advertisement


Sibelius...Best box set of symphonies?

I'd rather that than many of the lacklustre performances I've sat through. Not something that ever disturbs me, and humanises something that is a rather artificial experience (recorded music).
 
lennyw said:
I'd rather that than many of the lacklustre performances I've sat through. Not something that ever disturbs me, and humanises something that is a rather artificial experience (recorded music).
Click to expand...

Most definitely...It wouldn't put me off buying something musically worthy!
 
irons1965 said:
Ok Thanks for that....Boston/Davis has just been ordered!
Click to expand...

You've chosen the right one!

The performance is excellent and the DECCA sound from the 70's is top notch. (I only have the LPs, so hopefully they've managed to transfer that to the CDs).
 
SteveB said:
This one arrived at the weekend, a bargain £8.87 at Amazon and includes some none-symphony stuff too. Not listened to it yet though - it's on the pile for Christmas listening session.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0091JQH2Q/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Click to expand...

Ah ! My first encounter with Symphony N°1. I'd just bought my first (HiFi) system, a Sony Music Centre. Set it up, got the radio going, tuned to Radio 3 and recorded the first thing that was on. Berglund's Bournemouth Sibelius 1. Still my reference version.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
irons1965 said:
Yes Dozey, I've heard that Sir Colin used to get too involved.

For me Sinopoli in the Adagietto of Mahler 5 with the Philharmonia was the first time I heard a conductor's vocals on disc!
Click to expand...

Listen to Mravinsky with Tchaikovsky and Toscanini was a great muttering maestro. But Glen Gould's 1982 Goldbergs surely takes the gong for humming along. Despite these ramblings, they Still produce wonderful music.
 
eisenach said:
Ah ! My first encounter with Symphony N°1. I'd just bought my first (HiFi) system, a Sony Music Centre. Set it up, got the radio going, tuned to Radio 3 and recorded the first thing that was on. Berglund's Bournemouth Sibelius 1. Still my reference version.
Click to expand...

Lovely choice. I think these are underrated performances and at that price!. I have them on vinyl but I may buy the cd set.
 
The Philips brand has been absorbed by Decca, so just as old EMI recs are coming out as Warners (with their sh*tty logo) old Philips will come out as Decca.
 
I own about a dozen complete cycles of Sibelius symphonies, and I can say that a few of the mentioned recordings are among my favourites as well.
  • Sir Colin Davis' Philips complete cycle from the '70s with the BSO, definitely one of the best
  • But his later '90s recording with the LSO for BMG is definitely a keeper as well (I do not know the third cycle, with the LSO on LSO live)
  • Grab what you can find of Karajan. He did not record a complete cycle for EMI, nor did he for DGG. But his performances of the later symphonies are at the highest level. For this reason this is the only conductor I mention with no complete cycles.
  • Maazel with the Vienna Philharmonic may not always sound "scandinavian" (whatever this means) but the formal balance is astounding (the 5th and 7th are nothing short of spectacular from this point of view), which is the merit of the conductor, and the playing is just perfect. It probably fights with the earlier Davis for the spot of the best Sibelius cycle on record.
  • Ashkenazy indeed gets a honourable mention. Deep understanding of the Sibelius musical composition process is clearly shown, with a lot of energy in the delivery of the interpretation, and good playing from the PO and good sound. But it is not in the Davis/Maazel/Karajan league
  • Saraste on FINLANDIA is a gem from the point of view of freshness and idiomaticity of the performances, as well as for the sound, with one exception, the fifth is strangely quite lame. I do not know what happened during the recording of the fifth, Saraste just sounds like he was under Valium.
  • Paavo Berglund: his earlier cycle with the Bournemouth and Helsinki orchestras or the later FINLANDIA recording with the COE? My preference goes to the latter, but you are not wrong with either.
  • Bernstein is a curiosity. A lively and interesting one. It may be someone's favourite cycle, but it cannot be the first one to start with.

Gramophone puts the Ashkenazy and Rattle (rattle) cycles on top. I strongly disagree. The Ashkenazy is indeed very good, but Rattle just does not understand Sibelius (gosh I am on a british forum, I will be toasted) and the performances are sometimes a bit embarrassing (like Muti's Skriabin). Really, sometimes it sounds like "My g-d, I have to play this stuff because I am in the UK and they love Sibelius so much, but I cannot stand it, so let us wave the baton and get over with it."

I am prepared to die.

hope this helps
Roberto

Disclaimer: I have admiration for Sir Simon Rattle. He is a fantastic orchestra coach, one of the best, and a good conductor that has fought some great causes, like for the music of the 20th century in general. He stood for the completion of Mahler's Tenth and gave us some of the best Mahler recordings available (like his legendary 2nd) and also supported the project completion of the finale of Bruckner's Ninth (I have both his recording and the score!). My problem is with his Sibelius.
 
Fantastic write up Roberto, really appreciated.

I think I might plump for the Karajan (part) set on DG as well!
 
Del monaco said:
Listen to Mravinsky with Tchaikovsky and Toscanini was a great muttering maestro. But Glen Gould's 1982 Goldbergs surely takes the gong for humming along. Despite these ramblings, they Still produce wonderful music.
Click to expand...

