti).
Op. 40 Ten Pensées lyriques piano
1. Valsette
2. Chant sans paroles
3. Humoresque
4. Menuetto
5. Berceuse
6. Pensée mélodique
7. Danse pastorale
8. Rondoletto
9. Scherzando
10. Polonaise
More short and charming piano pieces. As with Op. 34, later than opus number suggests, in this case 1912–16. Berceuse and Polonaise quite well-known.
Op. 41 Kyllikki, threee lyric pieces piano
I. Largamente – Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Comodo
Dramatic piano suite, 1904, apparently based on Kalevala characters
Op. 42 Romance in C major string orchestra
Short piece from 1904, popular with amateur and student orchestras
Op. 43 Symphony No. 2 in D major orchestra
I. Allegretto
II. Tempo andante, ma rubato
III. Vivacissimo
IV. Allegro moderato
Immediate huge success at its 1902 première. Karl Flodin: ‘a definitive masterpiece, one of the few symphonic creations of our time that points in the same direction as Beethoven’s symphonies’.
Op. 44 Kuolema: Valse triste; Scene with Cranes orchestra
Two movements arranged from the 1903 incidental music to Arvid Järnefelt’s play. Valse triste an immediate and enduring success.
Op. 45 The Dryad; Dance Intermezzo orchestra
A short, impressionist tone poem (1910) and a dance-like movement arranged from a fundraising tableau score (1904. rev. 1907). First version of Dance Intermezzo has also survived (Musik zu einer Scène).
Op. 46 Pelléas et Mélisande, suite orchestra
I. At the Castle Gate
II. Mélisande
IIa. At the Seashore
III. By a Spring in the Park
IV. The Three Blind Sisters
V. Pastorale
VI. Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel
VII. Entr’acte
VIII. The Death of Mélisande
Popular and accessible suite for small orchestra from incidental music to the symbolist play by Maurice Maeterlinck, 1905.
Op. 47 Violin Concerto in D minor violin & orchestra
I. Allegro moderato
II. Adagio di molto
III. Allegro, ma non tanto
1904, substantially revised and shortened 1905. First performance a failure but now one of the best-loved violin concertos of all time. Longer original version has also survived.
Op. 48 Vapautettu kuningatar (The Captive Queen) mixed choir & orchestra
(text: Cajander)
Cantata to celebrate 100th anniversary of Johan Snellman’s birth (1906, also for male choir c. 1910).
Op. 49 Pohjola’s Daughter orchestra
Symphonic fantasia (1906) on Kalevala themes. Developed from projected ‘Luonnotar’ tone poem, probably also from projected oratorio.
Op. 50 Six Songs voice & piano
1. Lenzgesang (text: Fitger)
2. Sehnsucht (text: Weiss)
3. Im Feld ein Mädchen singt (text: Susman)
4. Aus banger Brust (text: Dehmel)
5. Die stille Stadt (text: Dehmel)
6. Rosenlied (text: Ritter)
Entire set of German-language songs (1906) includes highly charged settings of Dehmel and Susman.
Op. 51 Belshazzar’s Feast, suite orchestra
I. Oriental Procession
II. Solitude
III. Nocturne
IV. Khadra’s Dance
Concert suite selected from incidental music to Hjalmar Procopé’s Biblical/historical play, 1907.
Op. 52 Symphony No. 3 in C major orchestra
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto
III. Moderato – Allegro (ma non tanto)
Composed 1904–07. More ‘classical’ in tone and smaller in scale than Symphonies 1 & 2. ‘The crystallization of thought from chaos’ (JS). Preliminary version of slow movement has also survived.
Op. 53 Pan and Echo orchestra
Short orchestral piece from 1906 written for a lottery tableau.
Op. 54 Swanwhite, suite orchestra
I. The Peacock
II. The Harp
III. The Maidens with Roses
IV. Listen, the Robin Sings
V. The Prince Alone
VI. Swanwhite and the Prince
VII. Song of Praise
Rarely played suite (1908) from the incidental music to Strindberg’s fairy-tale play.
