Sibelius: 5 Pieces ('The Flowers'), Op. 85

Introduction

The "Flowers" suite is one of the many small scale works Sibelius composed during his long work on the various versions of the Symphony No. 5, the second revision of which was completed in 1916, the year "Flowers" was written. Op. 85 is by no means among Sibelius' best works for the piano, but it does have its charm. Like so many of Sibelius' instrumental miniatures, "Flowers" seems to have been written with the drawing room, not the concert hall, in mind. Those looking for the cragginess and power of Sibelius' best-known works will likely be disappointed with "Flowers." But if one is a fan of Grieg's "Lyric Pieces" or the salon-oriented music of composers like Edward McDowell, one may find some enjoyment here.

The opening piece, "The Daisy," is ornate and rather dainty; its unusual, unresolved ending comes as a bit of a surprise. "The Carnation" features a lilting tune over a rolling, obsessive left-hand. Perhaps the most interesting of the five is "The Iris," with its almost Debussyan harmonies. A touch of Sibelius' humor arises in "The Snapdragon." And some of the abruptness of gesture one finds so typically in Sibelius' Symphonies lends to the searching quality of "The Campanula," which also features a memorable, ascending minor key ending.

Parts/Movements

1. Bluebells
2. The Carnation
3. The Iris
4. The Snapdragon
5. The Campanula