Jean Sibelius is well known for his orchestral music but he also wrote about 150
compositions for the piano and - while his natural element was writing for the
orchestra with its colouristic possibilities - he did write convincingly in many of his
piano works, albeit with some inconsistency of quality.

He was known to complain that “the piano cannot sing.” But despite this harsh assessment of the piano (or self assessment at the piano?) he wrote this really wonderful Romance that is such an effective sonic landscape painting, with a melody that does sing very well and with the voice of what sounds like a cello to this writer.

The quality of the sound, the harmonies, and even the gestures that one
hears in the rising scale, that suddenly turns into a divided scale - with one hand rising while the other falls - ushering in the climax of the piece; this angular, carefully carved and polished almost regal sound is pure Finland, whose landscape and sound has the quiet ability to take your breath away!

A pianist need carefully obey Sibelius’ indications so that the appropriate mood is observed. This is high Romanticism, to be sure, but it should never devolve into sentimentality or over-romanticism. One must keep the pace steady, with more deference given to those moments where a carefully executed pause or an inner voice may be brought forward.

Listen to Romance

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