Op. 55 Night Ride and Sunrise orchestra
Major but rarely heard 15-minute tone poem and nature portrait, 1908
Op. 56 String Quartet in D minor, ‘Voces intimae’
I. Andante – Allegro molto moderato
II. Vivace
III. Adagio di molto
IV. Allegretto (ma pesante)
V. Allegro
Sibelius’s only mature string quartet, formerly (erroneously) believed to be his only significant chamber work. 1909.
Op. 57 Eight Josephson Songs voice & piano
1. Älven och snigeln
2. En blomma stod vid vägen
3. Kvarnhjulet
4. Maj
5. Jag är ett träd
6. Hertig Magnus
7. Vänskapens blomma
8. Näcken
A set of middle-period songs to words by the Swedish painter and poet Ernst Josephson, 1909
Op. 58 Ten Pieces piano
1. Rêverie
2. Scherzino
3. Air varié
4. Der Hirt
5. Des Abends
6. Dialogue
7. Tempo di Minuetto
8. Fischerlied
9. Ständchen
10. Sommerlied
Rarely played piano music from Sibelius’s middle period (1909) reflects his stylistic changes in other genres.
Op. 59 In memoriam, funeral march orchestra
1909, rev. 1910, possibly written as a belated tribute to Eugen Schauman who had assassinated the Russian Governor-General Bobrikov.
Op. 60 Two Songs from ‘Twelfth Night’ voice & guitar
1. Kom nu hit, död
2. Hållilå, uti storm och i regn
For a Swedish-language production of Shakespeare’s play, 1909. Also with piano acc.
No. 1 arranged for voice and strings in 1957.
Op. 61 Eight Songs voice & piano
1. Långsamt som kvällskyn (text: Tavaststjerna)
2. Vattenplask (text: Rydberg)
3. När jag drömmer (text: Tavaststjerna)
4. Romeo (text: Tavaststjerna)
5. Romans (text: Tavaststjerna)
6. Dolce far niente (text: Tavaststjerna)
7. Fåfäng önskan (text: J. L. Runeberg)
8. Vårtagen (text: Gripenberg)
Rarely heard middle-period songs, all from 1910. Preliminary version of No. 6 has also survived.
Op. 62 Kuolema: Canzonetta, Valse romantique orchestra
Two additional short pieces for a revival of Järnefelt’s play, 1911
Op. 63 Symphony No. 4 in A minor orchestra
I. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
II. Allegro molto vivace
III. Il tempo largo
IV. Allegro
1911. Sibelius’s most ‘challenging’ symphony – ‘a protest against present-day music. It has nothing, absolutely nothing of the circus about it’ (JS).
Op. 64 The Bard orchestra
Short, aphoristic tone poem, 1913 (only revised version survives).
Op. 65 Män från slätten och havet; The Bells of Kallio Church mixed choir a cappella
Two thematically unrelated songs: No. 1 (text: Knape) is long and complex; No. 2 (text: Klemetti) a choral arrangement of Sibelius’s real carillon for Helsinki’s Kallio church.
Op. 66 Scènes historiques II orchestra
I. La Chasse
II. Love Song
III. At the Draw-Bridge
Companion works to Op. 25 in style and format, but these three pieces from 1912 are not related to the Press Celebrations score.
Op. 67 Three Sonatinas piano
No. 1 in F sharp minor [I. Allegro; II. Largo; III. Allegro moderato]
No. 2 in E major [I. Allegro; II. Andantino; III. Allegro]
No. 3 in B flat minor [I. Andante – Allegro moderato; II. Andante – Allegro]
Widely regarded as the finest examples of Sibelius’s piano music, these three brief but highly concentrated Sonatinas date from 1912.
Op. 68 Two Rondinos piano
1. G sharp minor
2. C sharp minor
Two separate movements similar in style to the Sonatinas and also from 1912.
Op. 69 Two Serenades violin & orchestra
1. D major
2. G minor
Concert pieces for violin and orchestra lasting c. 7 minutes each, written in 1912–13.
Op. 70 Luonnotar soprano & orchestra (text: Kalevala)
Acclaimed orchestral song setting creation story from the Kalevala with exceptionally demanding solo part. 1913.
Op. 71 Scaramouche, pantomime orchestra
Two-act continuous theatre score, 1913. Never revised for concert use.
