Happy birthday to youuu.
Happy birthday to youuu.
Happy birthday dear Jean Sibelius.
Happy birthday to you.
He died Sept 20 1957. I remember a news broadcast. It hit me hard. He was a "genuine" composer at a time when no American had yet been considered "genuine". Copland had done most of his work, but the acceptance by the public was still in the future. Moreover, Sibelius was a LIVING "genuine" composer. No Russian, American, French, English or other living composer had his stature in 1957.
Subsequently, over 20 years later, I made an audio-visual biography of the man. My interest in his music accelerated. My admiration for the man dimmed. He wasn't a bad guy, just totally self-absorbed. The same can be said for a lot of other composers (and non-composers).
Shos