Finnish composer Jean Sibelius incorporated Finland's main folk legend, the Kalevala, into his music. The Karelia region was in the Russian-occupied part of Finland, and it's also the setting of many ...

Jean Sibelius’s Karelia Suite pulses with the spirit of Finnish pride. Inspired by the rugged landscapes and folklore of Karelia—a region central to Finland’s cultural identity—the music is bold, ...

It wasn’t so long ago that the conventional wisdom had smugly relegated Sibelius (1865-1957) to the status of provincial nationalist, or worse, last-of-the-line wheezing remnant of the defunct ...

The myths and melodies of the disputed region of Karelia - so important to Finnish identity, proved fertile inspiration for Sibelius. Listen to the rhythms and tunes in the third movement, a direct ...