Op. 72 Six Songs (Nos 1 & 2 lost) voice & piano
3. Kyssen (text: Rydberg)
4. Kaiutar (text: Larin Kyösti)
5. Der Wanderer und der Bach (text: Greif)
6. Hundra vägar (text: J.L. Runeberg)
Wartime (1915) song collection (exc. No. 6, 1907). Nos 1 & 2 written in 1914 and lost during World War I. Preliminary version of No. 6 has also survived.
Op. 73 The Oceanides orchestra
Tone poem composed for trip to America in 1914. Substantial revision shortly before first performance; first (‘Yale’) version also survives.
Op. 74 Four Lyric Pieces piano
1. Ekloge
2. Sanfter Westwind
3. Auf dem Tanzvergnügen
4. Im alten Heim
Four atmospheric piano pieces from 1914.
Op. 75 Five Pieces (‘The Trees’) piano
1. När rönnan blommar
2. Den ensamma furan
3. Aspen
4. Björken
5. Granen
Well-known set of piano pieces from 1914, all named after trees (the most famous, Granen, rev. 1919).
Op. 76 Thirteen Pieces piano
1. Esquisse
2. Étude
3. Carillon
4. Humoresque
5. Consolation
6. Romanzetta
7. Affettuoso
8. Pièce enfantine
9. Arabesque
10. Elegiaco
11. Linnœa
12. Capriccietto
13. Harlequinade
Set of miniatures composed between 1914–19. Best-known are probably the Étude and Pièce enfantine.
Op. 77 Two Serious Melodies violin/cello & orchestra/piano
1. Cantique. Laetare anima mea
2. Devotion. Ab imo pectore
Two dignified, stately concert pieces (1914–16) for violin or cello.
Op. 78 Four Pieces violin/cello & piano
1. Impromptu
2. Romance in F major
3. Religioso
4. Rigaudon
Set of four miniatures from 1915 (No. 3: 1917). Romance in F major is possibly the most frequently played of Sibelius’s shorter violin pieces.
Op. 79 Six Pieces violin & piano
1. Souvenir
2. Tempo di Minuetto
3. Danse caractéristique
4. Sérénade
5. Tanz-Idylle
6. Berceuse
Set of six wartime miniatures (1915–17).
Op. 80 Sonatina in E major violin & piano
I. Lento – Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Lento – Allegretto
Skilfully constructed and evocative, composed 1915.
Op. 81 Five Pieces violin & piano
1. Mazurka
2. Rondino
3. Valse
4. Aubade
5. Menuetto
Set of five wartime miniatures (1915–18); most popular is the Rondino.
Op. 82 Symphony No. 5 in E flat major orchestra
I. Tempo molto moderato – Allegro moderato
II. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
III. Allegro molto – Largamente assai
Sibelius’s most significant work from the period of World War I. Originally in four movements (1915); revised in 1916 and again in 1919.
Op. 83 Jokamies (Jedermann/Everyman) soloists, choir & orchestra
1. Largo
2. Largo
3. Allegro
3a. Allegro commodo
4. Dance Song. Tempo commodo
5. On riemussa hetket mennehet taas. Tempo andante
6. Kun vettä sataa. Un poco con moto
7. Maat ja metsät viheriöivät. Tempo moderato
8. Oi, Lempi, armas Lempi! Allegretto
9. Maat ja metsät viheriöivät. Tempo moderato
10. Allegro molto
11. Largo, sempre misterioso
12. Adagio di molto
13. Adagio di molto (continued)
14. Largo e molto – Doloroso – Con grande dolore
15. [Lento]
16. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Sempre dolce sin a Fine]
Incidental music (1916) for Hofmannsthal’s morality play. Never revised for concert use.
Op. 84 Five Songs male choir a cappella
1. Herr Lager och Skön fager (text: Fröding)
2. På berget (text: Gripenberg)
3. Ett drömackord (text: Fröding)
4. Evige Eros (text: Gripenberg)
5. Till havs (text: Reuter)
Technically challenging choral songs from 1914–17. Most popular is the stirring, strophic Till havs.
Op. 85 Five Pieces (‘The Flowers’) piano
1. Bellis
2. Oeillet
3. Iris
4. Aquileja
5. Campanula
Piano miniatures from 1916–17, counterpart to ‘The Trees’, Op. 75.
