Having had old Volvo 240 Station Wagon for ten years I must think that the car did that only because of The Master`s hope.

Oh dear, this is rousing even more speculation than Mahler's 10th did!

I personally agree with Andrew B. - I'm rather glad it hasn't yet been found, because then what would happen to all the mystique surrounding it?

Also, I just can't find it in me to believe how huge some people seem to believe the eighth became... it would just seem so against the fundamental nature of Sibelius' later music. No doubt, though, I think the expressionistic, dangerously-close-to-Schoenbergian theory about it would stand viable; I think personally that, organ music aside, Tapiola even shows some hints of it, despite its near mono-tonality. Abstract to the extreme; even the main theme isn't really even a "theme," per se - more like a chordal motif (along with some other even less definable motifs to tie everything even further together). There is very little discernable melody... that's what I can hear, anyway. Please correct me if I'm wrong. (don't forget the storm near the end, either )

I dont know about Mahlers 10th, but Sibelius himself did contribute much towards the mystique surrounding what was perhaps the most eagerly awaited symphonic work in the history of western music.
He promised the first performance to a host of conductors and as his reputation grew in the 1930's and 40's, Sibelius kept hinting that he was still working on the 8th symphony.
Sibelius wrote to Aino from Berlin in 1931 'the symphony is making great strides and I must get it finished while I am still in full spiritual vigour, its strange, this works conception'.
In 1945 Sibelius wrote to Basil Cameron 'dear old friend...my eighth symphony has been finished many times, but I am not contented with it yet. When the time comes it will be a pleasure to give it in your hands'.
Even as late as 1955, two years before his death, Sibelius was still talking to a friend about sketches of the 8th symphony. Is it any wonder, the passion and devotion that this legendary work still generates in Sibelians.
Sibelius remarked in old age that 'few people in the world can know what I am doing in the 8th symphony'. He also said that he would like to finish this one work, otherwise everything will have been in vain.

It is pretty clear that Sibelius hoped that the 8th would be his crowning achievement, and therein lies its tragedy.--kullervopete.

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

Sketches for Sibelius's 8th Symphony--If only!--kp

Looks like perfectly playable score. Why not perform it and refer to it as Sibelius's most conicse symphony ever? And think of the orchestral clarity! "Lean and mean," I think they say.

(This is a joke!)

Tapkaara wrote:

Looks like perfectly playable score. Why not perform it and refer to it as Sibelius's most conicse symphony ever? And think of the orchestral clarity! "Lean and mean," I think they say. (This is a joke!)

Now really, that's like a hyper-condensed "Der Abschied" on steroids right there.

I don't think the score is playable as such, but perhaps it would be possible to get an arrangement for bagpipes?

The terse sketches for the 8th Symphony of Jean Sibelius seem to have engendered much wit. However for me, they bare witness to a titanic struggle with the almighty to bring to fruition his greatest work--a work that tragically Sibelius took to the grave. kp

kullervopete wrote:

The terse sketches for the 8th Symphony of Jean Sibelius seem to have engendered much wit. However for me, they bare witness to a titanic struggle with the almighty to bring to fruition his greatest work--a work that tragically Sibelius took to the grave. kp

Yes, I really didn't mean anything by it... I much agree with you there, kp. Maybe he fells to the curse of the Ninth in his own way (he might have skipped a couple of numbers in his Sixth and Seventh, if you don't mind my saying!).