Kyllikki
Finnish work
Definition
A character in Finnish mythology appearing in the Kalevala, where she is captured by the hero Lemminkäinen and becomes his bride. Sibelius's three lyrical piano pieces Op.41, named Kyllikki, do not follow the narrative literally but evoke the emotional world of the legend — captivity, longing, and eventual acceptance.
Interpretive Guidance
Kyllikki is one of Sibelius's most sustained and dramatically ambitious piano works. Each of the three pieces has a distinct emotional character and should be felt as part of a continuous story, not as three separate miniatures. The third piece in particular needs the weight of what has come before.