Op. 86 Six Songs voice & piano
1. Vårförnimmelser (text: Tavaststjerna)
2. Längtan heter min arvedel (text: Karlfeldt)
3. Dold förening (text: Snoilsky)
4. Och finns det en tanke? (text: Tavaststjerna)
5. Sångarlön (text: Snoilsky)
6. I systrar, I bröder, I älskande par (text: Lybeck)
Songs from 1916–17, written for Ida Ekman.
Op. 87 Two Humoresques violin, orchestra
1. D minor
2. D major
Bright, vibrant concert pieces for violin and orchestra from 1917 (No. 1 rev. 1940)
Op. 88 Six Flower Songs voice & piano
1. Blåsippan (text: Franzén)
2. De bägge rosorna (text: Franzén)
3. Vitsippan (text: Franzén)
4. Sippan (text: J.L. Runeberg)
5. Törnet (text: J.L. Runeberg)
6. Blommans öde (text: J.L. Runeberg)
Small-scale song collection composed for Ida Ekman, 1917.
Op. 89 Four Humoresques violin, orchestra
a. G minor
b. G minor
c. E flat major
d. G minor
Companion works to Op. 87, written in 1917–18.
Op. 90 Six Songs voice & piano (texts: J.L. Runeberg)
1. Norden
2. Hennes budskap
3. Morgonen
4. Fågelfängarn
5. Sommarnatten
6. Vem styrde hit din väg?
Sibelius’s last opus-numbered set of songs, 1917–18, is entirely devoted to settings of Runeberg.
Op. 91 March of the Finnish Jäger Battalion; Scout March choir & orchestra
The catchy and vigorous Jäger March (1917, text: Nurmio) soon became a patriotic symbol and remains popular. The Scout March (1918, text: Finne) has a far lower profile.
Op. 92 Oma maa mixed choir & orchestra (text: ‘Kallio’)
Serene 12-minute cantata for the 10th anniversary of the National Chorus.
Op. 93 Jordens sång mixed choir & orchestra (text: Hemmer)
Cantata for the inauguration of Åbo Akademi (Turku). Often confused with Maan virsi, Op. 95.
Op. 94 Six Pieces piano
1. Danse
2. Novellette
3. Sonnet
4. Berger et bergerette
5. Mélodie
6. Gavotte
Unassuming miniatures from 1919 (No. 2: 1914).
Op. 95 Maan virsi mixed choir & orchestra (text: Leino)
Cantata for Heikki Klemetti and Suomen Laulu – often confused with Jordens sång, Op. 93.
Op. 96 Valse lyrique; Autrefois; Valse chevaleresque piano/orchestra
a. Valse lyrique
b. Autrefois (with 2 sopranos: text: Procopé)
c. Valse chevaleresque
Rarely performed works from 1919–22; alternative versions for piano or for orchestra.
Op. 97 Six Pieces piano
1. Humoreske I
2. Lied
3. Kleiner Walzer
4. Humoristischer Marsch
5. Impromptu
6. Humoreske II
Unassuming miniatures from 1920; most frequently heard is the Lied.
Op. 98 Suites mignonne & champêtre orchestra
a. Suite mignonne (2 flutes & strings): I. Petite scène; II. Polka; III. Épilogue
b. Suite champêtre (strings): I. Pièce caractéristique; II. Mélodie élégiaque; III. Danse
Appealingly crafted, stylish little suites. Also for piano solo.
Op. 99 Eight Pieces piano
1. Pièce humoristique
2. Esquisse
3. Souvenir
4. Impromptu
5. Couplet
6. Animoso
7. Moment de valse
8. Petite Marche
Underrated set of miniatures from 1922 including some exquisite examples of Sibelius’s writing in short forms.
Op. 100 Suite caractéristrique harp & strings
I. Vivo
II. Lento
III. Comodo
Composed 1922. Similar in style and format to the Suites mignonne and champêtre, Op. 98. Also for piano.
Op. 101 Five Romantic Compositions piano
1. Romance
2. Chant du soir
3. Scène lyrique
4. Humoresque
5. Scène romantique
With these pieces from 1924 – longer and more ambitious than the Op. 94, 97 or 99 miniatures – Sibelius’s piano music moves stylistically into the proximity of the last two symphonies. Scène romantique is deservedly popular.
