“Nocturne” from the Suite “Belshazzar’s feast” Op. 51

Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957) was a Finnish composer, known as the most noted symphonic composer of Scandinavia.

Born in Hämeenlinna, the oldest inland city of Finland in a family of Swedish medical doctor.
His first music adviser was his uncle who gave him a violin encouraging him to actively take part in various chamber music projects at home. Even though he aspired to become a violin virtuoso and even had some acclaimed performances he ultimately chose to become a composer. He changed his name from Janne to the French form Jean, inspired by the business card of his seafaring uncle.
Jean continued his studies at the Helsinki Music Institute, later moving to Berlin and Vienna, broadening his knowledge and experiences (including the premiere of Richard Strauss's Don Juan), greatly influenced by the music of Wagner and Liszt, and especially by Anton Bruckner.
He received his first acclaim in 1892 with Kullervo, a composition for orchestra, chorus, and soloists, inspired by the epic poem Kalevala. The following year the Karelia Suite tone poem was premiered, greatly contributing to rising self-awareness of Finnish national identity. This notion was further developed by the Russian emperor Nicholas II's attempt to restrict the powers of the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1899, the year when Sibelius was working on his 1st symphony. The premiere of the symphony was accompanied by the patriotic Song of the Athenians for boys' and men's choirs which made Sibelius a national hero. The following year Sibelius went on tour presenting his works to international audiences, and his 2nd Symphony (1901), inspired by Mozart's Don Giovanni brought even more recognition.
Despite problems of managing money which Sibelius loved to spend on wining and dining, he built a family house Ainola, 45 km north of Helsinki, where he composed most of his later works, including incidental music for Belshazzar's Feast (1906).
In 1907 he underwent a serious operation for suspected throat cancer that led him to give up smoking and drinking as well as vigorously continue to compose his 4th symphony. The following years brought moderately successful tours all over Europe and a less favourable reception in the US.
World War I brought a substantial financial problem since his royalties from abroad were interrupted and only a fund-raising campaign helped to pay a considerable amount of his debt. The Finnish Civil War that started after the Russian Revolution in 1917 brought further turbulence and only in 1919 life came back to normal. To mark that change Sibelius decided to change his image by shaving off his thinning hair. Along with his increasing recognition, he started to experience a growing tremor in his hands. Even though he managed to compose two more symphonies and had various successful appearances in 1925, he experienced growing problems with his trembling hands which he tried to treat with proportional intakes of alcohol. After the 7th Symphony, he managed to compose only a few significant works: incidental music for Shakespeare's The Tempest and the tone poem Tapiola. And for most of the last thirty years of his life, he avoided talking publicly about his music.