Summer

Summer is the second in a series of symphonic poems, inspired by the seasons and the folk music of Scandinavia. In Spring, the composera made use of two Swedish folk tunes, whereas Summer focuses on Finnish folk music. The work opens with an impression of the pastoral landscape of Ostrobothnia, an elongated area on the west coast of Finland. As in Spring, the music continues with a polka, based on the opening bars of Suomis Sång (‘Song of Finland’). After a brief horn interlude, a saxophone quartet plays from behind the stage Ant han dansa med mej (‘Ant was dancing with me’), while the orchestra starts up an ostinato bass line that marksthe transition to the finale. A gradual build-up to the ‘Sun Theme’ from Spring results in a radiant conclusion, with a short quotation from the first Symphony of Jean Sibelius, Finland's musical icon.