Judge Dennis Davis
Jean Sibelius and the Influence of National Identity in His Music
Summary
The life and work of composer and violinist Jean Sibelius, widely regarded as Finland’s greatest composer. The evolution of his music is explored through selected audio clips of his compositions “Symphony No. 2,” “Violin Concerto,” and “Finlandia.” In these selections, we hear how Sibelius shaped Finnish national identity through an invocation of powerful emotions arising in Finland during its time as part of the Russian Empire.
Judge Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis is a judge of the High Court of South Africa and judge president of the Competition Appeals Court of South Africa. He has held professorial appointments at the University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand, as well as numerous visiting appointments at Cambridge, Harvard, New York University, and others. He has authored eleven books, including Lawfare: Judging Politics in South Africa.