ABOUT THE STATUE:
The sculpture is a head shot of Jean Sibelius. The Sibelius monument originally only included an abstract pipe-like sculpture that caused quite a stir and there was a public outcry for a more traditional tribute. In response, this sculpture of the head of Jean Sibelius was added to a rock outcropping to the right of the original pipe-like monument. The medium used is silver in color. The sculptured head rests atop a natural rock outcropping. There are other abstract bits of the silver medium surrounding the head.
"Erected in 1967 by Finnish sculptor Eila Hiltunen, the abstract monument resembles a soundwave made of clusters of organ pipes. The jagged monument consists of over 600 steel pipes unevenly grouped together at various heights with the highest pipe reaching over 27 feet in the air.
The landmark was designed to embody the spirit of Sibelius' music, but its abstract nature caused many critics of the statue to remark that it did not directly honor the composer. To this end, a large bust of Sibelius was added at the foot of the monument so that viewers won't be confused."
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ABOUT THE MAN:
"Jean Sibelius, born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius (8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957), was a Finnish violinist and composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. Widely recognized as his country's national composer, Sibelius is often credited for supporting the rise of the Finnish national identity in the country's struggle for independence.
The core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies which, like his other major works, continue to be performed and recorded in his home country and internationally. In addition to his symphonies, Sibelius's best-known compositions include Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite). Other works include pieces inspired by the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, over a hundred songs for voice and piano, incidental music for numerous plays, the opera Jungfrun i tornet (The Maiden in the Tower), chamber music, piano music, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music. Throughout his career, the composer found inspiration in nature and Nordic mythology, especially the heroic legends of the national epic, the Kalevala.
Sibelius composed prolifically until the mid-1920s but after completing his Seventh Symphony (1924), the incidental music to The Tempest (1926), and the tone poem Tapiola (1926), he failed to produce any major works in his last thirty years, a stunning and perplexing decline commonly referred to as 'The Silence of Järvenpää', the location of his home. Although he is reputed to have stopped composing, he attempted to continue writing, including abortive efforts on an eighth symphony. In later life, he wrote Masonic music and re-edited some earlier works while retaining an active but not always favourable interest in new developments in music."
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