Symphony No. 2 (Madetoja)

The Symphony No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 35, is a four-movement orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja, who wrote the piece from 1916–18 immediately following the success of his First Symphony (1916). Composed during the Finnish Civil War, the Second stands as "the most significant musical document" of the conflict and finds its composer, "deeply scarred by the experience", reflecting upon national tragedy and personal loss (his brother, Yjrö, and close friend, Toivo Kuula, both perished during the hostilities). Accordingly, Madetoja's Second is the longest and most dramatic of his three essays in the form and, perhaps for this reason, is the most popular of the set.

Symphony No. 2 (Madetoja)

The Symphony No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 35, is a four-movement orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja, who wrote the piece from 1916–18 immediately following the success of his First Symphony (1916). Composed during the Finnish Civil War, the Second stands as "the most significant musical document" of the conflict and finds its composer, "deeply scarred by the experience", reflecting upon national tragedy and personal loss (his brother, Yjrö, and close friend, Toivo Kuula, both perished during the hostilities). Accordingly, Madetoja's Second is the longest and most dramatic of his three essays in the form and, perhaps for this reason, is the most popular of the set.