Pohjola's Daughter

As in other works by Jean Sibelius, his fift eenminute symphonic fantasy Pohjola’s Daughter, composed in 1906 and first performed the same year in St. Petersburg, takes its inspiration from the rich treasure trove of the Finnish national epic tale Kalevala. Väinämöinen, the ancient bard of Finland, sails past the bleak Nordic land Pohjola on his search for a wife. He is enchanted at first sight by the ruler’s daughter, but will only be permitted to marry her once he has constructed a ship out of the fragments of her distaff. Unable to fulfill this wish, Väinämöinen returns home on his sledge to Kalevala.

The work, constructed in quasi classical sonata form, is a typical tone poem in which Sibelius achieves a particularly elegant symbiosis of programme and music. The colourful orchestration and vivid musical characterisation transform this fantasy into an enthralling concert experience.