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{{Short description|Tone poem by Jean Sibelius}}
{{Infobox musical composition
| type                = [[Tone poem]]
| name                = {{lang|sv|En saga}}
| composer            = {{nowrap|[[Jean Sibelius]]}}
| image               = JSibelius 1891.jpg
| image_upright       = .9
| caption             = The composer ({{c.|1891}})
| border              = Yes
| opus                = 9
| composed            = {{start date|1891}}–1892, {{abbr|rev.|revised}}&nbsp;1902
| publisher           = {{ill|Fazer & Westerlund|fi|Fazerin musiikkikauppa}} (1903){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=29}}{{efn|On 20&nbsp;July 1905, the Helsinki-based music publisher {{ill|Fazer & Westerlund|fi|Fazerin musiikkikauppa}} ({{lang|sv|Helsingfors Nya Musikhandel|italics=no}}) sold its Sibelius holdings (the publishing rights and printing plates) to the German firm of [[Breitkopf&nbsp;& Härtel]].{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=xxiv}}}}
| duration            = 18&nbsp;mins. ({{abbr|orig.|originally}} 22&nbsp;mins.){{sfn|Dahlström|2003|pp=28–29}}
| premiere_date       = {{start date|1893|02|16|df=y}}{{sfn|Dahlström|2003|p=28}}
| premiere_location   = [[Helsinki]], [[Grand Duchy of Finland]]
| premiere_conductor  = Jean Sibelius
| premiere_performers = [[Helsinki Orchestral Association]]
}}

'''''En&nbsp;saga''''' (in [[Finnish language|Finnish]]: '''''{{lang|fi|Satu}}'''''; occasionally translated to English as, variously, '''''A&nbsp;Fairy Tale''''', '''''A&nbsp;Saga''''', or '''''A&nbsp;Legend'''''), [[Opus number|Op.]]&nbsp;9, is a single-[[movement (music)|movement]] [[tone poem]] for [[orchestra]] written from 1891 to 1892 by the Finnish composer [[Jean Sibelius]]. The piece, which likely began as a [[septet]] or [[octet (music)|octet]] for flute, clarinet, and string ensemble before evolving into an orchestral tone poem, premiered on 16&nbsp;February 1893 in [[Helsinki]] with Sibelius conducting the [[Helsinki Orchestral Association]]. A decade later in 1902, Sibelius substantially revised ''En&nbsp;saga'' in response to an invitation from [[Ferruccio Busoni]] to conduct the piece in Berlin. It thus stands alongside ''[[Lemminkäinen Suite|The Lemminkäinen Suite]]'' (Op.&nbsp;22), the [[Violin Concerto (Sibelius)|Violin Concerto]] (Op.&nbsp;47), ''[[The Oceanides]]'' (Op.&nbsp;73), and the [[Symphony No. 5 (Sibelius)|Fifth Symphony]] (Op.&nbsp;82) as one of the most overhauled works in his {{em|[[List of compositions by Jean Sibelius|œuvre]]}}. The Berlin concert, which occurred a fortnight after [[Robert Kajanus]] had premiered the revised version in Helsinki on 2&nbsp;November, finally brought Sibelius the German breakthrough he had long desired.

''En&nbsp;saga'' is without program or literary source. Nevertheless, the adventurous, evocative character of the music has encouraged many listeners to offer their own interpretations, among them a fantasy landscape (such as that by the Finnish painter [[Akseli Gallen-Kallela]]), a hunting expedition,{{sfn|Goss|2009|p=178}} a [[bard]]'s storytelling,{{CN|date=February 2023}} and the essence of [[Finnish people]].{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=35–37}} Sibelius routinely declined to state a program, although in the 1930s, he conceded that, if one must find an inspiration, the tone poem owed its nature not to ''[[Kalevala|The Kalevala]]'', the [[epic poetry|national epic]] of Finland, but rather to Iceland's ''[[Eddas]]''. By the 1940s, however, Sibelius had reverted to his previous position, describing the work instead as "the expression of a certain state of mind"—one with an unspecified, "painful" autobiographical component—for which "all literary interpretations [were therefore] totally alien".{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=40}}

