From The New York Times:
Arts, BrieflyI had the same reaction when I learned that two of my great-grandparents were Finnish peasants. My other great-grandparents had the good sense to be French-Canadian and American peasants.
Compiled by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
Published: December 9, 2005
[snip]
Sibelius Diaries Published
Diaries kept by the Finnish national composer Jean Sibelius from 1909 to 1944 have been published for the first time, Agence France-Presse reported. Seen previously by only a handful of researchers, the diaries cover his relationships with friends and family, publishers and economic matters. They reveal his anger at poor reviews and his disappointment at being unable to find one aristocrat among his ancestors. Sibelius (1865-1957) was particularly irate when genealogists traced his ancestry to Finnish peasants.
[snip]
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