# Specific Symphonies or Orchestral Works Similar to Sibelius Symphonies



## neoshredder

I've been looking to branch out for awhile to find Symphonies similar to Sibelius Symphonies. Late Dvorak and late Tchaikovsky Symphonies seem to be the closest from my experience. My favorites of Sibelius Symphonies include the first 3 and 6. Maybe it is a lost cause as there is only one Sibelius. But throw some Symphonies and Orchestral Works my way and see if I get into them.


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## LancsMan

Nielsen 4th and 5th Symphonies.


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## dgee

New Zealand's best known composer Douglas Lilburn wrote three symphonies and the first two are heavily influenced by Sibelius - they're actually quite pleasant


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## Aramis

Have some Rued Langgaard:


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## hreichgott

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Bohuslav Martinu - a bit more contemporary sounding than Sibelius but I like him for many of the same reasons
Grieg doesn't have a large orchestral oeuvre but you might like his Norwegian Dances or Symphonic Dances


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## GreenMamba

Sibelius' Violin Concerto and Finlandia are orchestral works that are similar to his symphonies.

Have you heard Ives' 1st? It's more Dvorak than Sibelius, but you mentioned Dvorak.


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## Trout

I suggest you look into some of Hanson's works especially his symphonies. His _Symphony No. 2 "Romantic"_ is a nice, sweeping work and probably his most famous. Here is a playlist of some of his orchestral works:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL981C4F4C0D011DA2.

Sibelius seemed to cast his shadow over a number of early-20th-century composers including Bax, Moeran, and Rubbra who were each notable symphonists (and British, no less!). Just about any of their symphonies will fit the Sibelian bill, though my favorites among them are Moeran's only one in G minor and Rubbra's 4th.

Moeran: Symphony in G minor - 



Rubbra: Symphony No. 4 -


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## KenOC

Trout said:


> I suggest you look into some of Hanson's works especially his symphonies. His _Symphony No. 2 "Romantic"_ is a nice, sweeping work...


Maybe listen to Hanson's first instead? Michael Steinberg's story, repeated (once again, sorry!) here:

Early in my time as a music critic, I once referred to his Romantic Symphony as "Sibelian slush." Some five or six years later I met Hanson for the first time at an international music critics' symposium at Eastman. Hanson, who spoke at the opening session, had something individual and appropriate to say to each of the dozen and a half participants. When he came to me, he told the "Sibelian slush" story. Then, after a beautifully timed silence, he added: "Of course Mr. Steinberg was quite wrong. [Applause]. It is my *Nordic* Symphony that is 'Sibelian slush.' "


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## chalkpie

Have you sunk your teeth into Sibelius' tone poems? I mean ALL of them. I dig some of his tone poems as much or more than the symphonies. 

I'll ride this thread out of curiosity. To my ears, no one I've heard sounds like JS, but I can see if you dig X, then you will dig Y. The Vaughan Williams connection is probably a good bet. Two masters!


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## Blancrocher

I see Hanson has been mentioned, but not Roy Harris--so here's Hanson conducting Harris!










Also, on the subject of symphony-like tone poems by Sibelius, I'd mention Tapiola as an obvious instance. Sadly, it's the closest thing to an 8th symphony from Sibelius that we have!


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## Celloman

I would also recommend Edward Rubbra, whose symphonies are often compared to those of Sibelius. I haven't listened to much of his music, but I definitely plan to.


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## MrCello

Vaughan Williams and Nielsen are the closest you'll get in my opinion. 

Sibelius had a unique sound in my opinion, and if there were a lot of Sibelius sound-a-likes then he wouldn't be the special composer that he is today!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

You could always explore some mor Finnish music: Rautavaara has written 8 brilliant symphonies.


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## Aramis

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Rautavaara has written 8 brilliant symphonies.


Really? I hope they will be published and recorded as soon as possible.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Aramis said:


> Really? I hope they will be published and recorded as soon as possible.


 just do a YouTube search and you would be able to hear them.


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## Radames

Madetoja and Melartin.


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## chalkpie

Aramis said:


> Really? I hope they will be published and recorded as soon as possible.











.........................................................


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## jim prideaux

The music of Sibelius has been a consistent feature of my musical life for longer than I care to remember and I am often aware of his work as a point of reference;-consequently as a result of my own listening I would recommend the following,

Nielsen-all six symphonies,but particularly the 3rd
Rubbra-all symphonies but particularly the 4th
Moeran-the one symphony he wrote
Walton-1st symphony , not perhaps an obvious choice but..........


