Sibelius 5th Symphony

Sibelius had had a tough life of being an alcoholic and having lived during the First World War Sibelius as a composer led his life "on two levels". Him being in- touch with the outside world were sparse because of the war, and financial pressures. Sibelius was planning for an entirely new kind of symphony. He would write multiple versions of the symphony before he was really satisfied with the result.
In the summer of 1914, just after the outbreak of the First World War, he wrote that he had got an idea for "a lovely theme". Then in the autumn of 1914 he wrote a prophecy to his friend Axel Carpelan: "Another depth of misery. But I can already make out the mountain that I shall ascend God is opening his doors for a moment, and his orchestra is playing the fifth symphony. “While Sibelius’s diary notes show that his mood during the fourth symphony was one of determination, the initial stages of the fifth symphony seemed to be filled with ecstasy. "The autumn sun is shining. Nature in its farewell colors. My heart is singing sadly – the shadows grow longer. The Adagio of my fifth symphony? That I, poor fellow that I am, can have moments of such richness!!" he wrote on 10th October 1914. And in November the sentiment grew even stronger: "I have a lovely theme. An adagio for the symphony – earth, worms and misery, fortissimo and sordinos [mutes], lots of sordinos. And the melodies are divine!!" In another diary entry (April 1915) Sibelius wrote: "In the evening, working on the symphony. This important task which strangely enchants me. As if God the Father had thrown down pieces of a mosaic from the floor of heaven and asked me to work out the pattern." Indeed, he produced a "mosaic" of drafts during the autumn and winter of 1914. But from such an assembly of material can we know which draft belonged to which movement, or even to which work? 
In addition to the symphony Sibelius was planning a violin concerto, which he also discussed with Breitkopf & Härtel. And this plan began to develop into yet another work, the sixth symphony. Themes were moved from one draft to another. Part of the first drafts for the sixth symphony finally ended up in the fifth symphony - and the second theme of the finale of the sixth symphony can first be found among the drafts for the fifth symphony! On the 21st April Sibelius saw sixteen swans. In his diary he immediately wrote a magnificent thematic sequence, which ended up in the finale of the fifth symphony. "One of the great experiences of my life! God, how beautiful," he wrote in his diary. Sibelius was already a national hero, and the reception was overwhelming: the composer had to receive delegations for hours before the concert, the audience shrieked for joy during the concert, and the celebrations continued over several days and many performances.

In the first version the first movement ends in an oddly inconclusive manner, as if it were an introduction to the second movement. He declared the fifth symphony to be a masterpiece. On the 22nd April Sibelius wrote: The fifth symphony to say horrible dictum: completed in its final form. Been struggling with God." Six days later he was already striking out the second and third movements. However, after one more revision of the finale the whole work was at last ready. "Now it is good," Sibelius wrote. In the final version the symphony begins with a call from the French horns while a tremolo from the timpani opens the door to the "universe" of the symphony. In the 1915 version the first two bars with their horn call are missing: the work started from the third bar of the present version.