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An unofficial national anthem
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Sibelius: 15 facts about the great composer
8. An unofficial national anthem
The tone poem Finlandia was the piece that got Sibelius noticed. It was effectively a nationalistic call for Russia to keep its hands off Finland. Sibelius later reworked the central part of the piece into a Finlandia Hymn. The work is today regarded as the country’s unofficial national anthem.