Op. 102 Novellette violin & piano
Short piece composed in 1922. Planned as part of a set but the companion pieces never materialized.
Op. 103 Five Pieces piano
1. The Village Church
2. The Fiddler
3. The Oarsman
4. The Storm
5. In Mournful Mood
Similar in style and scale to Op. 101 and from the same year, 1924. Most often played is The Village Church.
Op. 104 Symphony No. 6 (in D minor) orchestra
I. Allegro molto moderato
II. Allegretto moderato
III. Poco vivace
IV. Allegro molto
Composed 1923; Sibelius’s most tranquil and intimate symphony. ‘A poem within the framework of a symphony… the overall mood is serene, gleaming like a bright Finnish late summer day’ (Evert Katila).
Op. 105 Symphony No. 7 in C major orchestra
In one movement; 1924. Known as ‘Fantasia sinfonica’ at its Stockholm première.
Op. 106 Five Danses champêtres violin & piano
1. Largamente assai
2. Alla polacca
3. Tempo moderato
4. Tempo di Minuetto
5. Poco moderato
Striking collection of stylized dances from 1924.
Op. 107 [number not assigned]
Op. 108 Two Choral Songs male choir a cappella (texts: Larin Kyösti)
1. Humoreski
2. Ne pitkän matkan kulkijat
Two well-crafted songs with Finnish texts give an idealized image of a wayfarer’s life.
Op. 109 The Tempest, incidental music orchestra
a. Overture
b. Suite No. 1 [I. The Oak Tree; II. Humoresque; III. Caliban’s Song; IV. The Harvesters; V. Canon; VI. Scène; VII. Intrada – Berceuse; VIII. Entr’acte – Ariel’s Song; IX. The Storm]
c. Suite No. 2 [I. Chorus of the Winds; II. Intermezzo; III. Dance of the Nymphs; IV. Prospero; V. Song I; VI. Song II; VII. Miranda; VIII. The Naiads; IX. Dance Episode]
Overture and concert suites drawn from Sibelius’s last great theatre score, for a Danish production of Shakespeare’s play (1925).
Op. 110 Väinön virsi mixed choir & orchestra (text: Kalevala)
Cantata (1926) for a song festival in Sortavala; ceremonial and optimistic in tone.
Op. 111 Intrada & Surusoitto (Funeral Music) organ
a. Intrada
b. Surusoitto
Intrada composed for a visit by the King of Sweden, 1925. Surusoitto written for the funeral of Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1931.
Op. 112 Tapiola orchestra
Sibelius’s last major tone poem (1926), inspired by Finnish forests, written for Walter Damrosch (New York).
Op. 113 Musique religieuse (Masonic Ritual Music) tenor, male choir & organ
1. Avaushymni
2. Alttarin valmistus: Suloinen aate (text: von Schober).
3. I°. Kulkue ja hymni: Näätkö, kuinka hennon yrtin (text: Bao Zhao)
4. III°. Kulkue ja hymni: Ken kyynelin (text: Goethe)
5. On kaunis maa (text: Simojoki)
6. Salem (text: Rydberg;)
7. II°. Kellä kaipuu rinnassansa (text: Rydberg)
8. Veljesvirsi (text: Sario)
9. Ylistyshymni (text: Sario)
10. Marche funèbre
11. Suur’ olet, Herra (text: Korpela)
12. Finlandia-hymni (text: Sola)
1927, with changes until 1948. Composed for Suomi Loosi No. 1. Exists in different configurations and versions; No. 6 also orchestrated by the composer.
Op. 114 Five Esquisses piano
1. Maisema
2. Talvikuva
3. Metsälampi
4. Metsälaulu
5. Kevätnäky
Final opus-numbered piano collection (1929) with nature imagery and new harmonic direction.
Op. 115 Four Pieces violin & piano
1. Auf der Heide
2. Ballade
3. Humoresque
4. Die Glocken
Tougher new stylistic direction after the Seventh Symphony and Tapiola evident in these violin pieces from 1929.
Op. 116 Three Pieces violin & piano
1. Scène de danse
2. Danse caractéristique
3. Rondeau romantique
Composed 1929. Nos 1 & 2 continue in the same vein as Op. 115; No. 3 is more nostalgic in tone.