Symphony No. 2, Overture in A Minor, Impromptu for women’s choir and orchestra

“The symphony was played extremely well under Sibelius’s hearty direction and the overall impact both of the composition and of the performance was most impressive.” Such was the matter-of-fact review in the daily newspaper Päivälehti, but judging from other statements, the performance of the second symphony was one of Sibelius’s greatest triumphs. The symphony became one of his most successful works internationally, and such conductors as Felix Weingartner, Max Fiedler and Arturo Toscanini added it to their repertoire.

Text: Timo Virtanen
Picture: The Sibelius Museum