I've got the Mravinsky/Leningrad SO Tschaikovsky symphonies 4,5 & 6 on DG Originals (fantastic recordings btw), I've obviously not listened hard enough!
 
irons1965 said:
I've got the Mravinsky/Leningrad SO Tschaikovsky symphonies 4,5 & 6 on DG Originals (fantastic recordings btw), I've obviously not listened hard enough!
Click to expand...

His conducting of the sixth is a desert island choice. A truly gut wrenching performance. Leaves me shattered.
 
mocenigo said:
I own about a dozen complete cycles of Sibelius symphonies, and I can say that a few of the mentioned recordings are among my favourites as well.
  • Sir Colin Davis' Philips complete cycle from the '70s with the BSO, definitely one of the best
  • But his later '90s recording with the LSO for BMG is definitely a keeper as well (I do not know the third cycle, with the LSO on LSO live)
  • Grab what you can find of Karajan. He did not record a complete cycle for EMI, nor did he for DGG. But his performances of the later symphonies are at the highest level. For this reason this is the only conductor I mention with no complete cycles.
  • Maazel with the Vienna Philharmonic may not always sound "scandinavian" (whatever this means) but the formal balance is astounding (the 5th and 7th are nothing short of spectacular from this point of view), which is the merit of the conductor, and the playing is just perfect. It probably fights with the earlier Davis for the spot of the best Sibelius cycle on record.
  • Ashkenazy indeed gets a honourable mention. Deep understanding of the Sibelius musical composition process is clearly shown, with a lot of energy in the delivery of the interpretation, and good playing from the PO and good sound. But it is not in the Davis/Maazel/Karajan league
  • Saraste on FINLANDIA is a gem from the point of view of freshness and idiomaticity of the performances, as well as for the sound, with one exception, the fifth is strangely quite lame. I do not know what happened during the recording of the fifth, Saraste just sounds like he was under Valium.
  • Paavo Berglund: his earlier cycle with the Bournemouth and Helsinki orchestras or the later FINLANDIA recording with the COE? My preference goes to the latter, but you are not wrong with either.
  • Bernstein is a curiosity. A lively and interesting one. It may be someone's favourite cycle, but it cannot be the first one to start with.

Gramophone puts the Ashkenazy and Rattle (rattle) cycles on top. I strongly disagree. The Ashkenazy is indeed very good, but Rattle just does not understand Sibelius (gosh I am on a british forum, I will be toasted) and the performances are sometimes a bit embarrassing (like Muti's Skriabin). Really, sometimes it sounds like "My g-d, I have to play this stuff because I am in the UK and they love Sibelius so much, but I cannot stand it, so let us wave the baton and get over with it."

I am prepared to die.

hope this helps
Roberto

Disclaimer: I have admiration for Sir Simon Rattle. He is a fantastic orchestra coach, one of the best, and a good conductor that has fought some great causes, like for the music of the 20th century in general. He stood for the completion of Mahler's Tenth and gave us some of the best Mahler recordings available (like his legendary 2nd) and also supported the project completion of the finale of Bruckner's Ninth (I have both his recording and the score!). My problem is with his Sibelius.
Click to expand...

I agree with your Rattle assertion. He is an interesting conductor but most of his performance leave me cold. I've never viewed him as a great conductor. Davis, Hickox, Marriner etc are at least his equal. Listened to the Bernstein conducted 7th the other day. Really involving performance. His conducting of the 5th is great as well.
 
Fascinating stuff; I adore Sibelius, and as we all recognise, you have to chose the 'right' conductor/performance for each symphony. I've just bought the Collins box set, nice but a bit patchy perhaps? A box set probably isn't the way to go.
I used to live in the centre of Helsinki and would pop along to Finlandia Hall for the annual Sibelius Marathon. Sibelius on the accordion, now you are talking!
 
mocenigo said:
...but Rattle just does not understand Sibelius (gosh I am on a british forum, I will be toasted) and the performances are sometimes a bit embarrassing (like Muti's Skriabin). Really, sometimes it sounds like "My g-d, I have to play this stuff because I am in the UK and they love Sibelius so much, but I cannot stand it, so let us wave the baton and get over with it."
Click to expand...

Well, he's recorded them all again with the BPO, an orchestra that doesn't really have much track record with Sibelius since Karajan's days, and Rattle said he felt he was introducing Sibelius to his Berliners. So I doubt he hates Sibelius!
They are much better performances than the CBSO set which I agree is very overrated - but still wouldn't prefer them to several others, not least because of disappointing sound quality.

Rattle also recorded the 5th with the Philharmonia at the beginning of his career, before he got the CBSO job. Its a very fine performance indeed and a great recording too.
 
mocenigo said:
[*]Saraste on FINLANDIA is a gem from the point of view of freshness and idiomaticity of the performances, as well as for the sound, with one exception, the fifth is strangely quite lame. I do not know what happened during the recording of the fifth, Saraste just sounds like he was under Valium.
Click to expand...

I may have told this story before...but 25 years ago I was working in a record shop in Glasgow when Neeme Jarvi walked in with his then-teenage son Krisjan and Brian Couzens of Chandos Records. I happened to be playing Saraste's recording of Sibelius 6 at time. Jarvi Snr shook his head and muttered "too too slow!"

About 4 or 5 years ago I saw Krisjan Jarvi conduct the RSNO in 6 & 7, which he played back-to-back with hardly a break. They were wonderful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top