Sibelius - Finlandia op. 26 (Opening of the new Helsinki music hall) | Reaction

[@kathleenredick2096]

So much strength and beauty from such a tiny country. Thank you for sharing this one. 🇫🇮

[@WardDorrity]

A strong and sturdy people forged in the fires of adversity, war and oppression. Huge respect to the Finns and their beautiful country.

[@neymarjr3712]

@@WardDorritythank you, i personally feel that this should be our official national anthem, the current one lacks character in my opinion. It doesnt resemble the country. Translate it to an another language and it could be anyones national anthem basically. But this one represents us really well

[@haneski8020]

This song is like Finlands history in a nutshell. In a first part you can hear Russian oppression and fighting. Then victory comes. And the choir sings how a new day is rising and we are free. Shortly it is an ode to our independence.

[@ElComanchero]

Just to be clear, we lost the war and were forced to cede a lot of our border areas and connection to Arctic Sea to Soviet Union. However, we made the war so inconvenient to USSR that we managed to keep our independence.

[@haneski8020]

@@ElComanchero Just to be clear: Finlandia was composed 1899. And it's telling about Russian oppression and surviving. Words to the hymn part are newer.

[@ElComanchero]

@haneski8020 Yup, just pointing to your words "...Russian opression and fighting. Then victory comes". For someone who is looking at the Hymn's lyrics and doesn't know the timeline, that could seem like we Finns achieved a "victory" in some war. In WWII, we sort of did and kind of didn't. Of course, Russian opression had been going on for centuries at that time, so your point about Finlandia being an ode to our freedom is in point.

[@merjahassinen6920]

this is sooooo important song for Finnish people🇫🇮

[@tuulalehtola9283]

Tears in my eyes. This makes me think about my grandfather and other veterans, who fought in the war. Even though we lost some areas, we are an independent nation. Small but resilient. When I listen to this, I also see our beautiful country in front of my eyes. It’s lakes, rivers, forests, animals. Thank you

[@ismopietilainen6480]

Finlandia Finland, behold, thy daylight now is dawning, the threat of night has now been driven away. The skylark calls across the light of morning, the blue of heaven lets it have its sound, and now the day the powers of night is scorning: thy daylight dawns, O Finland of ours! Finland, arise, and raise towards the highest thy head now crowned with mighty memory. Finland, arise, for to the world thou criest that thou hast thrown off thy slavery, beneath oppression's yoke thou never liest. Thy morning's come, O Finland of ours!

[@lauraelina7863]

Like you said "the audience just listens" it's beacuse finnish people appricciate and feel the song so deeply. Expecially the choir part. The words are about how finland such a small country fought against russia and all that to keep its independence and showed the world that there may not be alot of us but we sure can fight for our home. Its really beautiful and gets me crying everytime

[@jonnekallu1627]

"you did not bend under slavery your dawn has come o land of birth"

[@arttuhasu7376]

Täma saa jopa kovan pojan itkemään) this make Even badboy cry)😭😭😭🖤

[@lexluthor6497]

That is a very important piece of finnish music. Every adult in our country knows this one and the meaning of it. I don't like when people make covers of it like "this is my song".This song has one meaning and that is it. But that's to a finnish person. Maybe something else for somebody else.

[@anu83]

Always makes me tearing up/crying while listening to this...

[@mursuhillo242]

Lakki. Päästä.

[@Cronin_]

​@@mursuhillo242Lakki. Päähän.

[@hullumyllyhenkilokunta1001]

​@@Cronin_ miks?

[@AndrewSkinburn]

Finland ❤

[@johnjones9641]

Finland is not just metal bands !

[@House_of_Caine]

Classical music is the OG metal!

[@JJ-of1ir]

This is a great favourite of mine, but I haven't listened to it for some time - so thank you for this reaction. Love from the UK

[@ariseaman390]

Learning about new things is pure magic. 👍

[@Gittas-tube]

The conductor is Jukka-Pekka Saraste, one of Finland's famous new-generation conductors, like Esa-Pekka Salonen.

[@SimoExMachina2]

This song is about raising above slavery, getting rid of the shackles and winning your freedom. Very universal theme, but told from Finnish perspective after centuries of oppression from Russia. Swedes ruled here too their own time, but in the end, they are more like brothers to us, so it is enough to beat them in every game, contest and sport, just to see that look of disappoitment and humiliation.

[@jounisuninen]

Say what we may but Finland got its rule of law and its Judeo-Christian values during the Swedish rule, maintaining its free land-owning peasantry. We never had the Russian serfdom and their negligible respect of laws. In 1939-44 Finnish Army was substantially formed of free peasantry which was well motivated to defend the country. On the opposite side there was an army of serfs ...

[@mwh35]

Many Finnish children were abducted by Russians and sold to slavery, even see slavery to Ottoman empire. There are so many different ways to enslave people and try to crush them.

[@varpuhaavisto3174]

Greetings from Finland. I'm a professional classical musician, and have heard and played this piece so many times. I really enjoyed to join someone hearing it for the first time!

[@jivamoksha]

This masterpiece touches my heart and make me cry is so amazing, thank Mr Sibelius for this extraordinary masterpiece.

[@LilA-zl6tf]

Classical music is magic.

[@sanfordikeda1471]

It's great that you're broadening your reactions this way. Bravo!

[@rami1406]

It was nice to see uoy injoying and smiling. And your eye brows and hands... You are finn fan🙂

[@martinstremlow2997]

Great film ! I loved to listen to your explanationas .

