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More Sibelius symphony sets reviews
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Bozo
Dec 19, 2015, 8:27:07 AM12/19/15
to
About 20 minutes worth :
" Radio 3's ongoing Northern Lights season, Andrew McGregor explores two recently released sets of Sibelius symphonies."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3
SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER BPHR150071 (4CD + 1 Blu-ray Audio + 1 Blu-ray Video mid-price)
SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu (conductor)
BIS BIS2076 (3 Hybrid SACD mid-price)
" Radio 3's ongoing Northern Lights season, Andrew McGregor explores two recently released sets of Sibelius symphonies."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3
SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER BPHR150071 (4CD + 1 Blu-ray Audio + 1 Blu-ray Video mid-price)
SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu (conductor)
BIS BIS2076 (3 Hybrid SACD mid-price)
Gerard
Dec 19, 2015, 10:19:50 AM12/19/15
to
"Bozo" wrote in message
news:966b3d48-baee-4f2a...@googlegroups.com...
================
Where can I read those reviews?
news:966b3d48-baee-4f2a...@googlegroups.com...
Where can I read those reviews?
Gerard
Dec 21, 2015, 11:51:52 AM12/21/15
to
"Bozo" wrote in message
news:966b3d48-baee-4f2a...@googlegroups.com...
news:966b3d48-baee-4f2a...@googlegroups.com...
Conclusion: no reviews.
Kerrison
Dec 29, 2015, 12:42:35 PM12/29/15
to
On Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 3:19:50 PM UTC, Gerard wrote:
> "Bozo" wrote in message
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3
This "listen again" link has a time limit and will expire in 19 days time. If you scroll down the page you'll see the "playlist" for the programme and if you wish you can also listen to the various available recordings of Nielsen's 6th being compared.
> "Bozo" wrote in message
> ...
>
> About 20 minutes worth :
>
> " Radio 3's ongoing Northern Lights season, Andrew McGregor explores two
> recently released sets of Sibelius symphonies."
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3
>
> SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
> Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
> BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER BPHR150071 (4CD + 1 Blu-ray Audio + 1 Blu-ray Video
> mid-price)
>
> SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
> Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu (conductor)
> BIS BIS2076 (3 Hybrid SACD mid-price)
>
> ================
>
> Where can I read those reviews?
You can't read them, but you can hear them. Click the link as originally provide by "Bozo" and repeated below. You will see a photo of Andrew McGregor, the reviewer, in an audio panel. You click the "play" triangle bottom left, then slide the horizontal time-line thing to an hour-and-a-half along (not quite half-way, to about where his collar is) and that's where he reviews the Sibelius sets ...
>
> About 20 minutes worth :
>
> " Radio 3's ongoing Northern Lights season, Andrew McGregor explores two
> recently released sets of Sibelius symphonies."
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3
>
> SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
> Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
> BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER BPHR150071 (4CD + 1 Blu-ray Audio + 1 Blu-ray Video
> mid-price)
>
> SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1-7 (complete)
> Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu (conductor)
> BIS BIS2076 (3 Hybrid SACD mid-price)
>
> ================
>
> Where can I read those reviews?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3
This "listen again" link has a time limit and will expire in 19 days time. If you scroll down the page you'll see the "playlist" for the programme and if you wish you can also listen to the various available recordings of Nielsen's 6th being compared.
Gerard
Dec 29, 2015, 2:12:53 PM12/29/15
to
"Kerrison" wrote in message
news:e8114732-54c1-41de...@googlegroups.com...
========================
Thanks very much.
I found the part about Rattle's recording. Not Kamu.
(And the spoken text is in fast BBC English. Uhg.)
It hardly seems to be a "review".
news:e8114732-54c1-41de...@googlegroups.com...
Thanks very much.
I found the part about Rattle's recording. Not Kamu.
(And the spoken text is in fast BBC English. Uhg.)
It hardly seems to be a "review".
gggg...@gmail.com
Dec 30, 2015, 3:10:28 AM12/30/15
to
http://lottelehmannleague.org/singing-sins-archive/
Kerrison
Dec 30, 2015, 9:11:01 AM12/30/15
to
>
> The following 2 recent radio programs on Sibelius may be of interest:
>
> http://lottelehmannleague.org/singing-sins-archive/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR7skK_1Pjw
sfr...@nycap.rr.com
Dec 30, 2015, 5:13:19 PM12/30/15
to
From American Record Guide
MIFrost
Sibelius was born in 1865-about the same time as Delius, Debussy, Dukas, Nielsen, and Richard Strauss. He outlived them all (died 1957) but stopped composing in 1929. Of that generation only Debussy and Strauss are much heard in our concert halls; Delius and Nielsen live mainly on records. It has always been possible to ignore Sibelius, and most conductors have. But he has had some first-class champions: Koussevitzky, Beecham, Ormandy, Karajan, Bernstein. Among critics, some have come to appreciate him the way he was acclaimed in the early part of the century. (He was as popular as Beethoven as late as the 1930s.) Our John McKelvey calls him the 20th Century's greatest composer.
Most composers start where others left off. Sibelius started with Grieg, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Bruckner. His "sound", where not totally his own, is mostly Borodin and Grieg. From Bruckner he borrows devices like tremolo strings and the "pedal bass"--a sustained bass note underlining long stretches of music. From Tchaikovsky he learned how to create atmosphere and build great climaxes. Much of his music feels Northern and snowy, like Tchaikovsky's Winter Dreams. Some of the symphonies sound like they were composed backwards: they don't start with a theme, but it emerges gradually as he develops seemingly unrelated fragments. (Nielsen does the same thing.) Right from the start Sibelius had his own sound, but his individuality becomes more insistent as the series of symphonies progresses.
The First is full of Tchaikovskian tunes and Brucknerian harmonies. The popular Second is a bit more modern but still romantic-heroic. The Third takes us to an entirely different world. Some have called it his Pastoral Symphony, but don't think of shepherds frolicking in sunny green fields. Think instead of empty gray-and-white landscapes of snow and ice. Very atmospheric, but very Northern. The Sixth is the Third's more abstract sister; few conductors have any idea what to do with it. It's snowier and icier, and the landscape is less definite and realistic. The Fifth seems like a throwback to the Second, but it's a lot harder to bring off. Tension and the illusion of speed are essential; most performances are either slack or simply too fast. The Fourth lives in its own world: desolate, foggy, muddy, unrealbut also tense, heavy, and brooding. It seems rather austere after the first three. The Seventh may be even more enigmatic; it's certainly the most concise and tries very little for immediate appeal.
We have heard just about everything that's available. We won't delve into historical recordings in outdated sound (such as Koussevitzky and Kajanus). Most of them have self-evident value-in the performance or in the illumination of an important conductor's legacy.
Complete Editions of the Symphonies:
Philharmonia/Ashkenazy on London
Halle/Barbirolli on EMI
Bournemouth/Berglund on EMI
Helsinki/Berglund on EMI
Chamber Orch of Europe/Berglund on Ondine
New York/Bernstein on Sony
Boston/Colin Davis on Philips
London/Davis on RCA and LSO
Scottish/Gibson on Chandos
Gothenburg/Jarvi on BIS
Slovak Philharmonic/Leaper on Naxos
Iceland/Sakari on Naxos
New Zealand/Inkinen on Naxos
Vienna/Maazel on London
Pittsburgh/Maazel on Sony
Birmingham/Rattle on EMI
Berlin Symphony/Sanderling on Berlin
Helsinki/Saraste on Finlandia
Finnish Radio/Saraste on RCA
Danish Radio/Segerstam on Chandos
Helsinki Philharmonic/Segerstam on Ondine
BBC Philharmonic/Storgards on Chandos
(And we are sure we have missed some.)
Sibelius symphony sets have been very popular, partly because they can fit on only three discs, though a few symphonic poems often increase the number to four. Some of the older cycles have worn very well over the years (Halle/Barbirolli, Boston/Davis, Philharmonia/Ashkenazy, NY/Bernstein), some moderately well (Vienna/Maazel, Helsinki/Berglund), and some less well (Scottish/Gibson, Utah/Abravanel).
Karajan never did a complete cycle; he recorded all but the Third for EMI and DG (4-7 only). The DG set is slow, smooth, refined, and serene. There's a timeless beauty to it. The EMIs are warmer; many of us prefer their sound much of the time.
Many of the complete editions contain some very good performances. Some superb cycles are unavailable at any given moment. Barbirolli may have been the greatest Sibelius interpreter of all. His performances with the Halle Orchestra (1966-1970) are warm, vivid, and romantic. Some critics find them too warm, too sensual-too romantic. They are less "Northern" than most and sometimes almost grandiose. Instead of tightness of ensemble we have a wealth of inner detail and expressive flexibility. We wish the orchestra were more tonally attractive. He also recorded the Second with the Royal Philharmonic-a better orchestra with better sound. But even in No. 2, the EMI with his own Halle Orchestra has advantages, including a glorious climax. Some of us consider it the best ever.
Osmo Vanska did a complete series of symphonies for BIS with his Lahti Symphony. The orchestra is not big and lush, and the interpretations are rather straight--even to the point of stiff and unyielding sometimes. In 2012 he redid Symphonies 2 and 5 with the far richer-sounding Minnesota Orchestra. The interpretations seem better, too. No. 2 is slower and more expansive. If this Minnesota series continues it will probably be better than the Lahti series.
Segerstam did a Danish set for Chandos (1990-1992) that was not well received--too much fussing, not enough flow. It was very slow and slack--and uneven. The new Finnish set (from 10 years later) is more coherent and has better flow; tempos still seem flexible, but not arbitrary; and a few are among the best recordings. No. 2 is immobile and wax-like--very pompous. No. 6 is too "fussy" and so misses the flow. 7 is simply a clunker. 4 is natural and expansive. No. 1 builds beautifully.
Jarvi is cool and austere (nothing wrong with that in Sibelius) and is aided by excellent all-digital recordings of prodigious dynamic range. Sometimes he seems dry or slack or routine. Alexander Gibson is certainly never slack; his tendency is to press on at all costs, relying on forward motion per se. Often all one can hear is haste, and the music is under-characterized. Sometimes it works if you like things fast. His 2 is as propulsive and exciting overall as Szell's famous Concertgebouw recording, but with better sound and less of the angularity and abruptness of Szell.
There's also a lot to be said for Davis and the Boston Symphony. No. 1 is more vigorous than his latest, which is a bit slack. 2, 3, and 5 are not very good. We called Davis's 4 for Philips a stunning achievement; the mystery, yearning, and poignant beauty of his reading outstrips Rattle, Saraste, and even Bernstein. Sound and orchestra are always beautiful--a large part of the appeal of the Boston set. The strings are just icy enough and the winds bright and full of character.
The second set of Davis recordings has some of the best sound RCA has ever produced. Best are 3, 4, and 7--each one good enough to land a top recommendation. And No. 2 is much improved over his earlier rendition--more sonorous, better organized, resplendent, and Brahmsian. In 3 the central Andantino, with a perfectly judged tempo, has a timeless, almost cosmic contemplation about it--not too warm, not too cold, perfectly balanced and detailed; the outer movements are superb. The Editor dislikes Colin Davis in almost anything (stuffy, earnest, heavy), but most of us think that he brings something special to Sibelius. No. 7 has an intense, subtle concentration in the strings at crucial moments. It lifts the listener into melancholy nirvana, and this handling of the strings was what was so effective in his Philips recording, too. Symphony 1 is not a first choice here. Davis is good in 5--better than previously--but he can't quite get that big tune at the beginning of III to sound truly majestic and joyful, as in Bernstein's glorious Sony account. No. 6 is slower, drier, and has less contrast than in Boston.
