Karl Miller <[log in to unmask]>:

>While I don't know the story about Spohr, I would guess that booze stopped
>Sibelius from an 8th Symphony.

Sibelius has been accussed several times for being a wino in his last
25 years of life or so.  But there are many rumours and little evidence.
But when a famous celebrity suddenly withdraws into silence and isolation
there is nothing strange, at least not unusual, that rumour begin
circulate.  That many sat great hopes to Sibelius, and that his drawers
after his death showed up to be horribly empty, didn't make the thing
better.

In his last 25 years, Sibelius lived at Ainola and didn't show up much in
publicity.  He is neither reported to have been drunlk in publicity in his
last 25 years.  And what people do in their private life shouldn't be our
bussiness.  He sometimes accepted visits and there were few or no signs
that I know of, to his vistiors, on alcoholism.

His wife claimed after his death that he had continued to compose, just in
a slower tempo after his retirement, but that he destroyed all compositions
except for some minor pieces that bore dedications to her or other close
friends.  On the other hand, Sibelius showed signs for love to alcohol in
his life before retirement; He and his friends used to drink heavily.  And
he had a perfect friend in Ferruccio Busoni; when these two guys together
visited England, their host recalls:  "They were like two children who
didn't feel the slightest responsibility.  The were drunk the whole days,
they walked from pub to pub, from restaurant to restaurant the days along,
and they had no idea what time or day it was.  I had to look after them all
the time so they could come to the concerts in time".  etc.

So different things and sayings stands against each other.

But as far as I am concerned, there was actually an 8. Symphony by
Sibelius hand.  There is at least one letter by Sibelius to his publisher
in England saved, that discusses the publication of an 8th Symphony.
However during the correspondance Sibelius obviously changed his mind and
just stopped replying.  Apperently he destroyed his symphony, as it has
never been found.  Some new biographers mention this.  Robert Laytons
relatively new biography spring to mind.

Mats Norrman
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