Song of the Athenians (Sibelius)

The Song of the Athenians (Athenarnes sång) is a work for boys chorus, male chorus, and orchestra by Jean Sibelius, the last of his Op. 31. The song runs approximately 3 minutes.

Background
Sibelius wrote the song based on Viktor Rydberg’s War Song of Tyrtaeus, a poem that describes an Athenian victory over the Persians in 267 A.D.

Finished in 1899, the Song of the Athenians was premiered the same year in Helenski, Finland along with Sibelius' First Symphony. The work was written in the immediate aftermath and in direct opposition to the February Manifesto which restricted the autonomy of the Duchy of Finland. The work never mentions Finland and Russia directly, but the song was interpreted to replace Athens with Finland and Persia with Russia.

The work was the one of three published under the title 3 songs for chorus, Op. 31. Each song, however, has a different purpose and instrumentation.

Reception
The work instantly became a symbol of Finnish patriotism and resistance to Russia oppression. Sibelius, a composer who received an otherwise mixed reception, became a leading figure of national resistance. The work was performed in every possible arrangement, and schoolchildren across the country could sing it from memory. The work still occupies a strong part of the Finnish national identity.

Sibelius himself expressed annoyance that the work overshadowed his first symphony.

Recordings

 * Lahti Symphony Orchestra, June 6, 2000.
 * Erik T. Tawaststjerna, Piano, Junary 31st, 1987.
 * Folke Gräsbeck, Piano