Tapiola, Op.112

Tapiola is scored for a large orchestra but Sibelius avoids any 'exotic' instruments, preferring to draw new and often frightening sounds from the normal ones. The most astonishing feature of the piece is that it is virtually monothematic. Despire the great variety of speeds and instrumental resources employed, the two-bar string theme heard right at the beginning relates intimately to all that follows throughout the next 18 minutes. Shortly before 'Tapiola', Sibelius had composed incidental music for Shakespeare's 'Tempest', and whilst both storms are effective, that in 'Tapiola' is infinitely more personal and powerful.