Jean Sibelius and his “monument” by Eila Hiltunen

Abstract

Finland regarded the composer Jean Sibelius as a national hero from his youth until the end of his long life, although he composed nothing during his last thirty years. Outside Finland his reputation as a composer has been erratic. His life and work are here examined against the background of the heroworship he was favoured with in his native country. This survey also serves as background information for the analysis of the monument, designed and executed by Eila Hiltunen, which the Finnish state erected for Sibelius. When subject to analysis the sculptural composition which comprises the “monument” that consists of a cluster of some 600 hollow steel tubes welded together with a separate realistic head of the composer reveals various anomalies that do not seem to relate to Sibelius’s life and work.

Finland het die komponis Jean Sibelius sedert sy jong dae tot aan die einde van sy lang lewe as ’n nasionale held beskou, al het hy gedurende sy laaste dertig jaar niks gekomponeer nie. Buite Finland was en is sy reputasie as ’n komponis wisselvallig. Sy lewe en werk word hier ondersoek teen die agtergrond van die heldeverering wat hom in sy vaderland te beurt geval het. Hierdie oorsig dien ook as agtergrondinligting vir die ontleding van die monument wat Eila Hiltunen ontwerp en uitgevoer het en deur die Finse staat vir Sibelius opgerig is. ’n Ontleding van die beeldhoukundige komposisie van die “monument” wat bestaan uit ’n saamgroepering van ongeveer 600 aanmekaar gesweisde hol staalbuise en ’n afsonderlike realisties kop van die komponis, dui op verskeie anomalieë en hou nie met Sibelius se lewe en werk verband nie.