La Dolce Volta presents a recording entirely devoted to an almost unknown part of the output of Sibelius. Through accidents of programming, Nicolas Dautricourt happened to discover a number of pieces that were new to him, including the Finnish composer’s 'Humoresques'. In the course of time he explored the rest of these pieces, alongside his symphonic music. They seemed to him, like Sibelius’s output as a whole, to be highly individual, in a wholly personal vein, deriving from no earlier ‘school’ and distinct from any other musical language. Fascinated by this extraordinary independence of mind, Nicolas Dautricourt reveals a more secret, more intimate repertory, in which virtuosity is of secondary importance. Of course, the violin can still dazzle, but the general mood is more confidential, closer to chamber music, with the primary emphasis on colours and impressions.