Critics have largely praised ''En&nbsp;saga'' as a masterpiece of "astonishing power and originality" that, stylistically, exhibits Sibelius's "personal brand of musical primitivism". Moreover, the revised version of the tone poem is often described as being of superior craftsmanship relative to the youthful rawness of its predecessor. The first (and to date only) recording of the original version was made in 1995 by [[Osmo Vänskä]] and the [[Lahti Symphony Orchestra]]. A typical performance of the final version of the piece lasts about 18&nbsp;minutes, some 4&nbsp;minutes fewer than its predecessor.

== History ==
=== Composition ===
Although the creative origins of ''En saga'' remain somewhat uncertain, it appears as though the material that would become ''En saga'' may have begun as, and thus evolved from, a septet or octet for flute, clarinet, and string ensemble that the composer had begun in 1890–91, during which time he was a student in Vienna under [[Robert Fuchs (composer)|Robert Fuchs]] and [[Karl Goldmark]]. (This chamber piece, however, has never been found.) Following the success of the [[choral symphony]] [[Kullervo (Sibelius)|''Kullervo'']] in 1891, Robert Kajanus, founder and chief conductor of the [[Helsinki Orchestral Association]], requested from Sibelius a purely orchestral piece, albeit one "in a more popular style" that would not make "too great demands on [the general public's] powers of concentration and comprehension"; in the 1930s, Sibelius told his biographer, Karl Ekman, that the result of this invitation was the orchestral tone poem ''En saga''.{{sfn|Ekman|1938|p=120–121}}

{{multiple image|direction=horizontal|total_width=370|align=left|image1=RKjanaus 1895 (cropped).jpg|width1=175|height1=265|image2=Sibelius 1893EnSaga NyaPressen February16.jpg|width2=175|height2=265|footer=Sibelius composed {{lang|sv|En&nbsp;saga}} per [[Robert Kajanus]]'s request; the piece premiered on 16&nbsp;February 1893, with Sibelius conducting.}}

Later in life, however, Sibelius dismissed Kajanus's influence, telling a second biographer, Eric Ringbom, in the 1950s that ''En saga'' actually had not been the result of Kajanus's offer: "...&nbsp;Nothing came of it. Instead I completed the orchestral work I had already started and to which I gave the name ''En saga''&nbsp;... I did not comply with his request&nbsp;... to write 'a short ''Da capo'' piece'".{{sfn|Ringbom|1954|p=38–39}} That Sibelius's statements to Ekman and to Ringbom are inconsistent is, perhaps, a sign either that Sibelius wished to downplay the influence of his on-again-off-again friend/rival decades after the latter's death (Kajanus had died in 1933) or that he was eager to dispel any notion that ''En saga'' was of less seriousness than his other compositions.{{sfn|Johnson|1959|p=49–50}}

The autograph manuscript of the original 1892 version of ''En saga'' does not survive, although a manuscript and complete set of orchestral parts are preserved in the [[Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra]] collection.{{CN|date=February 2023}} The copyist for these documents remains unknown; although surviving invoices indicate that two copyists Sibelius typically employed, August Österberg and Ernst Röllig, each copied the score, in July 1895 and December 1898, respectively, neither the surviving manuscript nor the orchestral parts are in the hand of either man. Most likely the documents were produced in 1901 by an unidentified copyist for the conductor [[Georg Schnéevoigt]], who conducted the original version of the tone poem during his concert tour of [[Riga]].{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=18–19}}

