Symphony No. 5, final version, Humoresques for violin and piano (sol. Paul Cherkassky)

The critics were unanimous in praising the final, “condensed” version of the fifth symphony. According to Leevi Madetoja in Helsingin Sanomat, it had something that was supernaturally clear yet simple, a divine naivety; and he hardly needed to point out, he said, that this property was one of the cornerstones of all great art.

Text: Timo Virtanen
Picture: The National Library of Finland