The thing that gets me about Sibelius’ music, as opposed to that of older Romantics like Brahms or Beethoven, or of classicists like Mozart or Haydn, is that there’s a certain element of reality. Everything is not perfect and clean-cut, but rather the tonal structure is organic, like a seed growing into a flower. And the multitude of complexities never leave you with the feeling that you “get it” and can “move on,” but rather allows you to pursue the depth as much as you want, because there are so many levels between you and rock-bottom. Just as the sediments of the earth’s surface build, layer by layer, into an impressively organic and unique structure, so does a Sibelius symphony, with tonal colors swirling and changing, prove to you how much life there can be in a single moment.

Anyway. Listen to the above and you’ll see what I mean.