Davis has a third series, with the London Symphony on the LSO's own label. The RCA series, 20 years after the Boston series, is quite a change: slower and much more stately--often downright Elgarian. They make the Boston ones sound almost reckless and impetuous. The third series does restore some of the energy of the Boston series, if not the profundity. It's still often slow and stodgy, and most of us still prefer Boston. Colin Davis didn't seem to have the grace and finesse needed for this and much other music. He was usually lumpy and stodgy, and he missed the natural flow of most of the music he conducted. Our Editor finds him vastly overestimated.
Ashkenazy is a really fine Sibelian; the Philharmonia plays superbly for him, and London's digital recordings are warm and lucid. 1 and 4 are the best. (McKelvey would add 2 and 5, but Barker dislikes 2 and Vroon 5.) His orchestral textures are not as cold, brisk, or chaste as some; there is a healthy warmth.
Simon Rattle has his orchestra sounding great, and he brings tremendous intensity to hushed pianissimo passages, which lends urgency and excitement to his readings. His tempos are never rushed, and his exposition of Sibelius's rhetoric is logical and concise. 1 and 7 are the weakest; 2 better, 3 better yet, and 4 perhaps best of all, though he gives us one of the rare oustanding 5s, too. Rattle is bright, forward, and intense (partly that's the sound) and gives us Sibelius as the untamed force of nature.
The Birmingham orchestra also recorded a set under Sakari Orama for Warner. Only John McKelvey has heard it, but he liked it, even if the orchestra isn't among the best that have recorded them.
Saraste is wonderfully cool, yet still very expressive. We prefer his RCA series; the other was recorded in concert in St Petersburg and is a rather veiled and colorless recording. Even the performances seem restrained and even timid.
The Vienna Maazel (Vienna Philharmonic, 1964) is quite a bargain. Not only is it budget price, but all seven symphonies are on three discs. With the money you save you could buy a decent 5 and a better 1. The sound is still competitive with more recent recordings, and the orchestra plays beautifully. His Pittsburgh series is beautifully recorded, and the orchestra play angelically: the strings are smooth and silken, the woodwind and brass incredibly refined. In fact, some people will find it too warm and rich and creamy for Sibelius. It's romantic the way Barbirolli was, but the orchestra is much, much better.
Sanderling is not very romantic but big on clarity, so 6 and 7 are his best, and 4 is more coherent than usual. But 1,2, and 5 are terrible. Some complete cycles are only mentioned when we consider an individual symphony worth discussing (below).
Paavo Berglund was an old hand at Sibelius and a fine interpreter. The last of his three sets, from the late 90s, was with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He argued that the orchestra Sibelius wrote for was smaller than today's and the cellos in particular generated a less forceful sound. He beefs up the strings for the more romantic ones (1,2,5), but he is specifically trying not to be romantic at all. His old EMI recordings in Bournemouth were broader and more powerful, more moving. The Helsinki recordings were pretty mainstream and don't stand out, though they are usually adequate. He is not a romantic conductor, and these COE performances are even more objective and straightforward than usual for him, with more attention to details. Sometimes they are even stiff. There is less spontaneity and flow. But our reviewer liked No. 6. Later he recorded Nos. 5 and 6 with the London Philharmonic; those have been issued on the LPO label, and they are probably his best--and among the best ever. The LPO also issued 2 and 7; they were also praised--especially 2--and the sound is gorgeous. If you want the full effect of Sibelius, a larger orchestra is better.
There have been three Naxos sets. The Leaper had one or two very good ones (No.6), but both that cycle and the Sakari were mostly rather dull. The Sakaris earned adjectives like flat and generic and unromantic--too literal and too neutral, with little tension. 6 and 7 were the best ones. The third set, led by Pietari Inkinen, is the best of the three. The orchestra sounds light and lean, with transparent textures, and they play with great concentration. There's a lot of control and subtlety, but that reduces the natural flow. The First and Third are especially good, but none is the best you can hear.
Osmo Vanska on BIS brings warmth and profundity to his readings-not quite the cold, austere Sibelius some might prefer, but it's tremendously expressive. His 4 is a shattering experience from beginning to end--serious, probing, tragic, and not for the faint of heart. Vanska tends to be brooding, emotional, and introspective--good traits for a Sibelian--and this infuses 2 as well as 3. The Andantino of 3 is taken at a very slow pace, 11:12, which creates an almost unbearable tension. (That movement is often way too fast.) He leads a rounded and warmly expressive 2, carefully shaping phrases; but it's never studied or stiff. On the other hand, 1:I is too fast and clipped--this is the least satisfying symphony in the set. The Fifth is given in two versions, the original 1915 and the one we are used to from 1919. Both are straightforward, tastefully understated, and well played. The 1915 is awkward, obviously unpolished, but perhaps interesting to the collector. Symphony 7 is good, but not as good as Davis. Symphony 6 is the best--a breakthrough interpretation. Few conductors know what to do with this elusive, magical panorama of ice-blue color and melodic fragments, but Vanska puts it across with an emotional dedication that brings each phrase exquisitely alive. Perhaps never before has this symphony sounded so good or made so much sense. Vanska can do that: bring every phrase alive and make it tell.
Bernstein recorded all for Sony and repeated four of them (1,2,5,7) for DG in the late 1980s--a period when he got very slow and tried to wring every bit of emotion out of the music he was conducting. No. 2 is especially bad for DG but was especially good for Sony. No. 1 isn't bad on DG but was better in New York. No. 5 is decidedly better on Sony--in fact, absolutely unbeatable. He's competing with himself. Only 7 is better on DG with the Vienna Philharmonic.
The Sony series sound great; even the orchestra is sumptuous.
THe Philharmonia/Ashkenazy cycle is appealing, but Ashkenazy's No. 2 is not a top recommendation, even though it has a smooth, expressive maturity, architectural unity, and a transcendent climax (those soaring violins over the plucked basses) that can lift you into the clouds. Don't confuse it with the newer Boston/Ashkenazy, not nearly as good. The set also contains a fine, chaste 1, a melancholy rather than depressing 4, and one of the better 7s. Although many will prefer a more Scandinavian chill, Ashkenazy is naturally expressive and on target.
In this issue we review the newest Chandos set with the BBC Philharmonic under John Storgards. 3, 6, and 7 are really wonderful; the orchestra is glorious. 2, 4, and 5 are not worth having despite the playing and sound; and No. 1 is acceptable but not great. If you get a chance to sample this set, you will be amazed at the sound-both the orchestra and the engineering.
Practical Matters
Deletions are very common, especially at EMI. The Karajan 1, 5, and 7; the Beecham 7, and the Barbirolli 1 all seem in and out of the catalog--but they do come back! Such outstanding recordings should be kept around. The ones that take their places are never as good. The Simon Rattle series is no longer available on single discs. It is hard to find the Ashkenazys. The Okko Kamu 3--the best we have ever heard--came into the market and was deleted so fast that none of us got a chance to buy it! The Ormandy 2 on RCA has had three different numbers. There's a lot of reissuing, with number changes. If we list numbers, we often list the number of the issue we reviewed, which may no longer apply.
Our discussion of the individual symphonies and the listings take no account of what is readily available, and the numbers may not be current. We have recommended nothing with inferior sound. If you buy anything we list, we are sure you will be pleased. All are strong recommendations, but often the first few are in a class by themselves.
1 Stokowski was stuck with an undernourished string section and rather rushed the final movement, but he gave us one of the most sensitive interpretations ever, with a very moving II. The Ormandy was also excellent, as one would expect: great sound and well-nourished strings (CBS or RCA). Barbirolli was the slowest ever, but simply wonderful. Some phrases are stretched out of shape, and the sound can be rough, but the intensity and beauty are amazing. Anyone who loves the sound of the symphony orchestra may be seduced by the Davis-even if the interpretation is not the very best. (Boston is better than later Davis, which can sound bloated.) Karajan has the slowest II and the fastest III: there can't be that much difference between Andante, ma non troppo lento and Allegro! It's an exaggeration but curiously moving. Distortions of this sort make Karajan Karajan. Watch out for aggressive brass and timpani, though: he uses them to produce much of the excitement lost in slower tempos. The Ashkenazy is quite opposite. In John Barker's words, "If you have found the First too blatant or crude in the past, give the work another chance in this more introspective approach." (The Pittsburgh Maazel is similar.)
The DG Bernstein (N/D 1992) is not as good as the earlier one (Sony) in sound or interpretation. The Sony belongs next to the Barbirolli as one of the great recordings-but it is Barbirolli who exaggerates and hesitates and stretches. He makes Bernstein sound sober and moderate-but also vigorous and passionate. The New York Philharmonic is stunning--and what strings! The DG tends to go slack.
Saraste is bracing, his sound brilliant: crisp and cool and clean, with amazing clarity and yet a sensuous fuzz on the strings. A very coherent and very Finnish Sibelius First. Kamu, also Finnish, had perspective and clarity of vision. Segerstam (Swedish; Chandos) reads this symphony in light of later ones; it's not very romantic and even a little annoying.
None of us like Jansons very much; it's severe, lacking in expression. This symphony is very romantic Sibelius; don't buy an unromantic performance! (Another one is Gibson, who is generally too straight-laced for most of us.) The old Beecham LP (Columbia) was not stereo, but may turn up on CD. Great interpretation; slower than Bernstein but faster than Maazel. Beecham approaches the big theme in the last movement in a hushed manner; Bernstein goes the opposite way and has it sing out boldly from the start. The Pittsburgh Maazel is similar to Beecham and beautifully recorded with only two microphones and no mixing. Maazel seems almost as romantic as Barbirolli but more introverted and subdued. There's less pressing, outgoing passion than with Barbirolli--or Bernstein, naturally (he did tend to push his feelings in your face!). We called the Pittsburgh Maazel the best Sibelius First when it came out. He surpassed his own Vienna recording.
Barbirolli EMI
Saraste RCA 7765
Maazel (Pittsburgh) Sony 52566
Ormandy RCA
Ormandy Sony
Bernstein Sony
Kamu DG
Ashkenazy London (Decca)
2 This was written in 1901 in Italy. It belongs in the late romantic period, but its form was revolutionary and forward-looking. The smooth, perfectly judged Ormandy has worn well over time and now seems a classic. The Szell recording has often been praised, but some of us can't stand the tight, rigid approach. There's no rhapsody or romance, but the textures are clear and the playing robust and disciplined. Karajan has a little more feeling, Davis a little more yet; but both are basically controlled, intellectual conductors-not ideal for this boldly romantic music. The Boston strings have a couple of rough moments; and Davis, like Karajan, always gives too much prominence to brass, bass, and percussion. But the Philips sound is nice.
Telarc gave Levi similar sound, but his Sibelius is a total loss-dull, pedantic, without character. Blomstedt is another conductor who never lets go, who controls things too tightly. Our critic also complained about the engineering in his Sibelius 2. Ormandy and Barbirolli give us a more homogenized, smooth, string-dominated sound, along with emotional warmth. Of course, one can overdo the emotion, as Bernstein does in his second (DG) recording. That one is so slow and self-indulgent it collapses under its own weight. But Bernstein can make this a moving experience to all but the hard-hearted, and his earlier CBS/Sony is one of the great recordings--so moving, so passionate, so fully realized. It may seem too hot-blooded for a Northern composer, but what climaxes!
