The sense of nationalism emerging in Finland towards the end of the 19th century found a powerful form of expression in the music of Jean Sibelius. In the international world of music, his magnificent series of seven symphonies assured him a place among the great 20th century composers. The Fourth, completed in 1911, is an austere and often cold symphony in which we can envisage the north of his country with its windswept barren landscape. The Fifth has an outgoing personality, with a dramatic first movement and a heroic finale. Both form an indispensable part of the orchestral repertoire.