==== Revision ====
In 1902, the Italian composer, conductor, and pianist, Ferruccio Busoni, began a series of concerts (eventually 12 in all, from 1902 to 1909) with the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] at the Philharmonie's Beethovensaal (Beethoven Hall). According to Della Couling, Busoni's biographer, the concerts courted controversy from the beginning: Busoni's decision to feature new, modern (largely non-German/Austrian) music in a city famous for its devotion to celebrated homegrown talent only reinforced the perception in Berlin that Busoni was a bit of a "maverick".{{sfn|Couling|2005|p=181–182}}{{efn|Busoni's selections certainly challenged German norms; according to Couling, "The astounding achievements of German and Austrian composers … had brought German music to the front rank in Europe, but unfortunately had helped feed a growing chauvinism, and the belief that only German music was worth taking seriously".{{sfn|Couling|2005|p=181–182}}}} In June, Busoni invited Sibelius, his longtime friend, to conduct ''En saga'' (he also suggested as substitutes both the [[Symphony No. 2 (Sibelius)|Second Symphony]] and the tone poem ''[[The Wood Nymph]]''){{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=17–18}} at the beginning of November:

{{Blockquote|text=I am planning a number of concerts of new music in Berlin... whose purpose will be to introduce little-known music of real merit. You shall in this scheme play a leading part in one of them. Will you do me the honor of conducting ''En saga''? At the beginning of November. The Philharmonic Orchestra. Two rehearsals. I beg you to give your word not to disappoint my hopes. I watch with the greatest delight your German successes which I foresaw as a certainty.|character=|author=Ferruccio Busoni|title=in a June 1902 letter to Sibelius{{sfn|Tawaststjerna|1976|p=257}}|source=|}}

Sibelius seems to have countered with a choral work (possibly the recently completed [[cantata]] ''[[The Origin of Fire]]''), since Busoni later replied, "Unfortunately I cannot give myself up to the uncertainty and inconvenience caused by singers&nbsp;... Therefore, I believe we had better stick to the 'pure' orchestra". Although Sibelius remained undecided between the Second Symphony and ''En saga'' until October, he eventually opted for the tone poem in revised form.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=17–18}} Sibelius took the decision to revise ''En saga'' while summering in [[Hanko, Finland|Tvärminne (Hanko)]], as evidenced by a July 28 letter Axel Carpelan, Sibelius's friend and patron, wrote to his cousin after having visited the composer in Tvärminne.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=17–18}} Nevertheless, delay ensued: Sibelius did not receive the manuscript in Tvärminne until (at least) September 24.{{efn|The manuscript likely was in Kajanus's possession, who conducted ''En saga'' during his summer concert tour of Kiev.}} Up against the November deadline, Sibelius raced to complete the revisions in a month, and to save time, he likely reused pages from the original manuscript that required little alteration.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=18–19}} According to Wicklund, it is this technique that probably accounts for the fact that the autograph manuscript of the original version does not survive.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=18–19}}

=== Performances ===
[[File:Ferruccio Busoni (circa 1911).jpg|thumb|upright|Italian composer, [[Ferruccio Busoni]] (c. 1911), a friend of Sibelius's who provided him with the opportunity to conduct the revised version of ''En saga'' in Berlin in 1902]]
The original version of the tone poem premiered on 16 February 1893 at Solemnity Hall of the [[University of Helsinki]] with Sibelius conducting the Helsinki Orchestral Association; the concert program also included [[Edvard Grieg]]'s [[Peer Gynt (Grieg)|''Peer Gynt Suite&nbsp;II'']] and [[Robert Schumann]]'s ''[[Manfred (Schumann)|Manfred]]'', as well as songs by various composers, all of which Kajanus conducted.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=23}}{{sfn|Johnson|1959|p=50}} As noted above, both Kajanus and Schnéevoigt included ''En saga'' on various subsequent concert tours.

==== German breakthrough ====
Although Sibelius had overhauled ''En saga'' expressly for the Busoni concert, the premiere of the revised version of the tone poem fell not to Berlin but to Helsinki on 2 November 1902, with Kajanus conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic Society; the program also included [[Johan Svendsen|Svendsen's]] Second Symphony and [[Max Bruch|Bruch's]] [[Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bruch)|Violin Concerto No. 1]]. While Finnish critics praised ''En saga'', there was a palpable sense the Helsinki concert was merely a dress rehearsal for the big Berlin unveiling.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=26}} The Berlin concert was indeed an important event for Sibelius: not only would it mark just the second time he had conducted abroad,{{efn|The first being [[Heidelberg]] in the summer of 1901, which had featured two of the ''Lemminkäinen Legends''.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=27}}}} but it would also give him the opportunity to present personally his art to a discerning Central European audience. Finnish critics sought to buoy Sibelius by writing that, in their opinion, ''En saga'' was worthy of performance abroad, while the Finnish newspapers promoted the forthcoming concert heavily.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=26}} A few days later, the stakes became even clearer: the Berlin critics savaged the first of Busoni's concerts on 8 November, the program of which included selections from [[Edward Elgar]]'s ''[[The Dream of Gerontius]]'', the Overture to [[Camille Saint-Saëns]]'s opera ''Les Barbares'', and [[Christian Sinding]]'s ''Rondo Infinito''.{{sfn|Couling|2005|p=181–182}}

