The Classical Master
Kate Molleson surveys the Third Symphony by Sibelius and the period it was composed - a work which led one critic to call Sibelius a Classical Master.
Kate Molleson surveys the Third Symphony by Sibelius and the period it was composed - a work which led one critic to call Sibelius a Classical Master. The Second Symphony by Sibelius had proved to be very popular, so when it came to Sibelius composing his Third Symphony, there was a lot of pressure to get it right. He looked to develop his compositional language further, but in doing so, created a work which at first did not appeal to his Finnish audience.
Valse triste, Op 44 No 1
Âé¶¹Éç National Orchestra of Wales
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Kyllikki, Op 41 No 3
Janne Mertanen, piano
Symphony No 3 in C, Op 52 (excerpt)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor
The Captive Queen, Op 48
Dominante Choir
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vänska, conductor
Erloschen (The fire had died out)
Tom Krause, baritone [KROW-zuh]
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
Symphony No 3 in C, Op 52 (excerpt)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor
Produced by Luke Whitlock
On radio
Broadcast
- Tue 3 Mar 2026 16:00Âé¶¹Éç Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.



