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  3. 181952-74445

Jean Sibelius Recordings

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

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

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

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

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

mahler123
mahler123 OP
3,085 posts
 

Actually, no. The above is a recording of an early Sibelius work, one that he withdrew after publishing. It’s kind of like The Beatles with Tony Sheridan album. Kullervo has its fans but I’m not among them. If you are new to Sibelius I recommend exploring the following.

Tone Poems (Basically works for Orchestra that aren’t Symphonies or Concertos): Finlandia, Tapiola,The Swan of Tuonela, En Saga

Symphonies 1-7. Number 5 might be the most immediately accessible

Violin Concerto

 

@designsfx if you have a streaming service you can easily explore many recordings of all of the above

The conductor in the recording you referenced is named Osmo Vanska.  He irecords for the label BIS.  BIS hired him to record every note the Composer ever wrote for Orchestra, back in the nineties, with a relatively small Orchestra from the city of Lahti.  He subsequently became the Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, and BIS is re recording much of the Sibelius this time in SACD.

  As you can tell from the other posts in the thread there are many other Conductors that have recorded Sibelius.  Another excellent place to start would be Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic in the four tone poems that I listed above 

if you need more help don’t be afraid to ask.

designsfx
789 posts
 

@mahler123 

I was wondering what format you use the most for listening. I was able to find this on Qobuz (24/96 FLAC) and for the most part is sounded very good with proper dynamics. There was one thing that continually drew my attention away from the music though- a slight crackling type of distortion that was very noticeable when the  vocalists performed solo (both male/female). It was very noticeable at around 19:00 minutes in the third “Kullervo and his sister” Just wondering if that been noticed while streaming or if it’s inherent in all formats. Thank you as well for the recommendations, I’ll definitely seek out the other works.

 

mahler123 OP
3,085 posts
 

@designsfx 

 

I haven't listened to that recording of Kullervo because I don't like the music, having tried a few prior recordings.  You do realize that in Classical Music there tend to be multiple recordings by different performers of the same piece of music.

 

   I am 100% digital, CDs, SACD, Blu Ray, streaming, etc.  Some higher resolution but most at CD redbook resolution

  

designsfx
789 posts
 

@mahler123 

You do realize that in Classical Music there tend to be multiple recordings by different performers of the same piece of music.

Ha! Believe me- I do. I grew up playing music and attended Musicians Institute while in my teens. I’ve always been fascinated by classical composers but never had the patience to follow through the various performances/recording. The various interpretations can be interesting but I have never followed it. Now that I’m trying out retirement I thought it might be interesting to pursue and learn more about.

On systems I’m all digital as well- just wondered if you had noticed the same in the recording. I’ll definitely be checking out other recordings via Qobuz now that I have that going.

mahler123 OP
3,085 posts
 

@designsfx 

 

What a wonderful retirement project 

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