Symphony No. 3

The five first of the six symphonies by Erkki Melartin (1875-1937), dated from 1903 to 1916, represent the National Romantic Finnish musical heritage based on Austo-German orchestral tradition. Melartin himself thought of Symphony No. 3 as his “testament” and a “description of a battle towards enjoying life”, since the time of its birth was a period when Melartin's own life nearly ended. He had fallen ill of tuberculosis, and partly had to give up his work as a composer and teacher of music theory in order to recover from the - at the time often fatal - disease in a local sanatorium. At the premiere the symphony had an impact on its audience, as it indeed seemed to describe the joys and sufferings and the final peace of mind of the composer. The new editions of Melartin's symphonies have born as a project of Erkki Melartin Society with support of the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The performance materials are available for hire from Fennica Gehrman.