“National”, “archaic”, “Nordic”, “modal”: the “Finnish Grieg” presents himself to France

Abstract

In the historical moment when Sibelius’s music was heard in France for the first
time, a curiosity for national particularity eclipsed, in the public debate, any interest
in tonal systems. Instead of underlining the modal practices of the Finnish
composer, the local discourse — sometimes on a well-informed basis, sometimes
giving voice to a more traditional and stereotypical French consciousness —
underlined the foreign cultural traits in his music. This paper establishes some
historical landmarks in the early French writings on Sibelius. It also analyses the
ideology inherent in these documents, an ideology which may make it difficult even
today to listen to his music without prejudice.