Jean Sibelius

Symphonie Nr. 3 in C-dur op. 52

Sibelius' 3rd in the 'last hand version' If Jean Sibelius really called his 3rd Symphony the 'most unfortunate child', was he perhaps thinking not only of the hesitant reception but also of the difficult birth of the work? Begun in 1904, Sibelius then revisited his less than clear sketches in 1906/07, making changes right up to the last rehearsal before the premiere. But the final form of the Third was not yet achieved, as Timo Virtanen explains. The editor - who is also the director of the Sibelius Complete Edition - recently presented his dissertation on the 3rd Symphony, devoting a great deal of space to its composition and sketches. He is thus virtually predestined to competently sift through the various sources and to present the work in the 'last hand version' within the framework of the complete edition.