This was the environment into which Sibelius stepped as second on Busoni's 15 November program, which also included [[Frederick Delius]]'s orchestral nocturne ''Paris'', [[Théophile Ysaÿe]]'s Piano Concerto, and [[Ödön Mihalovich]]'s ballad ''The Death of Pan''{{sfn|Couling|2005|p=181–182}} ("my fellow competitors", as Sibelius referred to them in a 12–13 November letter to his wife, [[Aino Sibelius|Aino]]).{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=27–28}} Sibelius was under constant stress: during the journey to Germany, he labored over the orchestral parts, many of which contained copy errors; upon arrival, he fumed over being second on the program and was annoyed that the promised rehearsals had both been scheduled for 13 November.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=27–28}} Nevertheless, the rehearsals went well and the players reacted favorably to the tone poem: as Sibelius told Aino, "It is so beautiful... Busoni even embraced me".{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=27–28}}

[[File:Berlin-Kreuzberg Postkarte 067 cropped.jpg|thumb|Beethoven Hall (c. 1902) of the old [[Berlin Philharmonie|Philharmonie]] (the building was destroyed in 1944 during the [[World War II|war]]), where at the Busoni concerts occurred]]

The Berlin critics' reaction to the second concert, however, was hostile. Otto Lessmann of ''Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung'' described the performance as "painful", noting acerbically, "If steps forward in art should be illustrated in such works, the muse would veil her head";{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=29}} while, Rudolph Buck opined in ''Berliner Neueste Nachrichten'', "After the complete fiasco of the second concert, the announcement that these orchestral concerts would be continued in the autumn of 1903 sounded little short of blasphemous".{{sfn|Couling|2005|p=182}} Nonetheless, it appears as though Sibelius emerged more or less unscathed; indeed, the consensus opinion was that ''En saga'' was "the only valuable work" on the program.{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=28–29}}{{sfn|Tawaststjerna|1976|p=259}} The positive reviews in the wake of the concert clearly lifted Sibelius's spirits. Following the concert, a confident Sibelius recounted for his wife the quality of both his art and his conducting:

{{Blockquote|text=It went very well. My ''En saga'' was the best novelty, I think. I was very calm and conducted well... The main thing is that I can conduct a world-class orchestra. And well! ... I am so calm and sure about my art now. I have been acknowledged as an accomplished 'artist'... We could break through anywhere. And brilliantly.|character=|author=Jean Sibelius|title=in a series of letters to his wife, Aino Sibelius, dated 16–17 November 1902{{sfn|Wicklund|2014|p=30}}|source=|}}

As [[Erik W. Tawaststjerna|Tawaststjerna]] notes, thanks to ''En saga'', at last the "ice had been broken for Sibelius in Germany", a success for which he had long hoped. Sibelius celebrated as Busoni's guest at a "lavish" dinner party.{{sfn|Tawaststjerna|1976|p=259}}

== Instrumentation ==
[[File:Akseli Gallen-Kallela - Sibelius as the Composer of En saga.jpg|thumb|''Sibelius as the Composer of En saga'' (1894), by the Finnish painter [[Akseli Gallen-Kallela]]]]
''En saga'' is scored for the following instruments:
*'''[[Woodwind]]''': 2 [[flute]]s (2nd doubling [[piccolo]]), 2 [[oboe]]s, 2 [[clarinet]]s (in B{{music|flat}}), 2 [[bassoon]]s
*'''[[Brass instrument|Brass]]''': 4 [[French horn|horns]] (in F), 3 [[trumpet]]s (in F), 3 [[trombone]]s, [[tuba]]
*'''[[Percussion]]''': [[bass drum]], [[cymbal]]s, [[Triangle (musical instrument)|triangle]]
*'''[[String instrument|Strings]]''': [[violin]]s, [[viola]]s, [[cello]]s, [[double bass]]es

