Sibelius 2

Jean Sibelius’ original ideas for his Second Symphony were conceived during a trip to Italy in 1901. The initial project of shaping Dante’s Divine Comedy into a symphonic poem was transformed into the conception of a major symphony in four movements that became the swansong for a period in which the composer followed the models of the great Romantic tradition. The serious and profound style and the meticulous work creating an internal connection between all the parts that make up the work constitute the cornerstone of a new model for symphonies that Sibelius developed throughout his subsequent works and that his Danish contemporary Carl Nielsen developed widely. The Clarinet Concerto by this composer is one of the most important contributions to the clarinet repertoire of the 20th century.