In the fiery category, nothing matched Beecham (terrible sound, though)--certainly not the sloppy, wooly, but still exciting Monteux. EMI may someday reissue the rich-and-creamy Previn. We liked Thomas Schippers in this; it was reissued by Sony. We rated the Jarvi quite high--"superbly nuanced". And we liked JoAnn Falletta in Buffalo: her balances and nuances are excellent, and she knows how to shape a long line and keep the rhythm lively. But the orchestra is not as attractive as some of the others who have recorded this. (Think of the rich and creamy Previn!)
There was a London Symphony/Mackerras No. 2 that had beautiful sound and playing, though it could have been better with more strings. There's not much lingering, but it's very satisfying.
Segerstam (both) is very ordinary in this work--a well-proportioned but somehow lifeless performance, like a beautiful statue.
Jansons is turgid both times. The second time (Concertgebouw) he misses all the atmosphere and plows thru the music with no subtlety or nuance. The orchestra is ragged and tentative, with much blaring brass. Saraste is a bit cool but not as cool as Karajan or Szell, who are distant and forbidding next to his. Saraste has impressive clarity of sound, good textures and proportions.
As with all the symphonies, we have reviewed many others, and we have liked very few. Check our indexes.
Barbirolli EMI
Barbirolli Chesky
Bernstein Sony
Ormandy RCA 60489
Ormandy Sony 53509
3 The central Andantino is the atmospheric soul of the work, and any conductor who doesn't get it right just doesn't get it. A slow tempo is necessary. Some of us like the RCA Davis. His earlier Philips recording is choppy and clinical.
The superiority of Okko Kamu (DG, with a Finnish orchestra) is utterly obvious to anyone with ears. This is an atmosphere piece, and it must not be driven or tampered with too obviously. Kamu gives it an utterly natural flow. Next to Kamu Davis sounds all wrong: choppy and clinical. Same for Gibson. In fact, the only ones that can stand up next to Kamu are Jarvi and Segerstam. Jarvi has truly gorgeous sound, for one thing. Kamu's II had more lilt and charm; and the tempo (borrowed from the historic Kajanus recording) was more relaxed and mellow. But Jarvi does produce much more excitement in III, which Kamu treats as an atmosphere piece almost without climax (like the first movement, which just suddenly ends with a tacked-on "Amen"). Since Kamu has been out of the catalog for a long time, Jarvi is a more realistic choice. (But why is the Fool's Song missing from the King Christian Suite?)
Segerstam also takes the slow tempo in II, and John McKelvey and Lawrence Hansen insist that his readings belong on our very short list. Naturally, Chandos gives Segerstam richer sonics than DG gave Kamu; this helps a lot in the dark, brooding middle movement. Mr Hansen's review is worth reading before you buy the symphony (Mar/Apr 1993).
We have liked much of Saraste's Sibelius, but his 3 is all wrong--too driven, too lacking in atmosphere. Vanska falls into the warm, expressive category. Ashkenazy is too lightweight in the middle movement, but EMI Berglund is lyrical without shorting the atmosphere.
Kamu DG
Jarvi BIS 228
Segerstam Chandos 9083
4 Many consider this Sibelius's greatest work. Heavy, sober, and restrained, it is a large-scale composition with brooding power and sonorous beauty. Herbert von Karajan owned this music: it is exactly the kind of thing he did better than anyone else. It is heavy and brooding, and the Berlin strings are darker and weightier than the others. The choice between EMI and DG is easy when you listen to both: the EMI has incredibly rich sound, and the performance is slower and smoother (more brooding). It is also coupled with the best 6, though the DG is also coupled with a fine 6. After Karajan no one seems to plumb the depths of this work. Some don't seem to understand it at all (eg, Davis-though a few of us like the RCA). You can't miss the fact that something's missing. But if you like it lighter, John Barker and the Editor recommend Ashkenazy, who gets through it seven minutes faster but still sounds terrific. Maybe it's for people who don't want to get depressed. But unfortunately, it is coupled with Ashkenazy's wretched 5. Berglund's chamber orchestra reading is also lighter. John McKelvey prefers Rattle.
The Segerstam has a high level of intensity, powerful internal tensions. It's a vivid but natural recording. The Pittsburgh Maazel is dark and withdrawn but quite compelling. Blomstedt is again very dull, plain, and tensionless. The only excitement lies in the excellent orchestra and sound. Vanska is very good
Karajan EMI 64027
Ashkenazy London 430 749
Segerstam Chandos 8943; Ondine
Karajan DG 415 108
5 Karajan owned this one, too. Of the three stereo Karajans, some may prefer the earliest, with the Philharmonia Orchestra (hard to find at the moment). The sound was particularly sweet, airy, and attractive. There was also an EMI CD from a recording made in Berlin 20 years later (in the 70s). It's more intense, more dramatic, more powerful; and the Berlin Philharmonic is much darker and heavier. You should hear this CD: it's stunning! It is hard to believe anyone could listen to this and not consider Karajan one of the greatest conductors. But EMI has deleted it. There's nothing wrong with the DG 5th, but the sound is pretty pale compared to EMI.
The other conductor who really made something of the 5th is Bernstein. The later Vienna Philharmonic recording is very good but not better than the New York on Sony, which many of us favor as the best we know. Both are brighter than either Karajan, and the tempos in the last two movements are slower. But Bernstein's is a brilliant interpretation, with plenty of tension. The Vienna recording has that glorious orchestra and the Seventh Symphony.
Our reviewer considered Berglund's 5 and 6 with the London Philharmonic among the best ever recorded, with "sound of crystalline clarity and ambience". We also found the Saraste Fifth very satisfying and evocative (LPO 57).
Our review of the Pittsburgh Maazel was positive: great playing; colorful, well-proportioned interpretation. His Vienna recording was pretty bad. Segerstam has great sound and playing, but his interpretation is earthbound. Blomstedt is utterly conventional, perfunctory, and uninspired. The Rattle and the Ashkenazy are both failures: the music plods along episodically, has no shape or form or goal.
Karajan (Berlin) EMI
Karajan (London) EMI
Bernstein Sony
Bernstein DG 427 647
Karajan DG 415 107
6 The icy, poetic 6 comes in four movements quite close in tempo, except for the very brief III. Most conductors haven't a clue. It's one of Sibelius's finest achievements--an enchanting mosaic--cool, organic, and luxurious.
Karajan has all the atmosphere and poetry. And he gets just the right sound out of the Berlin Philharmonic: there's a chill on it, as if they could sense that this is the snowiest, frostiest thing Sibelius ever wrote. The EMI has creamier string sound than the DG; it's gorgeous, but the DG isn't far behind.
The Editor lived for years with the beautiful-sounding, wonderfully-played, but utterly prosaic Davis; now he has come to prefer the Saraste. The playing and conducting--and sound--seem so Finnish, so perfectly suited to the music. How few conductors can bring this off! And the strings seem as sweet and pure as a mountain stream.
Robert Spano (Atlanta) presents a 6 with lots of problems. III is heavy-handed, but it all comes together at the end of the symphony.
Segerstam is very slow but rich in detail. Some of us find that "fussy". Rattle is miserably heavy and serious, and the sound of his orchestra is not cool and clear like Saraste or Karajan.
Leaper's 6th on Naxos is perfectly conducted and very well recorded, but the orchestra sounds central European-too warm for this very Northern symphony. You have only to play the Karajan or Saraste alongside it to hear that clearly.
Berglund on Finlandia is like sunlight on an Alpine meadow. His chamber orchestra can't convey the mystery Karajan brings to II, but his strengths lie in supreme clarity, tonal purity, and luminous detail.
Vanska is in a class by himself. What he finds is an amazingly expressive, complex, heartfelt symphony-not merely the interesting tone painting most make of it. He has gorgeous strings, warm and balanced woodwinds, sumptuous brass, and powerful, precise bass. He brings the work emotionally alive, shaping the inner voices with great concentration and no loss of flow.
Karajan EMI
Saraste RCA 60157
Berglund LPO 65
Vanska BIS 864
7 is a large-scale one-movement work that the composer labeled a symphony only as an afterthought. It is a gripping, highly integrated composition. Few conductors do it justice. Karajan's has long been praised, and some of us preferred the warmer EMI to the DG. The wonderful Beecham (1955) keeps returning. One of us called the Ashkenazy "a wonderful projection of the music ... more delicate and thoughtful than I would have imagined possible ... a stunning recording, in a class with Karajan." But most of us think it is not intense enough. We called the DG Bernstein "magisterial" in a rave review. The Pittsburgh/Maazel is beautifully delineated--the music makes more sense than it used to. We also liked Robert Spano in Atlanta. In excellent sound he presents the music very differently from most--a fresh interpretation.
Jarvi fails miserably, blasting through it as if he's late to dinner. Vanska lets us down only slightly; his expressive nature disallows the fearful emptiness that hovers around this work. The chamber-orchestra Berglund is thoughtful and interesting, but uninspired. In the earlier Davis on Philips there is a subtle intensity in the Boston strings. The newer one is sonically warmer, but still intense. Davis gives us a bleak picture of the work (as he does in 4); and there is a refined, deadly earnestness you can't miss. (And some of us do find it deadly.)
Karajan EMI
Beecham EMI 9693
Ashkenazy Decca (London)
Bernstein DG 427 647
Karajan DG 415 107
Maazel Sony 52566
Kullervo
There are not very many recordings of Kullervo (Sibelius in 1891, before his symphonies). It's a long, rambling five-movement work based on a folk tale from the Kalevala (yet another K!), and two movements require chorus and voices. For a long time the only recording was a fine one from 1970 by Berglund. Lately it is becoming better known through recordings by Davis, Vanska, Segerstam, and the two Jarvis (N. and P.)--all good.
Davis may seem to have more raw power than Vanska, but Vanska is much more subtle and impressive. We liked Robert Spano's Telarc recording (one of only two American ones). Rasileinen on CPO has a mostly Finnish cast that sounds idiomatic. Segerstam's Danish recording is electrifying and often makes Berglund seem sluggish. He keeps it moving and reduces its tendency to bloat. Neeme Jarvi is also on the fast side, but what gorgeous sound BIS gave him! His son Paavo, in Stockholm for Virgin, also has rich, warm sound with a terrific sheen on it and is much slower and more moving than his father. It's a powerful recording with strong rhythmic sensitivity. The only really bad recording is by Salonen. That is both soggy and utterly unromantic. Salonen should not be allowed to conduct Sibelius!
Violin Concerto
Traditional loyalties die hard, and many a critic will direct you to Heifetz or Oistrakh. Our editor is a strong Oistrakh fan, but he insists (as did our reviewer) that Marcovici and Jarvi are every bit as good and sound better. And the Vengerov recording will replace the Oistrakh for some people. We called it deeply moving, dark, rich, powerful, exciting. Some of us find it heavy-handed, and that may be mostly the conductor and orchestra (Barenboim in Chicago). The dark orchestra sometimes obscures details, but it's a very nice sound.
There is nothing sacred about the great names of a generation or two back; we are still turning out incredible artists today. The Rachlin/Maazel recording was also praised in our pages; we called it the slowest on records, an off-the-beaten path interpretation with lots of wearmth and flexibility and expression--curiously satisfying, but not mainstream. Salerno-Sonnenberg's tone is huge and almost three-dimensional; her reading is not at all "Northern", but full of personality, enthusiasm, and drama. Gil Shaham sounds effortless in comparison--but also dull. And his conductor, Sinopoli, is lumbering and amorphous. Spivakov has a thin, wiry tone; his whole performance is simply uncompetitive. Nigel Kennedy is rather shallow and showy but not distorted. Gidon Kremer recorded it in 1977 with Rozhdestvensky, a great Sibelius conductor. He is quite profound, with an amazing range of moods. Angele Dubeau has tremendous intensity, heartbreaking poetry, and a vast, timeless quality, though she is not as fiery as some. Another rather brooding one is Midori's; the mood is right, and you easily get submerged in it. Hilary Hahn recorded it with Salonen, who miniaturizes it and seems impatient with its ruggedness. It's just too tinkly-delicate. Another one rather spoiled by the conductor is Batiashvili. A few of us think Francescatti captures this work's wonder, mystery, and heroism without resorting to excess. The sound is too lean, but it is a sublime reading.