[[File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf|450px|page=793]]

=== Arrangement for septet ===
The creative origins of ''En saga'' remain somewhat uncertain, although Sibelius's statements to Ekman and Furuhjelm indicate the piece may have evolved from sketches for a septet or octet the composer had begun in 1890–91. To date, however, researchers have been unable to recover the pre-''En saga'' chamber piece, either as a completed manuscript or unfinished sketches (again, if such a composition ever existed). Gregory Barrett, professor of clarinet at the [[Northern Illinois University]] School of Music, has nonetheless sought to reclaim this (purported) "lost chamber masterpiece", arranging in 2003 the original 1892 orchestral tone poem for flute, clarinet, two violins, viola, cello, and string bass.{{efn|For the project, Barrett obtained a copy of the original 1892 orchestral tone poem from the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and received permission to make the arrangement from both the copyright holder, Breitkopf & Härtel, and the Sibelius family.{{CN|date=February 2023}}}}

Contemporary accounts that describe the Barrett septet as a "reconstruction" are inaccurate; because Sibelius's 1890–91 sketches do not survive, there is no way to know how similar Sibelius's own chamber piece was to the first orchestral version of ''En saga'' and, by extension, to Barrett's chamber arrangement.{{CN|date=February 2023}}{{efn|[[Breitkopf & Härtel]], the septet's publisher, for example, [https://www.breitkopf.com/work/8277/en-saga-septett describes] the piece as an "approximate reconstruction".}}{{efn|Andrew Barnett in particular has warned against such imprecise language: "I am told that this is merely a chamber arrangement of the original 1892–93 version of ''En saga''. If that's so it might be an effective piece, and no doubt is arranged with great skill, but it would have little similarity with any chamber piece that Sibelius wrote (or in this case didn't write, I firmly believe). I don't want to be a spoilsport but, if you're looking for a lost masterpiece, this has all the hallmarks of a [[red herring]] … please note also the distinction between an <u>arrangement</u> of an orchestral work and a <u>reconstruction</u> of a lost chamber work"! (underscore in original){{CN|date=February 2023}}}} It is for this reason that the Barrett septet is not included on the 13-volume [https://web.archive.org/web/20160709103351/http://www.bis.se/bis_pages/bis_sibelius-edition.php BIS Complete Sibelius Edition],{{CN|date=February 2023}} a 2007–11 project billed as having recorded every note Sibelius ever penned.

On 14 June 2003, six musicians from the Lahti Symphony Orchestra joined Barrett (on clarinet) to premiere the septet at the Brahmssaal (Brahms Hall) of the [[Musikverein]] in [[Vienna]], the city where Sibelius claimed to have composed his own (lost) pre-''En saga'' septet/octet; the Austrian-Finnish Friendship Society sponsored the performance, while the Finnish Embassy hosted a reception after the concert.{{CN|date=February 2023}} The Barrett septet was first recorded in May 2008 at the Sigyn Hall in [[Turku]], Finland, by the Turku Ensemble and released on 12 July 2011 by Pilfink Records. Many reviews note the conspicuous absence of the tone poem's brass and percussion, although one of the performers, flautist Ilari Lehtinen, has argued the septet compensates by making "the intimate aspects of the work sound more personal and more heart-rending".{{CN|date=February 2023}} Writing for ''[[Fanfare (magazine)|Fanfare]]'', Steven Ritter has praised the septet as "remarkable", noting that although "acute listeners will miss the brass and all the pomp and beauty of orchestral majesty that we associate with Sibelius", Barrett's arrangement  "has much to offer and loses little atmosphere".{{CN|date=February 2023}} Carl Bauman, writing for the ''[[American Record Guide]]'', on the other hand, has argued the musical material "doesn’t fare nearly as well here as it does in its orchestration".{{CN|date=February 2023}}

