Jean Sibelius – Finnish master and a unique voice in 20th century music – was born on December 8, 1865. In our latest contribution to #12DaysOfSibelius, we will honor him tonight on “The Lost Chord” with an hour of early recordings of his music.

Robert Kajanus was a good friend of Sibelius, a sometimes rival and a frequent drinking buddy. The two of them were immortalized during one of their infamous binges in a painting by the artist Akseli Gallén-Kallela (see below). Kajanus set down first recordings of a number of Sibelius’ major works, including the underappreciated Symphony No. 3, which will be heard in a 1932 performance, with the London Symphony Orchestra.

If you’ll allow me a personal anecdote, it was actually this recording that served as an introduction for me to the composers’ grandson. I owned a second-hand book business in Philadelphia for a number of years. I suppose it’s hardly surprising that if anyone ventured into the shop there would be probably an 8-in-10 chance that I would be playing Sibelius.

Well, on this particular occasion, Anssi wandered in during the Kajanus 3rd, which impressed him sufficiently that he struck up a conversation with me. It turns out he is a documentary filmmaker who was actually living in Philadelphia at the time. By further coincidence, Simon Rattle was coming to town to conduct Sibelius’ 5th Symphony. I was able to get Anssi an introduction to Rattle, who invited us to attend a rehearsal. Somewhere in Vanity Fair’s archives there is a photo of Rattle planting a big kiss on Sibelius’ grandson’s forehead.

Anssi later returned the favor by introducing me to Einojuhani Rautavaara, who came to Philadelphia for the premiere of his 8th Symphony. I’ve got a snapshot somewhere of me with Rautavaara, and I’m grinning like a Tyrannosaurus rex. If and when I find it, I will be sure to post it.

Back to tonight’s show: In response to a request from a listener who called during my WPRB tribute this past Thursday, I’ll also include a highly regarded performance of Sibelius’ last major work, the tone poem “Tapiola,” from 1926. The piece takes its name from Tapio, the forest god mentioned throughout the Kalevala, who inhabits the stark pine forests of the wild North. Again, Kajanus gave the piece its first recording, in 1932, but we’ll hear an equally atmospheric, and a times awe-inspiring reading, given seven years later, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky.

Sibelius would live another 30 years after the completion of “Tapiola.” Though he spent a portion of that time laboring at a highly-anticipated 8th Symphony, with the premiere promised to Koussevitzky, he eventually destroyed the manuscript.

Koussevitzky’s recording of Sibelius’ 7th Symphony is a knockout. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to include it on my WPRB playlist. It won’t be heard tonight. However, some might be happy to learn, in response to comments made to me by way of this page, email, and personal interactions in the real world, I’ve decided to devote another five hours to great Sibelius recordings this Thursday, from 6 to 11 ET.

Speaking of the Kalevala, I’ll give the last word to one of the heroes of that work, the swashbuckling Lemminkainen. Eugene Ormandy was a superb interpreter of Sibelius’ “Four Legends from the Kalevala.” A stereo recording he made with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1978 must be one of his finest. However, his 1940 recording of the last of the legends, “Lemminkainen’s Return,” is on a whole other level. It surpasses even Sir Thomas Beecham’s legendary account, in terms of sheer virtuosity and visceral excitement. If there’s a more hell-for-leather performance of the piece, I have yet to hear it.

I hope you’ll join me for “Vintage Sibelius,” tonight at 10 ET, with a repeat Wednesday evening at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.

Then join me on Thursday morning, from 6 to 11, at WPRB 103.3 FM, as we continue with #12DaysOfSibelius.

With thanks to Kenneth Hutchins, for coining the hashtag #12DaysOfSibelius (after #12DaysOfSinatra, of course).

PHOTO: “Kajustaflan,” painted by Akseli Gallén-Kallela. Pictured (from left to right), the artist, composer Oskar Merikanto, Robert Kajanus and Jean Sibelius.

More about “The Symposium,” with the original version of Gallén’s painting, here:

http://www.sibelius.fi/english/elamankaari/sib_symbosion.htm