Wikipedia:Today's featured article/June 4, 2017
The Oceanides ([Aallottaret] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), Op. 73, is a single-movement tone poem for orchestra by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (pictured). The piece, which refers to the nymphs in Greek mythology who inhabited the Mediterranean Sea, premiered on 4 June 1914 at the Norfolk Music Festival in Connecticut with Sibelius conducting. Praised upon its premiere as "the finest evocation of the sea ... ever ... produced in music", the tone poem, in D major, consists of two subjects, said to represent the playful activity of the nymphs and the majesty of the ocean. Sibelius gradually develops this material over three informal stages: a placid ocean, then a gathering storm, and finally a thunderous wave-crash. As the tempest subsides, a final chord sounds, symbolizing the mighty power and limitless expanse of the sea. Stylistically, many commentators have described The Oceanides as impressionistic. It is one of Sibelius's most revised works. A derived suite and an early version of the piece were performed for the first time in 2002, by Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. (Full article...)