== Discography ==

''En saga'' is one of Sibelius's more commonly recorded tone poems, although it trails more famous compositions such as ''[[The Swan of Tuonela]]'' and ''[[Finlandia]]''. The first recording was made in 1938 with [[Sir Thomas Beecham]] conducting the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. To date, the only recording of the original 1892 version (22:23) is by Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra under the BIS label ([http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=BIS-CD-800 BIS-CD-800]); it was recorded in May 1995 and appears on the album with the original 1915 version of the Fifth Symphony. The album premiered to considerable acclaim. ''[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone's]]'' James McCarthy characterized the record as perspective-changing, noting that the original versions of the pieces provided "fascinating material for comparison" and allowed "a glimpse of two familiar masterpieces in the making".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/sibelius-symphony-no-5-original-1915-version-en-saga-op-9|title=Review}}</ref> Kurt Moses, writing in the ''[[American Record Guide]]'', similarly commended the record for providing "rare insight into a composer's creative process", but cautioned that "while Sibelius enthusiasts will love it [,] ... this is not a 'must buy' for everyone ... [and] is not a substitute for ... the final versions of these works".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=2&docId=GALE%7CA18584798&docType=Brief+article%2C+Sound+recording+review&sort=RELEVANCE&contentSegment=&prodId=AONE&contentSet=GALE%7CA18584798&searchId=R1&userGroupName=tel_a_vanderbilt&inPS=true|title = Gale – Product Login}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
! scope="col" width="200px" | Conductor
! scope="col" width="340px" | Orchestra
! scope="col" width="55px" | Year
! scope="col" width="70px" | Duration
! Available on
|-
| [[Vladimir Ashkenazy]]
| [[Philharmonia Orchestra]]
| 1981
| 19:27
| Decca (000121902)
|-
| [[William Boughton]]
| [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1990
| 19:17
| Nimbus (7716)
|-
| [[Sergiu Comissiona]]
| [[Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1991
| 20:27
| Ondine (ODE767)
|-
| [[Andrew Davis (conductor)|Andrew Davis]]
| [[Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1996
| 17:31
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Dec01/Sibelius_TonePoems.htm Apex (7406202)]
|-
| [[Mikko Franck]]
| [[Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1999
| 19:46
| Ondine (ODE953)
|-
| [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]]
| [[Berlin Philharmonic]]
| 1943
| 20:31
| Deutsche Grammophon (471294)
|-
| [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]]
| [[Vienna Philharmonic]]
| 1950
| 20:29
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Apr03/sibelius_kulenkampff.htm Music and Arts (CD-799)]
|-
| [[Yoel Levi]]
| [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1992
| 17:47
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/July07/Sibelius_Levi_CD80320.htm Telarc (80320)]
|-
| [[Adrian Leaper]]
| [[Slovak Philharmonic]]
| 1989
| 17:27
| Naxos (8.550200)
|-
| [[Herbert von Karajan]]
| [[Berlin Philharmonic]]
| 1976
| 18:24
| Warner Classics (633619)
|-
| [[Lorin Maazel]]
| [[Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1992
| 17:08
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Jan03/sib_sym_pitts.htm Sony (87882)]
|-
| [[Alexander Gibson (conductor)|Alexander Gibson]]
| [[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]]
| 1977
| 18:08
| [https://www.chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN%208395 Chandos (CHAN8395)]
|-
| [[Alexander Gibson (conductor)|Alexander Gibson]]
| [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]
|
| 17:00
| Collins Classics (CC-1093)
|-
| [[Tuomas Ollila-Hannikainen]]
| [[Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1995
| 18:09
| Ondine (ODE871)
|-
| [[Petri Sakari]]
