Composer

:

Jean Sibelius

Genre

:

Miscellaneous

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1897

Average_duration

:

2:34

'Outside it is Growing Dark, Op. 1/3' is a composition by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was composed in 1899 and premiered on December 16, 1899, in Helsinki, Finland. The piece is part of a set of three songs for voice and piano, which were Sibelius' first published works. The song is in the key of E-flat major and has a slow tempo. It is written for a solo voice and piano accompaniment. The text of the song is a poem by the Finnish poet Jalmari Finne, which describes the feeling of loneliness and despair that comes with the onset of darkness. The song is divided into three distinct sections or movements. The first section begins with a slow, mournful melody in the piano, which sets the mood for the entire piece. The voice enters with the first line of the poem, sung in a low, melancholy tone. The melody is simple and repetitive, with the piano providing a gentle accompaniment. The second section of the song is more dramatic and intense. The piano plays a series of chords that build in intensity, while the voice sings a more urgent melody. The text of the poem becomes more desperate, as the speaker pleads for someone to come and save them from the darkness. The final section of the song returns to the slow, mournful melody of the opening. The voice sings the final lines of the poem, which describe the darkness closing in around the speaker. The piano provides a gentle, soothing accompaniment, as if to offer comfort in the face of despair. Overall, 'Outside it is Growing Dark, Op. 1/3' is a haunting and melancholy piece that captures the feeling of loneliness and despair that can come with the onset of darkness. Sibelius' use of simple, repetitive melodies and gentle piano accompaniment creates a sense of calm and resignation in the face of overwhelming darkness.

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