'Only Sibelius could make C major sound completely fresh'--Vaughan Williams.

In Philip Coads 'Sibelius' a guide to the Symphonies' [edited by R. Layton Oxford University Press] Mr. Coad remarks that Sibelius's Seventh is in C major, and a look back at the previous four symphonies will reveal how great the domination of C major has been [in his music]

Coad continues ' It is the key of the Third, the relative major of the Fourth and the important 'neutral agent' in its Finale. The key which first forces away the tonic in the Fifth Finale, and the principle opposition--the key of the brass-in the Sixth. Although it is now the tonic key, C major is also strongly associated with brass in the Seventh Symphony'.

Schoenberg once remarked that there was still much good music to be written in C major, Sibelius seems to have realised this--any thoughts?--kp

I'm surprised Schonberg said there was any good music left to be written in any key...! Kind of an...unexpected quote coming from him. Well, I guess some of his early works were tonal...

Not to mention that Sibelius' use of the Dorian mode through the sixth symphony made it extraordinarily close to C major at many points through the symphony!

And then there's the third symphony, in C major and A# minor (C# major). It really is stunning how much he could bring out of such a seemingly dull key!

I always think of C major as a "radiant" key. It is therefore interesting to me how earthy and even "dark" Sibelius makes it sound in his Romance in C for strings.

C major is quite radiant, but Sibelius is quite dark. It's very interesting to see what happens when you put this key into the hands of such a composer.

Yes, the Romance is a dark work, but Sibbe uses this key to great effect in the 3rd Symphony, does he not? Except for that pensive middle movement, the 3rd literally "radiates" sunshine.

Sibbe's use of C major in the 7th is fascinating. Though the piece isn't really dark, it's not all sunbursts and rainbows either. It exists in a strange middleground, I think, between darkness and light. Like RVW said, Sibbe takes C major and does something completely original.

'There is in fact a certain kinship binding all the music Sibelius wrote in C major--embracing even the Sixth [where, although ostensibly in a Dorian D minor, the greater part of the first movement is poised about a pentatonic C major]. This is no superficial impression but involves considerable subleties'.

I saw the above comment by Harold Truscott in 'The Symphony' Elgar to the present day, Sibelius clearly new that C major still had a wealth of expressive possibilities.--kp

Yesssssssss... I know what you all mean... just I wonder how you'd fit in the smaller works in C major into the overall scheme of things? All of the 'considerable subtleties', 'radiance', 'darkness', 'freshness', etc.: is this really a result of – or even closely linked with – the music being in C major? If yes, then it ought to apply equally to a miniature such as Bellis for piano (Op. 85 No.1), or La pompeuse Marche d’Asis, JS 116. And if not, these characteristics might surely derive from other attributes of the larger works (especially symphonies) in question. I don't want to downplay the significance of the choice of key, but I'd hesitate to ascribe too much metaphysical importance to it. One could even take a cold, über-rational view and regard the tonality as merely another tool in the composer’s armoury.

Talking of C major, its interesting how Sibelius experienced colours as musical sounds. It seems that related keys such as C major and A minor and in another kind of way C major and minor had completely different colours.

I think the medical term for the phenomenon is Synaesthesia.

Apparently Sibelius would hear in his head the sound of F major when he looked at his green fireplace and D major when looking at an ajacent, dominantly yellow picture. Also A major was blue.

Sibelius was also gifted with perfect pitch. Facinating.--kp

Now you mention synaesthesia, it makes me begin to wonder - what was Sibelius' C major? All this talk about his fireplace being in F, yet when it comes to the key that all but dominates his last five symphonies, everyone falls silent...

Let me break the silence.

For Sibelius, red was C major. Karl Ekman who interviewed Sibelius confirms that 'our conversation darted about like a hare in the undergrowth. Before we knew where we were, Sibelius was juggling colours and sounds like glass balls, making colours resound and sounds glow, so A major became blue, and C major red....