| [[Iceland Symphony Orchestra]]
| 2000
| 18:54
| Naxos (8.555299)
|-
| [[Esa-Pekka Salonen]]
| [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]
| 1991
| 17:26
| Sony (48067)
|-
| [[Malcolm Sargent]]
| [[Vienna Philharmonic]]
| 1961
| 18:29
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Jul14/Sargent_icon_2564634121.htm Warner Classics (2564-634121)]
|-
| [[Ole Schmidt]]
| [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1996
| 17:51
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Oct05/Sibelius5_RRC1216.htm Regis (1216)]
|-
| [[Horst Stein]]
| [[Suisse Romande Orchestra]]
| 1971
| 16:12
| Decca (417 697-2)
|-
| [[Arturo Toscanini]]
| [[NBC Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1952
| 18:03
| [http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=714761 Music & Arts Programs of America (4755)]
|-
| [[Osmo Vänskä]]
| [[Lahti Symphony Orchestra]]
| 2000
| 18:03
| BIS (BIS-CD-1225)
|-
| [[Vassily Sinaisky]]
| [[Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1991
| 17:49
| Brilliant Classics (BC9212)
|-
| [[Kurt Sanderling]]
| [[Konzerthausorchester Berlin|Berlin Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1970
| 19:54
| Brilliant Classics (BC9267)
|-
| [[Eugene Ormandy]]
| [[Philadelphia Orchestra]]
| 1975
|
| RCA Red Seal (38123)
|-
| [[Eugene Ormandy]]
| [[Philadelphia Orchestra]]
| 1963
| 16:55
| Sony Essential Classics (48271)
|-
| [[Eugene Ormandy]]
| [[Philadelphia Orchestra]]
| 1955
| 15:47
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/May10/Sibelius_ormandy_pasc205.htm Pristine (PASC 205)]
|-
| [[Neeme Järvi]]
| [[Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1992
| 17:52
| Deutsche Grammophon (000459702)
|-
| [[Neeme Järvi]]
| [[Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1985
| 18:35
| BIS (BIS-CD-295)
|-
| [[Colin Davis]]
| [[London Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1994
| 18:48
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Apr04/Sibelius_Davis.htm RCA Red Seal (82876557062)]
|-
| [[Colin Davis]]
| [[Dresden Staatskapelle]]
| 2003
| 19:22
| Profil (PH05049)
|-
| [[Colin Davis]]
| [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1980
| 17:49
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/July05/Sibelius_Davis_5762817.htm Philips Eloquence (47628172)]
|-
| [[Leif Segerstam]]
| [[Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1991
| 19:37
| Chandos (CHAN8965)
|-
| [[Paavo Berglund]]
| [[Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1974
| 19:03
| Warner Classics (0094639768950)
|-
| [[Antal Doráti]]
| [[London Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1969
| 18:48
| EMI Classics (724358578522)
|-
| [[Vladimir Fedoseyev]]
| [[Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1998
| 19:42
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Oct03/sibelius_fedoseyev.htm Relief (CR991052)]
|-
| [[Adrian Boult]]
| [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1956
| 17:36
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2000/may00/sibeliusboult.htm Omega Classics (OCD1027)]
|-
| [[Anthony Collins (composer)|Anthony Collins]]
| [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1957
|
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/oct99/popsib.htm Beulah (5PD8)]
|-
| [[Thomas Beecham]]
| [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]]
| 1938
| 17:32
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Jun03/sibelius_beecham_naxos4.htm Naxos Historical (8.110867)]
|-
| [[Jukka-Pekka Saraste]]
| [[Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra]]
| 1987
| 18:05
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/May03/Sibelius_Kremer.htm RCA Red Seal (74321886852)]
|-
| [[Eduard van Beinum]]
| [[Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]]
| 1952
| 19:14
| [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/sibelius_damen_4429487.htm Decca Eloquence (4229487)]
|-
| [[Santtu-Matias Rouvali]]
| [[Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra]]
| 2018
| 19:00
| [[Alpha 440]]
|}