Perlman's first recording was the Sibelius with Leinsdorf in Boston (1966). It's delicate and well characterized, but hardly competitive in such a crowded field. A later Perlman, with Previn, does not sound good to us: soloist too close-up, orchestra echoey and unbalanced. Joshua Bell, another audience favorite, doesn't sound very involved in this. Technical excellence cannot make up for emotional distance. (Actually, the Editor would say that Mr Bell simply doesn't get emotionally involved in much of anything, and that means he is best where that is not required.) Christian Tetzlaff also seems distant, but in his case it is probably the miking; it tends to flatten out the music. Khachatryan on Naxos is best at the quieter passages--very expressive--but he doesn't rise to the fiery passages. Zehetmair has a light, almost insubstantial tone that fails to convey the vitality and emotion of the music. Zimmermann on Ondine is another lighter performance, rather quick, avoiding romantic expression.
Kuusisto on Ondine won raves from us: rich, dark, creamy tone, yet a ruggedness that suits the music. Very expressive and songful, with wonderful detail. We had a mixed verdict on Gringolts/Jarvi. We like the conducting, and there are many great moments in I and II. But III needs to be more assertive. Repin is very solid and efficient, but there is no elan, no brio. He drains the music of character, personality, and warmth. We described Kraggerud on Naxos as "stodgy".
We liked Adele Anthony on Centaur--slow, warm, and atmospheric. But most of what we have reviewed we have not liked, and there's no sense listing all of them. The work is played and recorded by every violinist--or so it seems.
Marcovici BIS 372
Vengerov Teldec 13161
Salerno-Sonnenberg EMI 54855
Oistrakh Sony 47659
Heifetz RCA 61744
Kuusisto Ondine 878 or 1115
All the other violin-and-orchestra pieces are on BIS 472: the six Humoresques, two Serenades, and Two Serious Melodies. Dong-Suk Kang is the violinist.
Kalevala Legends
These four pieces (45 minutes) are attractive Sibelius, and the priceless Ormandy has been on EMI CD. (Mr Bauman called it "incandescent">) It's from 1978, and the playing has sweep and beautiful tone. We know no better recording, but we liked the Jarvi (BIS) when the Ormandy was unavailable, and the Gibson (also from 1978) was not bad, but eclipsed by Jarvi and Ormandy. Another one we praised was Segerstam on Ondine, with the Helsinki orchestra, with its cool, clear articulation and tone. The Paavo Jarvi recording, from Sweden, is darker, with less clarity, but beautifully conducted--much subtlety and rounding of edges. The Sakari was probably the best of his Sibelius series on Naxos--very smooth and sophisticated. We hated Salonen, but he has often shown himself an anti-romantic who is completely out of sympathy with Sibelius. The LA Philharmonic also played badly.
There not many recordings of it (though 'The Swan of Tuonela' is often recorded on its own). Besides the ones mentioned there are Segerstam on Ondine, Mikko Franck on the same label (not praised in ARG), Saraste on RCA, Sinaisky on Brilliant (not good), and Vanska on BIS (we liked that one).
Ormandy EMI 88679
Segerstam Ondine 852
Symphonic Poems
These span the composer's whole career, from En Saga of 1892 to Tapiola of 1925. (He composed almost nothing for the last 30 years of his life.) These orchestral masterpieces are based on Finnish legend and myth, and they parallel the symphonies in their developmental genius and in the range of their emotion and drama. You may pick up a number of the tone poems and suites as fill when you buy the symphonies, but we should mention some recordings.
Swanwhite and Belshazzar's Feast are nicely conducted by Jarvi (BIS 359); the latter is Sibelius in an exotic oriental mood. Should the Leningrad/Rozhdestvensky make it to CD, it might replace the Jarvi as first choice. BIS has also issued Swanwhite with Vanska, coupled with the complete incidental music for The Tempest on one release and with the very rare Wood Nymph on another (815). That latter Swanwhite is 14 selections rather than the 7 in the suite-yet it only takes a minute or so longer. But it's so beautifully played that it seems much stronger than the suite under Jarvi.
A pleasant collection of suites (Mignonne, Champetre) and short tone poems (Spring Song, The Bard) may be found on BIS 384. We do not recommend BIS 610, a collection of pieces already issued with the symphonies. They don't seem as good as performances by other conductors.
King Christian II is beautiful music, and the Jarvi recording is best; it comes with Symphony 3.
Pohjola's Daughter has a thrilling theme in the brass, and both Bernstein and Ormandy made great recordings of it. Jarvi (BIS) sounds darker and mellower, but very beautiful. We also liked Rozhdestvensky (London Symphony) in this piece; he's slower but the delayed climaxes are very moving. The Vanska is not special, but his collection of these emphasizes the sheer beauty of the pieces (Saga, Night Ride, Bard, Oceanides). Ormandy's Pohjola was for RCA and is coupled with the Second Symphony. Bernstein's comes with his Fifth and with his first three symphonies, as well as on Sony 48271 with more miscellaneous Sibelius conducted by Ormandy: Karelia, Finlandia, En Saga, Swan of Tuonela, Valse Triste. Ormandy's Karelia still seems the most sensible and attractive, and he refuses to distend 'Valse Triste' the way many others do. (But Beecham did the greatest recording of that little piece.) Saraste's fine Karelia comes with his excellent First Symphony--as does his stirring Finlandia.
The Editor loved the Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Ormandy Finlandia above all others. A few other recordings include a chorus--in one case a male chorus (Segerstam on Ondine 1040 with Symphony 4). Paavo Jarvi conducted one on Virgin.
There is an EMI disc that includes Karajan's Finlandia, Karelia, Swan, Saga, and Tapiola. The best of these is Tapiola, and there is no other great recording of that remarkable tone poem except Beecham. We don't like Saraste's, and Segerstam (with Symphony 3) needs more momentum, though some of us like the intensity. (Some of us also like Ashkenazy.) Segerstam also does a fine Karelia, Oceanides, and Tempest (Ondine). Beecham's EMI Tempest has the best remastered monaural sound you'll ever hear. It might have been recorded last week--and we all agreed that all the performances (including Festivo, Karelia Suite, Finlandia, and Scenes Historiques) are wonderful.
Segerstam on Chandos is expansive and sounds terrific. He has depth as well as warmth, but his slow tempos are controversial. His Historic Scenes have lyricism, majesty, superb orchestral playing, and rich tone color; his Pelleas and Melisande is exquisitely poetic. Segerstam's Helsinki readings of the The Oceanides and Night Ride and Sunrise on the Ondine label are spectacular as well as detailed. Both suites of The Tempest are properly atmospheric.
No one should miss Pelleas and Melisande, and the peerless Beecham keeps coming back. Rozhdestvensky was excellent but is hard to find on CD. There are also Karajan and Kamu. (But we don't like Kamu's Finlandia disc of Karelia.)
Sir Malcolm Sargent conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in Finlandia, En Saga, Swan of Tuonela, and Karelia Suite. It dates from 1963 but sounds beautiful on CD. If you spot it somewhere, pick it up. It also adds a BBC Symphony Pohjola's Daughter that isn't among the best.
If you buy Saraste's Sixth Symphony you will get his superb Historic Scenes, both sets. There are only three other recordings of them: Gibson, Jarvi, and Inkinen-we rather like the Inkinen (Naxos). There was a wonderful monaural Beecham, and a mediocre Jussi Jalas on a London/Decca LP. And there was a wonderful reading of mystery and strength by the Kansas City Symphony under Michael Stern (Reference 115). These pieces are off-the-beaten-path Sibelius, of interest only to people who really like his music (or Shakespeare).
BIS issued a six-disc set (1912) of the theatre music: Swanwhite, King Christian, Kuolema, Pelleas, Everyman, Tempest, 12th Night, Belshazzar's Feast, Scaramouche. The main attraction is music you can't find anywhere else, because this set includes not the suites, but ALL the music he wrote for these plays. For example, we get 11 pieces for Belshazzar instead of the usual 4 and 37 items for The Tempest and 21 for Scaramouche. Vanska also recorded the complete Karelia for BIS (918)--a great rarity.
Chandos reissued two discs of tone poems led by Gibson. Some of us don't respond to that conductor (and this is very English Sibelius), but Mr Hecht was quite taken with the recordings.
Avoid the tone poems led by Sakari and Inkinen on Naxos: really boring. Also pretty tame are the Colin Davis readings of Night Ride and Sunrise and Oceanides, and his Karelia is eccentric (all RCA). Adrian Boult was very boring in Sibelius.
Beecham EMI 9693 (Pel & Mel; Tapiola; Oceanides)
Beecham EMI 52474 (Tempest; Historic Scenes)
Sargent EMI 63367 or 69134 (Finlandia; Saga; Swan; Karelia)
Karajan EMI 76847 (Saga; Swan; Tapiola+)
Jarvi BIS 359 (Swanwhite; Belshazzar)
Vanska BIS 581 (Belshazzar; Tempest)
Vanska BIS 815 (Wood Nymph & Swanwhite)
Jarvi BIS 228 (King Christian)
Bernstein & Ormandy Sony 48271
The Sibelius songs are among the best ever written. A number of recordings are satisfying, but Ann Sophie von Otter on BIS is a good place to start. In Volume I she is expressively sweet, convincing, natural in her recital, and very well recorded. Other fine recordings are by Elisabeth Soderstrom, Monica Groop, and Karita Mattila. On the same label as Mattila is Jorma Hynninen, whose baritone is gorgeous (Ondine 823). Another wonderful male voice that tackled these is Kim Borg. His 1959 recording was reissued by DG (4776612). We didn't care for Jurmu on Naxos: a forced and unpleasant voice and a plodding style. By the way, BIS has issued five discs of Sibelius songs, for compleatists.
The Sibelius Academy Quartet recorded the "complete quartets", though they are not very interesting. But any Sibelian must have the final Intimate Voices Quartet in D minor. One fine recording of it is by the Oslo Quartet on CPO 999977. We also liked the Tempera Quartet on BIS and the Daedalus Quartet on Bridge ("exquisite"-9202).
MIFrost
Sibelius was born in 1865-about the same time as Delius, Debussy, Dukas, Nielsen, and Richard Strauss. He outlived them all (died 1957) but stopped composing in 1929. Of that generation only Debussy and Strauss are much heard in our concert halls; Delius and Nielsen live mainly on records. It has always been possible to ignore Sibelius, and most conductors have. But he has had some first-class champions: Koussevitzky, Beecham, Ormandy, Karajan, Bernstein. Among critics, some have come to appreciate him the way he was acclaimed in the early part of the century. (He was as popular as Beethoven as late as the 1930s.) Our John McKelvey calls him the 20th Century's greatest composer.
Most composers start where others left off. Sibelius started with Grieg, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Bruckner. His "sound", where not totally his own, is mostly Borodin and Grieg. From Bruckner he borrows devices like tremolo strings and the "pedal bass"--a sustained bass note underlining long stretches of music. From Tchaikovsky he learned how to create atmosphere and build great climaxes. Much of his music feels Northern and snowy, like Tchaikovsky's Winter Dreams. Some of the symphonies sound like they were composed backwards: they don't start with a theme, but it emerges gradually as he develops seemingly unrelated fragments. (Nielsen does the same thing.) Right from the start Sibelius had his own sound, but his individuality becomes more insistent as the series of symphonies progresses.
