Sibelius Symphonies

I've been a Sibelius buff for 40 years and have many recordings of the symphonies, including the complete sets by Maazel (Decca/London), Bernstein (Sony), Berglund (EMI), Jarvi (BIS), Rattle (EMI), both the Davis sets (Boston on Philips and London SO on RCA), Saraste (RCA), as well as numerous individual performances. Without question the best set of the Sibelius symphonies is the recent, second Colin Davis one, with the London Symphony Orchestra, on RCA. No modern conductor has shown as thorough and consistent a grasp of the very individual Sibelius idiom as Colin Davis, the unchallenged dean of Sibelius interpreters of our time. And the LSO/RCA set has the advantage of excellent recent digital sound, engineered by Tony Faulkner. My second choice would be Ashkenazy's spirited and eloquent but somewhat Russianized readings on Decca/London.

If you like Sibelius, don't miss the classic Heifetz/Hendl/Chicago SO performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto on RCA, far and away the greatest recording ever made of this magnificent work, by the violinist who "owned" this piece as few other virtuosos have ever owned a concerto, and who played it in a way no other violinist could approach. This recording always had superb sound, but is now sounding better than ever in the recent RCA hybrid SACD release (at mid-price to boot). In a class by itself.

Ditto Texasdave's recommendation of the Sibelius Violin Concerto by Heifetz/Hendl/Chicago SO. It is superb. For vinyl fanciers, the Classic Records LP reissue is very good.

Dave, it sounds like you may have found something to like in Tony Faulker's engineering work on the Colin Davis series. Is that so?
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I just looked up Sibelius symphonies in The 2003-4 Penguin Guide and The 2004 Gramophone Classical CD Guide. The Penguin Guide says: "Capped with a superb account of Kullervo, Sir Colin Davis's RCA set of the Sibelius Symphonies sweeps the board. The excellence of the LSO playing is matched by the consistently fine RCA recording, which sets the seal on a totally authoritative and triumphant survey, including equally fine performances of En Saga and Rakastava for good measure. Otherwise Ashkenazy's Sibelius cycle takes precedence." The Gramophone Guide likes the Ashkenazy set, but prefers the first Davis cycle with Boston on Philips to his second one.

My recommendation is Colin Davis's second cycle with the London SO, which was recorded 1992-1998 in and around London (three different venues), all engineered by Tony Faulkner, and released on 5 CDs as follows:
1. Symphonies 1 & 4: Recorded 1994.
2. Symphonies 2 & 6: Recorded 1994.
3. Symphonies 3 & 5: Recorded 1992.
4. Symphony 7, Kullervo Symphony, Rakastava, En Saga: Recorded 1994 and 1996.
5. Karelia Suite, Oceanides, Finlandia, Valse triste, Tapiola, Nightride and Sunrise: Recorded 1992, 1994, and 1998.