Saariaho, Sibelius und andere – Neue Helden des neuen Nordens

Music, because of its worldwide dissemination, is the most influential of all artistic genres. This is demonstrably true of the musicians of contemporary Finland, who have helped to gain international recognition for the “Finnish musical miracle”.

This book paints a picture of a culture which sees a good all-round education as a central element of a developed society and therefore also sets great value on a varied musical life. The development of musical competency in childhood is a part of this. Tomi Mäkelä examines why art and music are so important in the “land of a thousand lakes”, a country where society is not primarily oriented towards political power but seeks instead to achieve sustainable structures for a successful life.

The founding in 1914 of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra justifies the book’s emphatic subtitle “100 years of music and education in Finland”, and highlights what many people admire about Finland today: pragmatism and a willingness to reform combined with great courage. And JEAN SIBELIUS? Does he even have something to do with the worldwide success of Finnish rock music? Anyone who wants to understand Sibelius’s influence on Finnish music history should read this book.