Finnish Romantic composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) is for many people the very definition of his native land. This is fitting, since he was in the forefront of the nationalist movement in Finland, which took place as similar events did in Russian and elsewhere. German and Russian oppressors sought to ban the playing of his works to avoid inflaming patriotism. While he wrote a variety of works, including several symphonies, he may be most remembered for The Swan of Tuonela and his "love song" for his nation, Finlandia.
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