The First is full of Tchaikovskian tunes and Brucknerian harmonies. The popular Second is a bit more modern but still romantic-heroic. The Third takes us to an entirely different world. Some have called it his Pastoral Symphony, but don't think of shepherds frolicking in sunny green fields. Think instead of empty gray-and-white landscapes of snow and ice. Very atmospheric, but very Northern. The Sixth is the Third's more abstract sister; few conductors have any idea what to do with it. It's snowier and icier, and the landscape is less definite and realistic. The Fifth seems like a throwback to the Second, but it's a lot harder to bring off. Tension and the illusion of speed are essential; most performances are either slack or simply too fast. The Fourth lives in its own world: desolate, foggy, muddy, unrealbut also tense, heavy, and brooding. It seems rather austere after the first three. The Seventh may be even more enigmatic; it's certainly the most concise and tries very little for immediate appeal.
We have heard just about everything that's available. We won't delve into historical recordings in outdated sound (such as Koussevitzky and Kajanus). Most of them have self-evident value-in the performance or in the illumination of an important conductor's legacy.
Complete Editions of the Symphonies:
Philharmonia/Ashkenazy on London
Halle/Barbirolli on EMI
Bournemouth/Berglund on EMI
Helsinki/Berglund on EMI
Chamber Orch of Europe/Berglund on Ondine
New York/Bernstein on Sony
Boston/Colin Davis on Philips
London/Davis on RCA and LSO
Scottish/Gibson on Chandos
Gothenburg/Jarvi on BIS
Slovak Philharmonic/Leaper on Naxos
Iceland/Sakari on Naxos
New Zealand/Inkinen on Naxos
Vienna/Maazel on London
Pittsburgh/Maazel on Sony
Birmingham/Rattle on EMI
Berlin Symphony/Sanderling on Berlin
Helsinki/Saraste on Finlandia
Finnish Radio/Saraste on RCA
Danish Radio/Segerstam on Chandos
Helsinki Philharmonic/Segerstam on Ondine
BBC Philharmonic/Storgards on Chandos
(And we are sure we have missed some.)
Sibelius symphony sets have been very popular, partly because they can fit on only three discs, though a few symphonic poems often increase the number to four. Some of the older cycles have worn very well over the years (Halle/Barbirolli, Boston/Davis, Philharmonia/Ashkenazy, NY/Bernstein), some moderately well (Vienna/Maazel, Helsinki/Berglund), and some less well (Scottish/Gibson, Utah/Abravanel).
Karajan never did a complete cycle; he recorded all but the Third for EMI and DG (4-7 only). The DG set is slow, smooth, refined, and serene. There's a timeless beauty to it. The EMIs are warmer; many of us prefer their sound much of the time.
Many of the complete editions contain some very good performances. Some superb cycles are unavailable at any given moment. Barbirolli may have been the greatest Sibelius interpreter of all. His performances with the Halle Orchestra (1966-1970) are warm, vivid, and romantic. Some critics find them too warm, too sensual-too romantic. They are less "Northern" than most and sometimes almost grandiose. Instead of tightness of ensemble we have a wealth of inner detail and expressive flexibility. We wish the orchestra were more tonally attractive. He also recorded the Second with the Royal Philharmonic-a better orchestra with better sound. But even in No. 2, the EMI with his own Halle Orchestra has advantages, including a glorious climax. Some of us consider it the best ever.
Osmo Vanska did a complete series of symphonies for BIS with his Lahti Symphony. The orchestra is not big and lush, and the interpretations are rather straight--even to the point of stiff and unyielding sometimes. In 2012 he redid Symphonies 2 and 5 with the far richer-sounding Minnesota Orchestra. The interpretations seem better, too. No. 2 is slower and more expansive. If this Minnesota series continues it will probably be better than the Lahti series.
Segerstam did a Danish set for Chandos (1990-1992) that was not well received--too much fussing, not enough flow. It was very slow and slack--and uneven. The new Finnish set (from 10 years later) is more coherent and has better flow; tempos still seem flexible, but not arbitrary; and a few are among the best recordings. No. 2 is immobile and wax-like--very pompous. No. 6 is too "fussy" and so misses the flow. 7 is simply a clunker. 4 is natural and expansive. No. 1 builds beautifully.
Jarvi is cool and austere (nothing wrong with that in Sibelius) and is aided by excellent all-digital recordings of prodigious dynamic range. Sometimes he seems dry or slack or routine. Alexander Gibson is certainly never slack; his tendency is to press on at all costs, relying on forward motion per se. Often all one can hear is haste, and the music is under-characterized. Sometimes it works if you like things fast. His 2 is as propulsive and exciting overall as Szell's famous Concertgebouw recording, but with better sound and less of the angularity and abruptness of Szell.
There's also a lot to be said for Davis and the Boston Symphony. No. 1 is more vigorous than his latest, which is a bit slack. 2, 3, and 5 are not very good. We called Davis's 4 for Philips a stunning achievement; the mystery, yearning, and poignant beauty of his reading outstrips Rattle, Saraste, and even Bernstein. Sound and orchestra are always beautiful--a large part of the appeal of the Boston set. The strings are just icy enough and the winds bright and full of character.
The second set of Davis recordings has some of the best sound RCA has ever produced. Best are 3, 4, and 7--each one good enough to land a top recommendation. And No. 2 is much improved over his earlier rendition--more sonorous, better organized, resplendent, and Brahmsian. In 3 the central Andantino, with a perfectly judged tempo, has a timeless, almost cosmic contemplation about it--not too warm, not too cold, perfectly balanced and detailed; the outer movements are superb. The Editor dislikes Colin Davis in almost anything (stuffy, earnest, heavy), but most of us think that he brings something special to Sibelius. No. 7 has an intense, subtle concentration in the strings at crucial moments. It lifts the listener into melancholy nirvana, and this handling of the strings was what was so effective in his Philips recording, too. Symphony 1 is not a first choice here. Davis is good in 5--better than previously--but he can't quite get that big tune at the beginning of III to sound truly majestic and joyful, as in Bernstein's glorious Sony account. No. 6 is slower, drier, and has less contrast than in Boston.
Davis has a third series, with the London Symphony on the LSO's own label. The RCA series, 20 years after the Boston series, is quite a change: slower and much more stately--often downright Elgarian. They make the Boston ones sound almost reckless and impetuous. The third series does restore some of the energy of the Boston series, if not the profundity. It's still often slow and stodgy, and most of us still prefer Boston. Colin Davis didn't seem to have the grace and finesse needed for this and much other music. He was usually lumpy and stodgy, and he missed the natural flow of most of the music he conducted. Our Editor finds him vastly overestimated.
Ashkenazy is a really fine Sibelian; the Philharmonia plays superbly for him, and London's digital recordings are warm and lucid. 1 and 4 are the best. (McKelvey would add 2 and 5, but Barker dislikes 2 and Vroon 5.) His orchestral textures are not as cold, brisk, or chaste as some; there is a healthy warmth.
Simon Rattle has his orchestra sounding great, and he brings tremendous intensity to hushed pianissimo passages, which lends urgency and excitement to his readings. His tempos are never rushed, and his exposition of Sibelius's rhetoric is logical and concise. 1 and 7 are the weakest; 2 better, 3 better yet, and 4 perhaps best of all, though he gives us one of the rare oustanding 5s, too. Rattle is bright, forward, and intense (partly that's the sound) and gives us Sibelius as the untamed force of nature.
The Birmingham orchestra also recorded a set under Sakari Orama for Warner. Only John McKelvey has heard it, but he liked it, even if the orchestra isn't among the best that have recorded them.
Saraste is wonderfully cool, yet still very expressive. We prefer his RCA series; the other was recorded in concert in St Petersburg and is a rather veiled and colorless recording. Even the performances seem restrained and even timid.
The Vienna Maazel (Vienna Philharmonic, 1964) is quite a bargain. Not only is it budget price, but all seven symphonies are on three discs. With the money you save you could buy a decent 5 and a better 1. The sound is still competitive with more recent recordings, and the orchestra plays beautifully. His Pittsburgh series is beautifully recorded, and the orchestra play angelically: the strings are smooth and silken, the woodwind and brass incredibly refined. In fact, some people will find it too warm and rich and creamy for Sibelius. It's romantic the way Barbirolli was, but the orchestra is much, much better.
Sanderling is not very romantic but big on clarity, so 6 and 7 are his best, and 4 is more coherent than usual. But 1,2, and 5 are terrible. Some complete cycles are only mentioned when we consider an individual symphony worth discussing (below).
Paavo Berglund was an old hand at Sibelius and a fine interpreter. The last of his three sets, from the late 90s, was with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He argued that the orchestra Sibelius wrote for was smaller than today's and the cellos in particular generated a less forceful sound. He beefs up the strings for the more romantic ones (1,2,5), but he is specifically trying not to be romantic at all. His old EMI recordings in Bournemouth were broader and more powerful, more moving. The Helsinki recordings were pretty mainstream and don't stand out, though they are usually adequate. He is not a romantic conductor, and these COE performances are even more objective and straightforward than usual for him, with more attention to details. Sometimes they are even stiff. There is less spontaneity and flow. But our reviewer liked No. 6. Later he recorded Nos. 5 and 6 with the London Philharmonic; those have been issued on the LPO label, and they are probably his best--and among the best ever. The LPO also issued 2 and 7; they were also praised--especially 2--and the sound is gorgeous. If you want the full effect of Sibelius, a larger orchestra is better.
There have been three Naxos sets. The Leaper had one or two very good ones (No.6), but both that cycle and the Sakari were mostly rather dull. The Sakaris earned adjectives like flat and generic and unromantic--too literal and too neutral, with little tension. 6 and 7 were the best ones. The third set, led by Pietari Inkinen, is the best of the three. The orchestra sounds light and lean, with transparent textures, and they play with great concentration. There's a lot of control and subtlety, but that reduces the natural flow. The First and Third are especially good, but none is the best you can hear.
Osmo Vanska on BIS brings warmth and profundity to his readings-not quite the cold, austere Sibelius some might prefer, but it's tremendously expressive. His 4 is a shattering experience from beginning to end--serious, probing, tragic, and not for the faint of heart. Vanska tends to be brooding, emotional, and introspective--good traits for a Sibelian--and this infuses 2 as well as 3. The Andantino of 3 is taken at a very slow pace, 11:12, which creates an almost unbearable tension. (That movement is often way too fast.) He leads a rounded and warmly expressive 2, carefully shaping phrases; but it's never studied or stiff. On the other hand, 1:I is too fast and clipped--this is the least satisfying symphony in the set. The Fifth is given in two versions, the original 1915 and the one we are used to from 1919. Both are straightforward, tastefully understated, and well played. The 1915 is awkward, obviously unpolished, but perhaps interesting to the collector. Symphony 7 is good, but not as good as Davis. Symphony 6 is the best--a breakthrough interpretation. Few conductors know what to do with this elusive, magical panorama of ice-blue color and melodic fragments, but Vanska puts it across with an emotional dedication that brings each phrase exquisitely alive. Perhaps never before has this symphony sounded so good or made so much sense. Vanska can do that: bring every phrase alive and make it tell.
Bernstein recorded all for Sony and repeated four of them (1,2,5,7) for DG in the late 1980s--a period when he got very slow and tried to wring every bit of emotion out of the music he was conducting. No. 2 is especially bad for DG but was especially good for Sony. No. 1 isn't bad on DG but was better in New York. No. 5 is decidedly better on Sony--in fact, absolutely unbeatable. He's competing with himself. Only 7 is better on DG with the Vienna Philharmonic.
