1919 was a veritable "symphonic" year in the oeuvre of Jean Sibelius: he revised his 5th Symphony, began the 6th and, at the same time, sketched a "Fantasia sinfonica" from which the one-movement 7th the last surviving symphony was to evolve by early 1924.

Although the score and parts were printed only after a number of performances, the material was faulty and only half-heartedly corrected during the composer's lifetime. The reception of the 7th Symphony by the contemporary press was mixed. ...