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  3. 181952-74445

Jean Sibelius Recordings

   Sibelius was a late Romantic Composer, a Finnish Nationalist when Finland was being oppressively controlled by Tsarist Russia Politically and culturally when many of their elites felt closer ties with Sweden.  Much of his music evokes the great subarctic Finnish Landscape, and Finnish legends provide a subplot for much of it.

   Influences of Tchaikovsky and Bruckner abound but he had  a distinctive voice which grew more idiosyncratic through his creative lifespan.  He paints on vast Orchestral canvases, with powerful brass, cold and piercing woodwinds and rich shimmering strings.

   His best music will also test your system.  The Finnish Conductor Osmo Vanska had released a set of his music on the audiophile label BIS with a relatively small provincial Finnish Orchestra.  I heard him conduct Tapiola, perhaps Sibelius most evocative score, in Chicago soon after.  Clearly the CSO was several leagues ahead of the Lahti Symphony, but I couldn't believe how big and vast the sonic landscape was, truly evoking the limitless, pitiless Arctic Forests.  I have never been able to get any recording to even begin to approximate that sound on my system.

   Finnish musicians have taken the lead, and continue to do so, but Herbert von Karajan and Colin Davis (particularly in Boston) delivered superb performances as well.  I didn't much care for Leonard Bernstein in Sibelius, but his recording of the Violin Concerto with Francescati is incandescent.  I really dislike the current practice of slowing this work down and milking it.  Francescati and  Bernstein are Hell For Leather in one of the greatest recordings of anything.

   Any recommendations/favorites amongst the Sibelius recordings, both for performance and for sonics?

mahler123

Showing 4 responses by newbee

newbee
4,816 posts
 

FWIW, I think Sibelius sort of crossed over into being a neo classicist with his 3rd Symphony where he starts to develop his own distinct voice (which coincides with my interest in his music). I agree with your assessment of Van Karajan's 4th Sym. I like Bergman's cycle, especially with the COE. I think they flatter his  post romantic style. And while I'm here, I'm in love with the Finlandia Hymn for male choir. The unofficial national anthem. Very moving! Image soldiers marching off to war with Russia singing this song!! :-)

newbee
4,816 posts
 

LOL at myself - I guess I don't know the difference between a conductor and a director! Nice that no one thought to correct me. :-)

newbee
4,816 posts
 

LOL. Re Bruckner's influence - Much as I like parts of #8, I usually only listen to #9 and, sometimes #7. Sometimes I think I'd like to hear Bruckner done by the COE. :-)

newbee
4,816 posts
 

Love your descriptions of the symphonies. My favorites are the 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th. The 7th not so much. More abstract - a one off I think. #1 and # 2 are a great place to start with Sibelius but not to end up (That #2 never seams to end sometimes. I have the Makela set - have listened to it about 3 times and so far I'm not hearing anything unique or revelatory. Just OK. I don't have the Rouvali (yet). Most everything else though. No one ever mentions Jarvi, but his Sibelius on BIS ain't that bad. Try his third. FWIW I really don't care for overbroad performances, i.e. slow, even when done by a Finn. I have most of Vanska's recordings - I find them, generally, very reliable and BIS's recordings very good. I think I prefer the earlier BIS recordings. Re Berglund's COE performances, they remind me of what Harnoncourt did with Beethoven for those who tired of overbroad, over scored, stuff that had become a standard. Ditto for Schubert's 8 and 9 by Mackerras on Virgin.Guess I just like the COE. :-)

 

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