As it builds towards a climax, indicated con gran suono, the central melody fades over a quietly beating drum while the accompanying strings play col legno tremolos.
At one moment in this piece, a harp signals a glimpse of sunlight as the music reaches C major. As it builds towards a climax, indicated con gran suono, the central melody fades over a quietly beating drum while the accompanying strings play col legno tremolos. The composer's notes atop the original score described the title figure anthropomorphically as "majestically singing." The central solo melody of this piece is occasionally answered by brief phrases from the cello or viola, and is joined by a muted horn after a long period of silence from the brass. Originally conceived as a prelude to the composer's opera The Building of the Boat, its main melody is played by an English horn, and it is the second part in a suite about the adventures of Lemminkainen. For 10 points, identify this tone poem by Jean Sibelius named for a bird that glides around the waters surrounding the land of the dead.
At one moment in this piece, a harp signals a glimpse of sunlight as the music reaches C major.
The Swan of Tuonela [or Tuonelan Joutsen]