Sibelius’ composing hut was situated under a migration path of Finnish swans. And so, every year he bade farewell to these majestic creatures and awaited their return after the long winter. His Fifth Symphony climaxes with a glorious melody he called his ‘Swan Theme’. To tie in with this poetical idea, we have Nielsen’s Helios Overture, an ode to the sun, and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite.    

Nielsen                        Helios Overture

Tchaikovsky                 Swan Lake Suite

Sibelius                        Symphony No. 5