[@bocatampere]

Here in Finland 🇫🇮 we just love this composition ❤️

[@angulion]

Lyrics are roughly: Finland, behold, thy daylight now is dawning, the threat of night has now been driven away. The skylark calls across the light of morning, the blue of heaven lets it have its way, and now the day the powers of night is scorning: thy daylight dawns, O Finland of ours! Finland, arise, and raise towards the highest thy head now crowned with mighty memory. Finland, arise, for to the world thou criest that thou hast thrown off thy slavery, beneath oppression´s yoke thou never liest. Thy morning´s come, O Finland of ours!

[@jamminen74]

this is a masterpiece.

[@pilouetmissiou]

I know by heart this so beautiful and touching piece of music ...in this case the most interesting thing is to look at this simpathic black young man listening to this music ...looking to his face is a demonstration of the power of music...it demontrates too that it arrives directly to the soul of the human being.... it is like this ..i sometimes cries when i listen to this piece. Its power of evocation is very strong...

[@christinageha-sf2zg]

So very nice

[@890lli]

Its great! IMO the next greatest by sibelius is the finale (part IV) from the 2nd symphony, especially from halfway onwards.

[@blechtic]

That ad was a real kick in the balls. The modern kind of audience participation in music is a fairly new thing, I think. You used to go to listen to the music or dance to it, if there was a dance floor. Even if it was dinner entertainment, you didn't hoot and holler. The exception may have been folk music but even then it was clapping and stomping, in a way a very different thing. Partially it was about not having the amplification but also not a single element, the music, the venue, the performance, etc., catered to it. The performance was valued over participation. You had seating and any extra room in front of the stage was the dance floor. With classical arts, dressing up and respectful silence are expected to show respect and so that everyone gets to enjoy the performance to every minute detail. Most people simply don't get to experience live ballets, operas or symphonic orchestras every day. The same goes for theatre and I would say also for movies, as they are crafted experiences. Honest audience reactions are okay but needless or prolonged noises are not, though I understand there may be social or cultural differences there, sometimes depending on occasion, venue and production. IMO if you want to talk or shout at the screen or the players, you can do it in your own home and not ruin it for other ticket-buyers, who are probably there for what it says on the ticket, to be shown on the big screen and heard from a high-class sound system, and not for whatever some random person wants to talk or shout about. Pubs, bars and cafes without live entertainment, or park benches and such, are for conversing with your friends if your home doesn't cut it.

[@arttuhasu7376]

Ps love from Finland my g👊❤️

[@abmis66]

Did You know that this masterpiece is playing in Die Hard 2 End Titles?

[@Mr.Falcon541]

That's 2 masterpieces in price of one! It's also in one episode of walking dead.

[@Tupsutin]

Director Renny Harlin is Finnish.

[@StonegazeSteam]

"Finlandia" also played during one of the siege battle in "The Walking Dead" tv series in order to lure in the walkers.

[@SlpBeauty333]

Yes it a bit weird to watch after seeing things like The Eras Tour, where the fans write lyrics and Taylor puts them in her records! Classical music is also pop music...of its day. I recommend watching the movie Amadeus. It's classical music and the story behind his life (not a happy ending). But there's also humor and it's worth a watch! You'll hear snippets of songs that you know, you just didn't connect the name and the music. Yes, classical music events are like that. People wait to clap and here in NYC? There are huge, I mean HUGE VATS of cough drops in the entry. If you walk out of a performance, you're not getting back in until there's a break in the piece. So I can understand why people find classical music to be intimidating but watch Amadeus. It's about Mozart and he was a character! Tom Hulce did an amazing job at playing him. Immortal Beloved is from the same era and is about Beethoven. It's a bit more graphic but accessible.

[@larryzigler6812]

Got a kool live Sibelius album by the divine TARJA ☮☮💘💘☮☮💘💘

[@tahhah3449]

💪💪💪💪💪

[@ntak8262]

🇫🇮❤️✨

[@Leonidae]

If you like this one, then you should also give Jääkärimarssi (jaegers march) a shot.

[@petrusinvictus3603]

Finlandia-hymn, is world known. Maybe you heard with you mother in church?

[@jukkahautamaki5510]

Hyvä suami.😮

[@hannojaanniidas9655]

A joke for you, mon ami. A Russian delegation visits Helsinki. At the end of their visit, they ask to visit the tomb of the unknown soldier, as is their custom. The Finns are concerned because they've accounted for all of their war dead. Then one Finnish diplomat has a cunning plan : let's take them to the Sibelius monument - they won't know the difference ! His colleagues reluctantly agree. At the Sibelius monument the Russians solemnly place a wreath and say a few profound words. Meanwhile, a young lady from the Russia delegation asks her Finnish counterpart : isn't the the monument to Sibelius ? The answer : Yes ! Next question : Wasn't he a famous composer ? The answer : Yes, but totally unknown as a soldier !

[@osemarvin2847]

You're not far off when you say "cinematic". Because this piece of classical music has been in some of the biggest blockbuster movies Hollywood has ever offered. For example: Die Hard 2: Die Harder (in the final battle scene).

[@ashleynz2575]

Note: this is the piece that was composed by Sibelius under Russian occupation, years after Russia had invaded and subjugated Finland, deporting thousands of Finns to Siberia. (Much like what Putin is doing to Ukraine right now.) The music is about Finns overcoming Russia's brutal occupation and Finland regaining its independence, even when there appears no hope of doing so.

[@jonathangoll2918]

Finland has two main languages. About 7% of the population speak Swedish, but the rest of the people speak Finnish. Finnish is not an Indo-European language, but a Uralian language, and therefore it is not related to most other European languages. The Finns therefore usually call their land 'Suomi'.

[@basicguy5785]

The choir part is great, the rest is good but pretty average for the genre.