== Notes, references, and sources ==
=== Notes ===
{{Notelist}}

=== References ===
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

=== Sources ===

*{{cite book| last1=Barnett| first1=Andrew| year=2007|title=Sibelius| location=New Haven| publisher=Yale University Press}}
*{{cite book| last1=Couling| first1=Della| year=2005|title=Ferruccio Busoni: A Musical Ishmael| location=Lanham, Maryland| publisher=Scarecrow Press}}
*{{cite book|last=Dahlström|first=Fabian|author-link=:sv:Fabian Dahlström|title=Jean Sibelius: Thematisch-bibliographisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke|trans-title=Jean Sibelius: A Thematic Bibliographic Index of His Works|date=2003|publisher=Breitkopf & Härtel|location=Wiesbaden|language=de|isbn=3-7651-0333-0}}
*{{cite book |first=Karl |last=Ekman |author-link=:fi:Karl Ekman (tietokirjailija) |title=Jean Sibelius: His Life and Personality |date=1938 |orig-date=1935 |translator-first=Edward |translator-last=Birse |location=New York |publisher=Alfred&nbsp;A. Knopf |oclc=896231 |url=https://archive.org/details/jeansibeliushisl0000ekma_k0o2/page/n7/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book |last=Goss |first=Glenda Dawn |author-link=Glenda Dawn Goss |title=Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland |date=2009 |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-00547-8}}
*{{cite book| last1=Gray| first1=Cecil| year=1931| title=Sibelius| location=London| publisher=Oxford University Press}}
*{{cite book| last1=Grimley| first1=Daniel| year=2004| chapter=The Tone Poems: Genre, Landscape and Structural Perspective| editor1-last=Grimley| editor1-first=Daniel| title=The Cambridge Companion to Sibelius| series = [[Cambridge Companions to Music]]| location=London| publisher=Cambridge University Press}}
*{{cite book| last1=Hurwitz| first1=David| year=2007| title=Sibelius: The Orchestral Works, an Owner's Manual| location=Pompton Plains, New Jersey| publisher=Amadeus Press}}
*{{cite book| last1=Johnson| first1=Harold| year=1959| title=Jean Sibelius| location=New York| publisher=Alfred A. Knopf}}
*{{cite book| last1=Layton| first1=Robert| year=1965| title=Sibelius: The Masters Musicians Series| location=New York| publisher=Schirmer Books}}
*{{cite book| last1=Rickards| first1=Guy| year=1997| title=Jean Sibelius| location=London| publisher=Phaidon}}
*{{cite book| last1=Ringbom| first1=Nils-Eric| year=1954| title=Jean Sibelius: A Master and His Work| url=https://archive.org/details/jeansibeliusmast00ring| url-access=registration| location=Norman, Oklahoma| publisher=University of Oklahoma Press}}
*{{cite book| last1=Tawaststjerna|first1=Erik|author-link=Erik W. Tawaststjerna|year=1976|title=Sibelius: Volume 1, 1865–1905|location=London|publisher=Faber and Faber|translator=Robert Layton}}
*{{cite book| last1=Tawaststjerna| first1=Erik|year=1986|title=Sibelius: Volume 2, 1904–1914|location=London|publisher=Faber and Faber|translator=Robert Layton|author-mask=2}}
*{{cite book| last1=Tawaststjerna| first1=Erik|year=1997|title=Sibelius: Volume 3, 1914–1957|location=London|publisher=Faber and Faber|translator=Robert Layton|author-mask=2}}
* {{cite book |last=Vernon |first=David |date=2024 |title=Sun Forest Lake: The Symphonies & Tone Poems of Jean Sibelius |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Candle Row Press |isbn=978-1739659943 |ref=none}}
* {{cite thesis |last=Wicklund |first=Tuija |date=2014 |title=Jean Sibelius's ''En saga'' and Its Two Versions: Genesis, Reception, Edition, and Form |journal=Studia Musica |volume=57 |publisher=University of the Arts Helsinki, Sibelius Academy |url=http://ethesis.siba.fi/files/wicklund_vaitoskirja_vari.pdf }}

== External links ==
* {{IMSLP|work=En Saga, Op.9 (Sibelius, Jean)|cname=''En saga'', Op.&nbsp;9}}

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[[Category:Tone poems by Jean Sibelius]]
[[Category:1892 compositions]]
[[Category:1902 compositions]]