Erkki Melartin - L’heure Bleue Op. 9, No. 5

Erkki Melartin (Feb. 7, 1875 - Feb. 14, 1937) was a Finnish composer, conductor, and teacher. He is generally considered to be one of Finland’s most significant national Romantic composers, although fellow Finn Jean Sibelius has overshadow much of his music. This piece is the 5th of 6 pieces from his Op. 9 set, and was composed in 1900. L’heure Bleue translates to The Blue Hour and refers to the period of twilight where the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon causing the sky to turn a blue shade. I guess Melartin’s intent was to capture that feeling/visual in this piece. I’d say he succeeded. Sheet music: ,(Melartin,_Erkki)