Sibelius Symphony No. 3 in C major

It was premiered in Helsinki on September 25, 1907, conducted by Sibelius. It has three movements, and it turns toward a plainer, more classical style than his first two symphonies.

When Mahler came to Helsinki in November of that year, the two met. In the conversation as it has been passed down, Sibelius stressed the symphony's strict form and the deep logic that links its motifs, and Mahler is said to have answered, 'No, a symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.' However, this conversation is recorded only in a single book from 1935, so it isn't certain that he said exactly that.