The Sony series sound great; even the orchestra is sumptuous.
THe Philharmonia/Ashkenazy cycle is appealing, but Ashkenazy's No. 2 is not a top recommendation, even though it has a smooth, expressive maturity, architectural unity, and a transcendent climax (those soaring violins over the plucked basses) that can lift you into the clouds. Don't confuse it with the newer Boston/Ashkenazy, not nearly as good. The set also contains a fine, chaste 1, a melancholy rather than depressing 4, and one of the better 7s. Although many will prefer a more Scandinavian chill, Ashkenazy is naturally expressive and on target.
In this issue we review the newest Chandos set with the BBC Philharmonic under John Storgards. 3, 6, and 7 are really wonderful; the orchestra is glorious. 2, 4, and 5 are not worth having despite the playing and sound; and No. 1 is acceptable but not great. If you get a chance to sample this set, you will be amazed at the sound-both the orchestra and the engineering.
Practical Matters
Deletions are very common, especially at EMI. The Karajan 1, 5, and 7; the Beecham 7, and the Barbirolli 1 all seem in and out of the catalog--but they do come back! Such outstanding recordings should be kept around. The ones that take their places are never as good. The Simon Rattle series is no longer available on single discs. It is hard to find the Ashkenazys. The Okko Kamu 3--the best we have ever heard--came into the market and was deleted so fast that none of us got a chance to buy it! The Ormandy 2 on RCA has had three different numbers. There's a lot of reissuing, with number changes. If we list numbers, we often list the number of the issue we reviewed, which may no longer apply.
Our discussion of the individual symphonies and the listings take no account of what is readily available, and the numbers may not be current. We have recommended nothing with inferior sound. If you buy anything we list, we are sure you will be pleased. All are strong recommendations, but often the first few are in a class by themselves.
1 Stokowski was stuck with an undernourished string section and rather rushed the final movement, but he gave us one of the most sensitive interpretations ever, with a very moving II. The Ormandy was also excellent, as one would expect: great sound and well-nourished strings (CBS or RCA). Barbirolli was the slowest ever, but simply wonderful. Some phrases are stretched out of shape, and the sound can be rough, but the intensity and beauty are amazing. Anyone who loves the sound of the symphony orchestra may be seduced by the Davis-even if the interpretation is not the very best. (Boston is better than later Davis, which can sound bloated.) Karajan has the slowest II and the fastest III: there can't be that much difference between Andante, ma non troppo lento and Allegro! It's an exaggeration but curiously moving. Distortions of this sort make Karajan Karajan. Watch out for aggressive brass and timpani, though: he uses them to produce much of the excitement lost in slower tempos. The Ashkenazy is quite opposite. In John Barker's words, "If you have found the First too blatant or crude in the past, give the work another chance in this more introspective approach." (The Pittsburgh Maazel is similar.)
The DG Bernstein (N/D 1992) is not as good as the earlier one (Sony) in sound or interpretation. The Sony belongs next to the Barbirolli as one of the great recordings-but it is Barbirolli who exaggerates and hesitates and stretches. He makes Bernstein sound sober and moderate-but also vigorous and passionate. The New York Philharmonic is stunning--and what strings! The DG tends to go slack.
Saraste is bracing, his sound brilliant: crisp and cool and clean, with amazing clarity and yet a sensuous fuzz on the strings. A very coherent and very Finnish Sibelius First. Kamu, also Finnish, had perspective and clarity of vision. Segerstam (Swedish; Chandos) reads this symphony in light of later ones; it's not very romantic and even a little annoying.
None of us like Jansons very much; it's severe, lacking in expression. This symphony is very romantic Sibelius; don't buy an unromantic performance! (Another one is Gibson, who is generally too straight-laced for most of us.) The old Beecham LP (Columbia) was not stereo, but may turn up on CD. Great interpretation; slower than Bernstein but faster than Maazel. Beecham approaches the big theme in the last movement in a hushed manner; Bernstein goes the opposite way and has it sing out boldly from the start. The Pittsburgh Maazel is similar to Beecham and beautifully recorded with only two microphones and no mixing. Maazel seems almost as romantic as Barbirolli but more introverted and subdued. There's less pressing, outgoing passion than with Barbirolli--or Bernstein, naturally (he did tend to push his feelings in your face!). We called the Pittsburgh Maazel the best Sibelius First when it came out. He surpassed his own Vienna recording.
Barbirolli EMI
Saraste RCA 7765
Maazel (Pittsburgh) Sony 52566
Ormandy RCA
Ormandy Sony
Bernstein Sony
Kamu DG
Ashkenazy London (Decca)
2 This was written in 1901 in Italy. It belongs in the late romantic period, but its form was revolutionary and forward-looking. The smooth, perfectly judged Ormandy has worn well over time and now seems a classic. The Szell recording has often been praised, but some of us can't stand the tight, rigid approach. There's no rhapsody or romance, but the textures are clear and the playing robust and disciplined. Karajan has a little more feeling, Davis a little more yet; but both are basically controlled, intellectual conductors-not ideal for this boldly romantic music. The Boston strings have a couple of rough moments; and Davis, like Karajan, always gives too much prominence to brass, bass, and percussion. But the Philips sound is nice.
Telarc gave Levi similar sound, but his Sibelius is a total loss-dull, pedantic, without character. Blomstedt is another conductor who never lets go, who controls things too tightly. Our critic also complained about the engineering in his Sibelius 2. Ormandy and Barbirolli give us a more homogenized, smooth, string-dominated sound, along with emotional warmth. Of course, one can overdo the emotion, as Bernstein does in his second (DG) recording. That one is so slow and self-indulgent it collapses under its own weight. But Bernstein can make this a moving experience to all but the hard-hearted, and his earlier CBS/Sony is one of the great recordings--so moving, so passionate, so fully realized. It may seem too hot-blooded for a Northern composer, but what climaxes!
In the fiery category, nothing matched Beecham (terrible sound, though)--certainly not the sloppy, wooly, but still exciting Monteux. EMI may someday reissue the rich-and-creamy Previn. We liked Thomas Schippers in this; it was reissued by Sony. We rated the Jarvi quite high--"superbly nuanced". And we liked JoAnn Falletta in Buffalo: her balances and nuances are excellent, and she knows how to shape a long line and keep the rhythm lively. But the orchestra is not as attractive as some of the others who have recorded this. (Think of the rich and creamy Previn!)
There was a London Symphony/Mackerras No. 2 that had beautiful sound and playing, though it could have been better with more strings. There's not much lingering, but it's very satisfying.
Segerstam (both) is very ordinary in this work--a well-proportioned but somehow lifeless performance, like a beautiful statue.
Jansons is turgid both times. The second time (Concertgebouw) he misses all the atmosphere and plows thru the music with no subtlety or nuance. The orchestra is ragged and tentative, with much blaring brass. Saraste is a bit cool but not as cool as Karajan or Szell, who are distant and forbidding next to his. Saraste has impressive clarity of sound, good textures and proportions.
As with all the symphonies, we have reviewed many others, and we have liked very few. Check our indexes.
Barbirolli EMI
Barbirolli Chesky
Bernstein Sony
Ormandy RCA 60489
Ormandy Sony 53509
3 The central Andantino is the atmospheric soul of the work, and any conductor who doesn't get it right just doesn't get it. A slow tempo is necessary. Some of us like the RCA Davis. His earlier Philips recording is choppy and clinical.
The superiority of Okko Kamu (DG, with a Finnish orchestra) is utterly obvious to anyone with ears. This is an atmosphere piece, and it must not be driven or tampered with too obviously. Kamu gives it an utterly natural flow. Next to Kamu Davis sounds all wrong: choppy and clinical. Same for Gibson. In fact, the only ones that can stand up next to Kamu are Jarvi and Segerstam. Jarvi has truly gorgeous sound, for one thing. Kamu's II had more lilt and charm; and the tempo (borrowed from the historic Kajanus recording) was more relaxed and mellow. But Jarvi does produce much more excitement in III, which Kamu treats as an atmosphere piece almost without climax (like the first movement, which just suddenly ends with a tacked-on "Amen"). Since Kamu has been out of the catalog for a long time, Jarvi is a more realistic choice. (But why is the Fool's Song missing from the King Christian Suite?)
Segerstam also takes the slow tempo in II, and John McKelvey and Lawrence Hansen insist that his readings belong on our very short list. Naturally, Chandos gives Segerstam richer sonics than DG gave Kamu; this helps a lot in the dark, brooding middle movement. Mr Hansen's review is worth reading before you buy the symphony (Mar/Apr 1993).
We have liked much of Saraste's Sibelius, but his 3 is all wrong--too driven, too lacking in atmosphere. Vanska falls into the warm, expressive category. Ashkenazy is too lightweight in the middle movement, but EMI Berglund is lyrical without shorting the atmosphere.
Kamu DG
Jarvi BIS 228
Segerstam Chandos 9083
4 Many consider this Sibelius's greatest work. Heavy, sober, and restrained, it is a large-scale composition with brooding power and sonorous beauty. Herbert von Karajan owned this music: it is exactly the kind of thing he did better than anyone else. It is heavy and brooding, and the Berlin strings are darker and weightier than the others. The choice between EMI and DG is easy when you listen to both: the EMI has incredibly rich sound, and the performance is slower and smoother (more brooding). It is also coupled with the best 6, though the DG is also coupled with a fine 6. After Karajan no one seems to plumb the depths of this work. Some don't seem to understand it at all (eg, Davis-though a few of us like the RCA). You can't miss the fact that something's missing. But if you like it lighter, John Barker and the Editor recommend Ashkenazy, who gets through it seven minutes faster but still sounds terrific. Maybe it's for people who don't want to get depressed. But unfortunately, it is coupled with Ashkenazy's wretched 5. Berglund's chamber orchestra reading is also lighter. John McKelvey prefers Rattle.
The Segerstam has a high level of intensity, powerful internal tensions. It's a vivid but natural recording. The Pittsburgh Maazel is dark and withdrawn but quite compelling. Blomstedt is again very dull, plain, and tensionless. The only excitement lies in the excellent orchestra and sound. Vanska is very good
Karajan EMI 64027
Ashkenazy London 430 749
Segerstam Chandos 8943; Ondine
Karajan DG 415 108
5 Karajan owned this one, too. Of the three stereo Karajans, some may prefer the earliest, with the Philharmonia Orchestra (hard to find at the moment). The sound was particularly sweet, airy, and attractive. There was also an EMI CD from a recording made in Berlin 20 years later (in the 70s). It's more intense, more dramatic, more powerful; and the Berlin Philharmonic is much darker and heavier. You should hear this CD: it's stunning! It is hard to believe anyone could listen to this and not consider Karajan one of the greatest conductors. But EMI has deleted it. There's nothing wrong with the DG 5th, but the sound is pretty pale compared to EMI.
The other conductor who really made something of the 5th is Bernstein. The later Vienna Philharmonic recording is very good but not better than the New York on Sony, which many of us favor as the best we know. Both are brighter than either Karajan, and the tempos in the last two movements are slower. But Bernstein's is a brilliant interpretation, with plenty of tension. The Vienna recording has that glorious orchestra and the Seventh Symphony.
Our reviewer considered Berglund's 5 and 6 with the London Philharmonic among the best ever recorded, with "sound of crystalline clarity and ambience". We also found the Saraste Fifth very satisfying and evocative (LPO 57).
