Sibelius is known to have stated that En Saga has no real program, it is...

"...psychologically speaking, one of my most profound works. You could almost say that it contains the whole of my youth. It is an expression of a state of mind. When I was writing En saga I went through many things that were upsetting to me. In no other of my works I have bared myself as completely as in En saga. For this reason alone all interpretations of En saga are, of course, completely foreign to me."

Now there's a confidence building statement for would-be conductors who think they know the piece.

So indeed, by Sibelius' own words, En Saga has no program... but consider this brief summary of Rune 16 from the Kalevala:

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Vainamoinen's Journey to Tuonela

Vainamoinen begins "singing" a boat into existance, but forgets one of the magical verses. He decides to journey to Tuonela to rediscover the magical verse. Arriving at the bank of death's river, Vainamoinen pretends to have died in order to be allowed to pass, but the swan will not ferry him across until he tells the truth. He confesses and is allowed to pass. On the other side he is ambushed and nearly trapped, but he narrowly escapes with the verse he was looking for, returns home and warns everyone never to attempt to go to Tuonela.

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Of course Sibelius did not mean this in En Saga, but the precise parallels between this summary and the themes and flow of En Saga are staggering. Fortunately (?) I performed En Saga before this awareness struck me, but I know that I will never be able to perform it again without feeling a link to this interpretation.

En Saga is to En Saaga is to Saaga is to Saaka is to A Story. Primordial as a story the primal sounds do make me alert of the Kalevala, The Finnish Saga. So here are a stasis of Kalevala and something musically that we still try to absorb. By The Way.. Near the ending with a glorious coming of the Saga-theme, howcome I have never heard a performance or recording where Gran Cassa would be at a leading role. I think you know the place.. It should be such an cannibal party than ever witnessed before!

Pam-pa dam-pam Pam-pa dam Pam!

Do you mean that part?

In the first rehearsal I told him ff and he played so loud that the viola players thought their days where numbered.

Just the whole of the

PAA-DA-PAm-Pam :II

I am so blessed

I've read that Sibelius looked towards the EDDA for inspriration for EN SAGA, not the KALEVALA or anything else.

Does anyone have any definitive info on this EDDA connection? It seems dubious to me.

Your doubts are well founded. No specific story, Edda or otherwise! I think the author[s] of the lines you mention meant to compare En saga and the Edda only in terms of general atmosphere, which is a very hard thing to pin down...

Forgive my ignorance... what is the Edda?

I think the term 'Edda' refers to the old Norse prose written down in Iceland as far back as the 13th century.--kullervopete.

Andrew B wrote:

Your doubts are well founded. No specific story, Edda or otherwise! I think the author[s] of the lines you mention meant to compare En saga and the Edda only in terms of general atmosphere, which is a very hard thing to pin down...

I quite agree! I've not read the Edda, but its facinating to me that someone could listen to the piece and say "Yes! This is not Finnish, this is Old Norse!"

We all have feelings or images that go through our head when listening to music, but Sibelius distinctly said that EN SAGA had no program, so we should avoid pinning down any universal meaning or influence.

However, EN SAGA definitely sounds "mythic." To me, EN SAGA is very much like TAPIOLA; it evokes a menacing, primaeval forest where mystery and darkness reign supreme. But that's MY interpretation. Who knows what Sibbe really had in mind?

En Saga always makes me imagine someone treking alone across frozen wastes, somewere in the back of beyond. I also get this feeling in parts of the fourth symphony, especially the last movement. As with En Saga, somone is always trying to attach a programme to the smphonies.--kullervopete.

Interesting insight, Pete.

En Saga is definitely an evocation of the forest to me. It fascinating that you are reminded of images of an avdenture over a frozen lake. Forests...lakes...how very Finnish!

I do not get any mental images from the 4th, interestingly enough. But I do not hear it as "absolute music," either. It is as if Sibelius is expressing his anguish, but not with words, obviously. So, while I do not think of mountains, planets, forests, etc., I feel as if I am being spoken to about alcoholism, cancer, and a general state of uncertainty in life.

It's a very intimate experience. "Voces intimae," perhaps...

Tapkaara wrote:

Interesting insight, Pete. En Saga is definitely an evocation of the forest to me. It fascinating that you are reminded of images of an avdenture over a frozen lake. Forests...lakes...how very Finnish! I do not get any mental images from the 4th, interestingly enough. But I do not hear it as "absolute music," either. It is as if Sibelius is expressing his anguish, but not with words, obviously. So, while I do not think of mountains, planets, forests, etc., I feel as if I am being spoken to about alcoholism, cancer, and a general state of uncertainty in life. It's a very intimate experience. "Voces intimae," perhaps...

I get lots of mental images when listening to this music ; for me, En saga starts off as a misty dawn, the hero sets off at a jogging pace and traverses an endless open plain, gradually feeling ground down by its endless expanse, then recovers and wakes up from what was but a dream, then falls back to sleep again. It may sound corny, but .......

hangos wrote:

I get lots of mental images when listening to this music ; for me, En saga starts off as a misty dawn, the hero sets off at a jogging pace and traverses an endless open plain, gradually feeling ground down by its endless expanse, then recovers and wakes up from what was but a dream, then falls back to sleep again. It may sound corny, but .......

A big welcome to the Sibelius Forum, Martin [hangos] and thanks for sharing your thoughts on En saga. I like your closing remark about waking up from a dream, then falling back to sleep again. I think that soothing clarinet solo at the end certainly evokes a trance-like state. A lot of Sibelius seems to conjure up a dream world, even that great third movement of the fourth symphony and we do know that J.S experienced a great deal of vivid dreams.-kp