Tapiola, Op. 112 – All Classical Research

Sibelius wrote his tone poem, Tapiola, in 1926 on commission by the Symphony Society of New York. The ensemble premiered the piece that same year, conducted by Walter Damrosch (who is also the piece’s dedicatee).¹
“Tapio” (TAH-pi-yo) is the fierce forest god of Finnish mythology who comes from Finland’s national epic poem, the Kalevala (KAH-leh-vah-lah). Sibelius had previously written several other works inspired by the epic poem, including his Lemminkäinen Suite, Op. 22, Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49, and even as early as Kullervo, Op. 7.²
At the beginning of his score, Sibelius included the following four lines:
- “Widespread they stand, the Northland’s dusky forests,
  Ancient, mysterious, brooding savage dreams;
  Within them dwells the Forest’s mighty God,
  And wood-sprites in the gloom weave magic secrets.”
Tapiola was the last major composition Sibelius wrote.³

“Tapiola, Op.112 (Sibelius, Jean),” IMSLP, accessed March 18, 2026, https://imslp.org/wiki/Tapiola,_Op.112_(Sibelius,_Jean).
Georg Predota, “Jean Sibelius (Born on December 8, 1865): Where Myths Become Music,” Interlude (2025), accessed March 18, 2026, https://interlude.hk/jean-sibelius-born-on-december-8-1865-where-myths-become-music/.
Jay Goodwin, “Tapiola,” Boston Symphony Orchestra, accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.bso.org/works/sibelius-tapiola.

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