Our review of the Pittsburgh Maazel was positive: great playing; colorful, well-proportioned interpretation. His Vienna recording was pretty bad. Segerstam has great sound and playing, but his interpretation is earthbound. Blomstedt is utterly conventional, perfunctory, and uninspired. The Rattle and the Ashkenazy are both failures: the music plods along episodically, has no shape or form or goal.
Karajan (Berlin) EMI
Karajan (London) EMI
Bernstein Sony
Bernstein DG 427 647
Karajan DG 415 107
6 The icy, poetic 6 comes in four movements quite close in tempo, except for the very brief III. Most conductors haven't a clue. It's one of Sibelius's finest achievements--an enchanting mosaic--cool, organic, and luxurious.
Karajan has all the atmosphere and poetry. And he gets just the right sound out of the Berlin Philharmonic: there's a chill on it, as if they could sense that this is the snowiest, frostiest thing Sibelius ever wrote. The EMI has creamier string sound than the DG; it's gorgeous, but the DG isn't far behind.
The Editor lived for years with the beautiful-sounding, wonderfully-played, but utterly prosaic Davis; now he has come to prefer the Saraste. The playing and conducting--and sound--seem so Finnish, so perfectly suited to the music. How few conductors can bring this off! And the strings seem as sweet and pure as a mountain stream.
Robert Spano (Atlanta) presents a 6 with lots of problems. III is heavy-handed, but it all comes together at the end of the symphony.
Segerstam is very slow but rich in detail. Some of us find that "fussy". Rattle is miserably heavy and serious, and the sound of his orchestra is not cool and clear like Saraste or Karajan.
Leaper's 6th on Naxos is perfectly conducted and very well recorded, but the orchestra sounds central European-too warm for this very Northern symphony. You have only to play the Karajan or Saraste alongside it to hear that clearly.
Berglund on Finlandia is like sunlight on an Alpine meadow. His chamber orchestra can't convey the mystery Karajan brings to II, but his strengths lie in supreme clarity, tonal purity, and luminous detail.
Vanska is in a class by himself. What he finds is an amazingly expressive, complex, heartfelt symphony-not merely the interesting tone painting most make of it. He has gorgeous strings, warm and balanced woodwinds, sumptuous brass, and powerful, precise bass. He brings the work emotionally alive, shaping the inner voices with great concentration and no loss of flow.
Karajan EMI
Saraste RCA 60157
Berglund LPO 65
Vanska BIS 864
7 is a large-scale one-movement work that the composer labeled a symphony only as an afterthought. It is a gripping, highly integrated composition. Few conductors do it justice. Karajan's has long been praised, and some of us preferred the warmer EMI to the DG. The wonderful Beecham (1955) keeps returning. One of us called the Ashkenazy "a wonderful projection of the music ... more delicate and thoughtful than I would have imagined possible ... a stunning recording, in a class with Karajan." But most of us think it is not intense enough. We called the DG Bernstein "magisterial" in a rave review. The Pittsburgh/Maazel is beautifully delineated--the music makes more sense than it used to. We also liked Robert Spano in Atlanta. In excellent sound he presents the music very differently from most--a fresh interpretation.
Jarvi fails miserably, blasting through it as if he's late to dinner. Vanska lets us down only slightly; his expressive nature disallows the fearful emptiness that hovers around this work. The chamber-orchestra Berglund is thoughtful and interesting, but uninspired. In the earlier Davis on Philips there is a subtle intensity in the Boston strings. The newer one is sonically warmer, but still intense. Davis gives us a bleak picture of the work (as he does in 4); and there is a refined, deadly earnestness you can't miss. (And some of us do find it deadly.)
Karajan EMI
Beecham EMI 9693
Ashkenazy Decca (London)
Bernstein DG 427 647
Karajan DG 415 107
Maazel Sony 52566
Kullervo
There are not very many recordings of Kullervo (Sibelius in 1891, before his symphonies). It's a long, rambling five-movement work based on a folk tale from the Kalevala (yet another K!), and two movements require chorus and voices. For a long time the only recording was a fine one from 1970 by Berglund. Lately it is becoming better known through recordings by Davis, Vanska, Segerstam, and the two Jarvis (N. and P.)--all good.
Davis may seem to have more raw power than Vanska, but Vanska is much more subtle and impressive. We liked Robert Spano's Telarc recording (one of only two American ones). Rasileinen on CPO has a mostly Finnish cast that sounds idiomatic. Segerstam's Danish recording is electrifying and often makes Berglund seem sluggish. He keeps it moving and reduces its tendency to bloat. Neeme Jarvi is also on the fast side, but what gorgeous sound BIS gave him! His son Paavo, in Stockholm for Virgin, also has rich, warm sound with a terrific sheen on it and is much slower and more moving than his father. It's a powerful recording with strong rhythmic sensitivity. The only really bad recording is by Salonen. That is both soggy and utterly unromantic. Salonen should not be allowed to conduct Sibelius!
Violin Concerto
Traditional loyalties die hard, and many a critic will direct you to Heifetz or Oistrakh. Our editor is a strong Oistrakh fan, but he insists (as did our reviewer) that Marcovici and Jarvi are every bit as good and sound better. And the Vengerov recording will replace the Oistrakh for some people. We called it deeply moving, dark, rich, powerful, exciting. Some of us find it heavy-handed, and that may be mostly the conductor and orchestra (Barenboim in Chicago). The dark orchestra sometimes obscures details, but it's a very nice sound.
There is nothing sacred about the great names of a generation or two back; we are still turning out incredible artists today. The Rachlin/Maazel recording was also praised in our pages; we called it the slowest on records, an off-the-beaten path interpretation with lots of wearmth and flexibility and expression--curiously satisfying, but not mainstream. Salerno-Sonnenberg's tone is huge and almost three-dimensional; her reading is not at all "Northern", but full of personality, enthusiasm, and drama. Gil Shaham sounds effortless in comparison--but also dull. And his conductor, Sinopoli, is lumbering and amorphous. Spivakov has a thin, wiry tone; his whole performance is simply uncompetitive. Nigel Kennedy is rather shallow and showy but not distorted. Gidon Kremer recorded it in 1977 with Rozhdestvensky, a great Sibelius conductor. He is quite profound, with an amazing range of moods. Angele Dubeau has tremendous intensity, heartbreaking poetry, and a vast, timeless quality, though she is not as fiery as some. Another rather brooding one is Midori's; the mood is right, and you easily get submerged in it. Hilary Hahn recorded it with Salonen, who miniaturizes it and seems impatient with its ruggedness. It's just too tinkly-delicate. Another one rather spoiled by the conductor is Batiashvili. A few of us think Francescatti captures this work's wonder, mystery, and heroism without resorting to excess. The sound is too lean, but it is a sublime reading.
Perlman's first recording was the Sibelius with Leinsdorf in Boston (1966). It's delicate and well characterized, but hardly competitive in such a crowded field. A later Perlman, with Previn, does not sound good to us: soloist too close-up, orchestra echoey and unbalanced. Joshua Bell, another audience favorite, doesn't sound very involved in this. Technical excellence cannot make up for emotional distance. (Actually, the Editor would say that Mr Bell simply doesn't get emotionally involved in much of anything, and that means he is best where that is not required.) Christian Tetzlaff also seems distant, but in his case it is probably the miking; it tends to flatten out the music. Khachatryan on Naxos is best at the quieter passages--very expressive--but he doesn't rise to the fiery passages. Zehetmair has a light, almost insubstantial tone that fails to convey the vitality and emotion of the music. Zimmermann on Ondine is another lighter performance, rather quick, avoiding romantic expression.
Kuusisto on Ondine won raves from us: rich, dark, creamy tone, yet a ruggedness that suits the music. Very expressive and songful, with wonderful detail. We had a mixed verdict on Gringolts/Jarvi. We like the conducting, and there are many great moments in I and II. But III needs to be more assertive. Repin is very solid and efficient, but there is no elan, no brio. He drains the music of character, personality, and warmth. We described Kraggerud on Naxos as "stodgy".
We liked Adele Anthony on Centaur--slow, warm, and atmospheric. But most of what we have reviewed we have not liked, and there's no sense listing all of them. The work is played and recorded by every violinist--or so it seems.
Marcovici BIS 372
Vengerov Teldec 13161
Salerno-Sonnenberg EMI 54855
Oistrakh Sony 47659
Heifetz RCA 61744
Kuusisto Ondine 878 or 1115
All the other violin-and-orchestra pieces are on BIS 472: the six Humoresques, two Serenades, and Two Serious Melodies. Dong-Suk Kang is the violinist.
Kalevala Legends
These four pieces (45 minutes) are attractive Sibelius, and the priceless Ormandy has been on EMI CD. (Mr Bauman called it "incandescent">) It's from 1978, and the playing has sweep and beautiful tone. We know no better recording, but we liked the Jarvi (BIS) when the Ormandy was unavailable, and the Gibson (also from 1978) was not bad, but eclipsed by Jarvi and Ormandy. Another one we praised was Segerstam on Ondine, with the Helsinki orchestra, with its cool, clear articulation and tone. The Paavo Jarvi recording, from Sweden, is darker, with less clarity, but beautifully conducted--much subtlety and rounding of edges. The Sakari was probably the best of his Sibelius series on Naxos--very smooth and sophisticated. We hated Salonen, but he has often shown himself an anti-romantic who is completely out of sympathy with Sibelius. The LA Philharmonic also played badly.
There not many recordings of it (though 'The Swan of Tuonela' is often recorded on its own). Besides the ones mentioned there are Segerstam on Ondine, Mikko Franck on the same label (not praised in ARG), Saraste on RCA, Sinaisky on Brilliant (not good), and Vanska on BIS (we liked that one).
Ormandy EMI 88679
Segerstam Ondine 852
Symphonic Poems
These span the composer's whole career, from En Saga of 1892 to Tapiola of 1925. (He composed almost nothing for the last 30 years of his life.) These orchestral masterpieces are based on Finnish legend and myth, and they parallel the symphonies in their developmental genius and in the range of their emotion and drama. You may pick up a number of the tone poems and suites as fill when you buy the symphonies, but we should mention some recordings.
Swanwhite and Belshazzar's Feast are nicely conducted by Jarvi (BIS 359); the latter is Sibelius in an exotic oriental mood. Should the Leningrad/Rozhdestvensky make it to CD, it might replace the Jarvi as first choice. BIS has also issued Swanwhite with Vanska, coupled with the complete incidental music for The Tempest on one release and with the very rare Wood Nymph on another (815). That latter Swanwhite is 14 selections rather than the 7 in the suite-yet it only takes a minute or so longer. But it's so beautifully played that it seems much stronger than the suite under Jarvi.
A pleasant collection of suites (Mignonne, Champetre) and short tone poems (Spring Song, The Bard) may be found on BIS 384. We do not recommend BIS 610, a collection of pieces already issued with the symphonies. They don't seem as good as performances by other conductors.
King Christian II is beautiful music, and the Jarvi recording is best; it comes with Symphony 3.
Pohjola's Daughter has a thrilling theme in the brass, and both Bernstein and Ormandy made great recordings of it. Jarvi (BIS) sounds darker and mellower, but very beautiful. We also liked Rozhdestvensky (London Symphony) in this piece; he's slower but the delayed climaxes are very moving. The Vanska is not special, but his collection of these emphasizes the sheer beauty of the pieces (Saga, Night Ride, Bard, Oceanides). Ormandy's Pohjola was for RCA and is coupled with the Second Symphony. Bernstein's comes with his Fifth and with his first three symphonies, as well as on Sony 48271 with more miscellaneous Sibelius conducted by Ormandy: Karelia, Finlandia, En Saga, Swan of Tuonela, Valse Triste. Ormandy's Karelia still seems the most sensible and attractive, and he refuses to distend 'Valse Triste' the way many others do. (But Beecham did the greatest recording of that little piece.) Saraste's fine Karelia comes with his excellent First Symphony--as does his stirring Finlandia.