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## Silkenblack

Wilhelm Stenhammar adored Sibelius and dedicated some work to him. As with Moeran, it is interesting to hear sibelian influence filtering through.


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## tdc

Check out the symphonies of Alan Hovhaness, I'm surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet. He has some excellent works and was influenced by (and personal friends with) Sibelius.


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## Amusicman

Your best bet is to try out the Sibelius tone poems and the violin concerto.


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## sdtom

I agree with the tone poem idea. Give the Lemminkainen a try


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## sdtom

http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/lemminkainen-suite-wood-nymphsibelius/
This is my review of the Lemminkainen and the Wood Nymph
Tom


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## techniquest

> Walton-1st symphony , not perhaps an obvious choice but..........


No, not an obvious choice, but curiously I can see exactly where you're coming from with this: an excellent recommendation


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## arpeggio

*Enesco*

I have been relistening to the symphonies of Enesco and at times they sound like Sibelius.


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## Orfeo

To some extent, *Bax's* 5th Symphony.
*Tubin's* 2nd Symphony.
To an extent, *Glazunov's* 8th.
To some extent, the two symphonies of *Klami* and the symphonies of *Melartin* (minus the last two).


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## Zingo

I'd suggest trying Kurt Atterberg, perhaps beginning with his Cello and Violin Concertos if you're looking for Sibelian pieces, but his symphonies are well worth exploring as well.


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## Rhinotop

Melartin: Absolutely genial
He is as 'The Mahler Finnish'
It's a mixture between Mahler and Sibelius!


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## Becca

Douglas Lilburn, a New Zealander who studied with Vaughan Williams in the 1930's. A number of his pieces are very Sibelian in mood/style ... the first 2 of his 3 symphonies, _A Song of Islands_ and _Forest_.


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## GAJ

Difficult to better going for the full catalogue of Sibelius's orchestral works. Individual compositions by other composers will prove a rewarding exercise. Most of the examples mentioned in earlier posts will qualify. I don't see Vaughan Williams 5th Symphony mentioned.


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## R3PL4Y

I second Vaughan William's fifth, which was in fact dedicated to Sibelius.


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## Becca

These responses surprise me ... both Sibelius and RVW are very high on my list and the RVW 5th is probably the one I like the most of the 9 and yet I do not consider it to be at all Sibelian in character


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## Enthusiast

I would have said Walton 1 but see it has already been mentioned a couple of times. I feel sure I have read somewhere that Walton has acknowledged the influence. I think the difficulty with many of the other suggestions is that Sibelius was a very rigorous symphonist as well as giving us a lot of really elemental music. I don't think any other composer since has come close in that particular combination. Beethoven did, of course! 

But I also warn against looking for Sibelius in the music of others. I took a long time getting Nielsen simply because I was looking for Sibelius in his (very very different) music. If you go looking for the second Sibelius in the music of others you may tend to miss what is special about their music.

Edit - I also hear Tevot by Ades as somewhat sibelian.


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## hpowders

Sibelius was unique. There was nobody else stylistically like him.


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## Becca

All great composers were unique in that they were constantly pushing the bounds of the contemporary norm so to be producing music in their style would be going backwards.


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## mtangent

Interesting thread... 
I'd add an additional recommendation to Hovahness,his Mysterious Mountain especially. 
I am also inclined to add Janacek here, not just the tone poem style but sound texture as well.


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## Heck148

neoshredder said:


> I've been looking to branch out for awhile to find Symphonies similar to Sibelius Symphonies.


Nielsen, and Hanson....I like to group these 3 together as the "Scandinavians" [I know, Hanson is American, I played under him]....but the sound they get has a similarity....there can be a rugged cragginess, an edge to their sound, tho also there are some very lovely melodies in lyrical mode as well.


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## Skilmarilion

The middle movement of Rachmaninov's *Symphony No. 3 * has a sound world not far removed from Sibelius' *The Bard*.


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## Mal

Suk - Asrael symphony. He was Dvorak's son-in-law, and the symphony was inspired by Dvorak's death, and the death of his wife. Asrael is the "angel of death". (So it's a bleak work, certainly, but very beautiful and moving...)


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