Here's another clue. Sibelius thought that the red wine sauce served with roast fowl was at its best only after the 'joyful red C major colour' had slowly cooked and become 'melancholy' [dark] enough.

It is clear that colour and indeed smell were inexplicably linked in Sibelius's mind with his music. Once after gazing awhile at the evening sky, Sibelius remarked 'all colours seem different now after hearing 'Tapiola'.--kp

I won't claim to have synaesthesia, but I certainly see colors, or "feel" colors with all different types of music.

For example, Sibbe's 5th always suggests to me the color yellow. Not any particular movement, motif or chord...but I see this color throughout the whole work. No idea why. The 6th is like a gray or milky white.

I thought of the fifth as somewhat more red for whatever reason. The sixth was always white. The seventh... I suppose that one was green. Tapiola was a darker green, far darker (one could say like a forest undergrowth). The fourth was dark grey.

I'm pretty sure I don't have any synaesthesia either, but it's interesting to see how our views of color differ...

Interesting that Violist and I agree on "white" for the 6th. Mine is a grayish white or dark milky white, if that makes sense!

For me, Tapiola is light gray, like a mist. The 7th is black an blue for me.

Of course, the 4th is a dark, charcoal gray. Symphony no. 1 is black.

The first being black... huh. I don't know what color I would put to the first. I could think of it as black, I suppose.

I'm sorry, I canNOT get over the implications C major being red would entail... I mean, the third symphony??? Honestly! (kidding of course, but still...)

I have always envisaged the conclusion of the Seventh as a dark red sunset, the magical kind only found in those Northern regions.

So I was thrilled on finding out that for Sibelius dark red went with C major. It confirmed my vision of what is surely amongst the half dozen or so greatest Symphonies ever to be created.--kp

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

Pretty cool, Pete. You and Sibbe on the same wavelength.

I see the colors blue and green in the 3rd, myself.

It seems that apart from Sibelius, other composers with Synesthesia include Messiaen, Liszt, Rimsky Korsakov and Scriabin. Strange gift. A composer such as Ravel who was so much a master of orchestral colour did not possess it, nor did he have perfect pitch.

It is known that the gift of premonition and clairvoyance are linked to people with synesthesia. Aino Sibelius was convinced that Sib knew whenever any of his works were to be broadcast anywhere in the world. 'He is sitting quietly, reading a book or a newspaper, suddenly he becomes restless, goes to the radio, turns the knobs, and then one of his symphonies or tone-poems comes out of the air'.

Sibelius's very favourite colour was said to be a clear green, somewhere between D and E flat. The colour had more yellow than blue in it and according to Sibelius was not to be found anywhere in his environment. He had seen it, but only seldom in the sky. I suspect Sibelius may have captured this in his Nightride and sunrise.--kp

I'm a bit behind with posting in this one... just to say I'd also go for white in the Sixth. For me the Fifth is more of an orange.

Hmm, three people for a white 6th. What is it that so white about this work, do you think?

Orange for the 5th? That's close to my yellow, I suppose. The yellow is see is a very brilliant yellow, like the sun. In fact, it is with the 5th that my personal "Synesthesia" is the strongest. I just canot get yellow out of my head when listening.

I think that all five senses plus that elusive sixth sense found expression in Sibs music

Tapkaara asks what is so white about the sixth?
Could it be that white is the purist of colours, Sibelius remarked apropos his sixth symphony that, while other composers were concocting cocktails of various hues, he offered pure cold water.

Andrew B is surely right in saying that 'tonality' is merely another tool in the composers armoury.

We can talk about the richness of C major or the darkness of A minor, but for me what stands out in the Sibelian voyage is the masters almost evangelical striving for ever greater purity of expression.

When one fills the lungs with the scent of early Spring in Finland, the last of the snows retreating and with nature reawakening in all its glory, then one can indeed taste the pure Spring water of Sibelius's art.--kp