Symphony No. 3 in C major

It is the disruptions to a composer’s personal style that most clearly illuminates their artistic personality. Such is the case with Jean Sibelius’s Third Symphony, composed between 1904 and 1907. While his two previous symphonies are splendid representatives of the Romantic orchestral tradition, his subsequent symphonies display a stronger focus on modernity.

The Third Symphony, however, can not easily be attributed to either category. The three-movement work, manageably sized for this period, is in comparison more vivid and accessible for audiences, and is structurally closer to classical symphonies without sacrificing Sibelius’s unique musical characteristics.