Breitkopf&Härtel | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

Jean Sibelius’ arrangements of “Finnish Folk Songs” for piano were first published in print in 1903. Initially, Sibelius had planned to arrange the songs for string orchestra. Why he changed his plans is unknown. It is also unclear whether Sibelius worked only on the melodies in his compositions, or whether he also had the lyrics of the songs “in mind” while composing. At the time of composition, the melodies of the folk songs used were probably relatively well known in Finland. Today they give us a glimpse not only of a bygone era and the melancholy world of Finnish myths, but also of traditional instrumentology: Song no. 4, for example, refers to the kantele, a Finnish instrument that is similar in sound to the zither.