The Editor loved the Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Ormandy Finlandia above all others. A few other recordings include a chorus--in one case a male chorus (Segerstam on Ondine 1040 with Symphony 4). Paavo Jarvi conducted one on Virgin.
There is an EMI disc that includes Karajan's Finlandia, Karelia, Swan, Saga, and Tapiola. The best of these is Tapiola, and there is no other great recording of that remarkable tone poem except Beecham. We don't like Saraste's, and Segerstam (with Symphony 3) needs more momentum, though some of us like the intensity. (Some of us also like Ashkenazy.) Segerstam also does a fine Karelia, Oceanides, and Tempest (Ondine). Beecham's EMI Tempest has the best remastered monaural sound you'll ever hear. It might have been recorded last week--and we all agreed that all the performances (including Festivo, Karelia Suite, Finlandia, and Scenes Historiques) are wonderful.
Segerstam on Chandos is expansive and sounds terrific. He has depth as well as warmth, but his slow tempos are controversial. His Historic Scenes have lyricism, majesty, superb orchestral playing, and rich tone color; his Pelleas and Melisande is exquisitely poetic. Segerstam's Helsinki readings of the The Oceanides and Night Ride and Sunrise on the Ondine label are spectacular as well as detailed. Both suites of The Tempest are properly atmospheric.
No one should miss Pelleas and Melisande, and the peerless Beecham keeps coming back. Rozhdestvensky was excellent but is hard to find on CD. There are also Karajan and Kamu. (But we don't like Kamu's Finlandia disc of Karelia.)
Sir Malcolm Sargent conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in Finlandia, En Saga, Swan of Tuonela, and Karelia Suite. It dates from 1963 but sounds beautiful on CD. If you spot it somewhere, pick it up. It also adds a BBC Symphony Pohjola's Daughter that isn't among the best.
If you buy Saraste's Sixth Symphony you will get his superb Historic Scenes, both sets. There are only three other recordings of them: Gibson, Jarvi, and Inkinen-we rather like the Inkinen (Naxos). There was a wonderful monaural Beecham, and a mediocre Jussi Jalas on a London/Decca LP. And there was a wonderful reading of mystery and strength by the Kansas City Symphony under Michael Stern (Reference 115). These pieces are off-the-beaten-path Sibelius, of interest only to people who really like his music (or Shakespeare).
BIS issued a six-disc set (1912) of the theatre music: Swanwhite, King Christian, Kuolema, Pelleas, Everyman, Tempest, 12th Night, Belshazzar's Feast, Scaramouche. The main attraction is music you can't find anywhere else, because this set includes not the suites, but ALL the music he wrote for these plays. For example, we get 11 pieces for Belshazzar instead of the usual 4 and 37 items for The Tempest and 21 for Scaramouche. Vanska also recorded the complete Karelia for BIS (918)--a great rarity.
Chandos reissued two discs of tone poems led by Gibson. Some of us don't respond to that conductor (and this is very English Sibelius), but Mr Hecht was quite taken with the recordings.
Avoid the tone poems led by Sakari and Inkinen on Naxos: really boring. Also pretty tame are the Colin Davis readings of Night Ride and Sunrise and Oceanides, and his Karelia is eccentric (all RCA). Adrian Boult was very boring in Sibelius.
Beecham EMI 9693 (Pel & Mel; Tapiola; Oceanides)
Beecham EMI 52474 (Tempest; Historic Scenes)
Sargent EMI 63367 or 69134 (Finlandia; Saga; Swan; Karelia)
Karajan EMI 76847 (Saga; Swan; Tapiola+)
Jarvi BIS 359 (Swanwhite; Belshazzar)
Vanska BIS 581 (Belshazzar; Tempest)
Vanska BIS 815 (Wood Nymph & Swanwhite)
Jarvi BIS 228 (King Christian)
Bernstein & Ormandy Sony 48271
The Sibelius songs are among the best ever written. A number of recordings are satisfying, but Ann Sophie von Otter on BIS is a good place to start. In Volume I she is expressively sweet, convincing, natural in her recital, and very well recorded. Other fine recordings are by Elisabeth Soderstrom, Monica Groop, and Karita Mattila. On the same label as Mattila is Jorma Hynninen, whose baritone is gorgeous (Ondine 823). Another wonderful male voice that tackled these is Kim Borg. His 1959 recording was reissued by DG (4776612). We didn't care for Jurmu on Naxos: a forced and unpleasant voice and a plodding style. By the way, BIS has issued five discs of Sibelius songs, for compleatists.
The Sibelius Academy Quartet recorded the "complete quartets", though they are not very interesting. But any Sibelian must have the final Intimate Voices Quartet in D minor. One fine recording of it is by the Oslo Quartet on CPO 999977. We also liked the Tempera Quartet on BIS and the Daedalus Quartet on Bridge ("exquisite"-9202).
Terry
Dec 31, 2015, 3:18:30 AM12/31/15
to
On Thursday, 31 December 2015 09:13:19 UTC+11, sfr...@nycap.rr.com wrote:
> From American Record Guide
> From American Record Guide
>
> (And we are sure we have missed some.)
>
Yes... Anthony Collins.
> (And we are sure we have missed some.)
>
Gerard
Dec 31, 2015, 5:14:47 AM12/31/15
to
"Terry" wrote in message
news:b15a5d3a-8644-4163...@googlegroups.com...
===============
Also Rozhdestvensky's cycle, and Ashkenazy's 2nd cycle (on Exton).
Wasn't there a 2nd cycle by Järvi as well?
news:b15a5d3a-8644-4163...@googlegroups.com...
Also Rozhdestvensky's cycle, and Ashkenazy's 2nd cycle (on Exton).
Wasn't there a 2nd cycle by Järvi as well?
Terry
Dec 31, 2015, 5:44:17 AM12/31/15
to
On Thursday, 31 December 2015 09:13:19 UTC+11, sfr...@nycap.rr.com wrote:
> From American Record Guide
>
> MIFrost
>
>
<snip>
>
> MIFrost
>
>
Thanks for posting this. I found it absorbing. My BIS set of the symphonies, conducted by Kamu in Lahti, arrived yesterday, and I'm about halfway through my fourth listening. Absolutely remarkable! I thought I knew these symphonies, but Kamu's recordings are a revelation. I recommend the recordings with all possible enthusiasm.
Herman
Dec 31, 2015, 6:03:13 AM12/31/15
to
On Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 9:18:30 AM UTC+1, Terry wrote:
> On Thursday, 31 December 2015 09:13:19 UTC+11, sfr...@nycap.rr.com wrote:
> > From American Record Guide
> >
Hilarious. An armchair record reviewer who boldly states: "Most conductors haven't a clue."
> On Thursday, 31 December 2015 09:13:19 UTC+11, sfr...@nycap.rr.com wrote:
> > From American Record Guide
> >
Raymond Hall
Dec 31, 2015, 10:01:53 PM12/31/15
to
Happy 2016 to Everyone,
Ray Hall, Taree
Terry
Jan 1, 2016, 12:26:19 AM1/1/16
to
"One can never have too much of a good thing."
a) Opulent, represented by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia.
b) Austere, represented by the 1950s London Symphony Orchestra; the Sinfonia of London; the Lahti Symphony Orchestra; the Royal Scottish Orchestra; the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In my heart of hearts I cannot help thinking that it's the more austere orchestral sound that is right for Sibelius. I don't mind the woodwind being very prominent; I don't care if the strings are occasionally buried by the brass. Of course, other people might think differently. I also think that there should not be too much warmth in the conductor's interpretation. To me, Sibelius offers his music on a "take it or leave it" basis, virtually throwing it on the floor in front of the listener. Excessive moulding of phrases, such as Bernstein offers, doesn't suit me.
Kamu and his Lahti players then, are right up my street. There's another factor, and that is Kamu's re-thinking of the balance of voices in so many chords. Particularly in the first and second symphonies, there are moments that make me sit up and realise I'd never heard chords sound like THAT before. Most refreshing.
I have many single CDs, but the sets I own are Collins/LSO; Davis/Boston SO & LSO; Karajan (Warner box 1,2,4,5,& 6); Maazel/VPO; Ashkenazy/PO; Berglund/Bournemouth SO; Kamu/Lahti SO. I expect I'll buy the Rattle/BPO as well. Endlessly fascinating set of symphonies. I wouldn't be without any one of them.
Gerard
Jan 1, 2016, 5:02:29 AM1/1/16
to
"Raymond Hall" wrote in message
news:c4ed1af9-cc32-481b...@googlegroups.com...
Thanks for your thoughts. One can never have too much of a good thing. I
have Barbirolli (Halle), Berglund (Bournemouth), Maazel (VPO), Davis
(Boston), and many smatterings of single CDs, but on the strength of your
enthusiasm I couldn't resist ordering Kamu's Sibelius 2nd with the BPO on
DG, with HvK making up the fillers. Maybe I'll spring for Kamu's Lahti
efforts at some later stage.
Happy 2016 to Everyone,
Ray Hall, Taree
=====================
I'm almost sure that you know Sibelius 3rd by Kamu on DG.
(IIRC you have been enthousiastic about that recording.)
His DG recordings of the symphonies 1, 2 and 3 are available in a very
inexpensive box
(together with the Karajan DG recordings of 4, 5, 6 and 7).
I did compare the old and the new recording by Kamu of symphony 3 a little
(in a previous thread). Splendid, both of them.
I did not yet listen to all symphonies in the new Kamu box.
Happy 2016 to Everyone.
news:c4ed1af9-cc32-481b...@googlegroups.com...
Thanks for your thoughts. One can never have too much of a good thing. I
have Barbirolli (Halle), Berglund (Bournemouth), Maazel (VPO), Davis
(Boston), and many smatterings of single CDs, but on the strength of your
enthusiasm I couldn't resist ordering Kamu's Sibelius 2nd with the BPO on
DG, with HvK making up the fillers. Maybe I'll spring for Kamu's Lahti
efforts at some later stage.
Happy 2016 to Everyone,
Ray Hall, Taree
I'm almost sure that you know Sibelius 3rd by Kamu on DG.
(IIRC you have been enthousiastic about that recording.)
His DG recordings of the symphonies 1, 2 and 3 are available in a very
inexpensive box
(together with the Karajan DG recordings of 4, 5, 6 and 7).
I did compare the old and the new recording by Kamu of symphony 3 a little
(in a previous thread). Splendid, both of them.
I did not yet listen to all symphonies in the new Kamu box.
Happy 2016 to Everyone.
Andrew Clarke
Jan 2, 2016, 7:49:50 AM1/2/16
to
On Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 9:13:19 AM UTC+11, sfr...@nycap.rr.com wrote:
> From American Record Guide
> From American Record Guide
"Leaper's 6th on Naxos is perfectly conducted and very well recorded, but the orchestra sounds central European-too warm for this very Northern symphony. You have only to play the Karajan or Saraste alongside it to hear that clearly."
What a load of old rubbish. Does he really believe that Bratislava is more "Central European" than Berlin??
I seem to remember some warm reviews of Sakari's Icelanders - now there's northern for you - when they came out, e.g. in Classics Today. I was surprised when Naxos rerecorded everything in New Zealand, which is even less northern than Slovakia.
Andrew Clarke
Canberra
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