This special box set contains the complete symphonies and tone poems of Jean Sibelius, a composer whose works embodied the musical language of his native country.

Such was his popularity in his native Finland that from 1897 onwards he was given a yearly state grant, permitting him to focus solely on his creative endeavours.

Sibelius was heavily influenced by the Kalevala – the first real example of a Finnish national literature – and his music is praised for depicting the rugged form of the Finnish landscape.

Among the works in this collection are the Lemminkaïnen Suite, in which we find the Swan of Tuonela, the Second Symphony and Finlandia, the tale of the struggle and subsequent victory of the Finnish people.

The recordings by the Berliner Sinfonie‐Orchester, directed by Kurt Sanderling, are described by Gramophone’s Andrew Achenbach as full of ‘strength, integrity and fierce intelligence’, and are combined with performances by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vassily Sinaisky.