As so often happens in the classical record business, Sir Colin Davis has been busily rerecording all of this music for RCA, with the London Symphony. And because he's an English conductor working with an English orchestra, the British critics are raving, as if these earlier, much better, and much less expensive versions didn't even exist. Well, ignore the hype. Not only does the Boston Symphony play rings around today's London Symphony Orchestra (Davis's current group), but they are much better recorded too. This first Sibelius cycle was a prime recommendation when it first came out, and it still is, plain and simple. --David Hurwitz
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Good set, but not essential:
Sibelius occupies an interesting place in music history. His music was more an extension of the 19th century than it was music of his own time. But even from that vantage point, it has considerable merit. Music of the late/post-Romantic period was often bloated (in the case of Mahler--sometimes hysterical). Sibelius on the other hand, was taut and not indulgent in the least. There is plenty of sinew here, and very little fat. For that reason, Sibelius should be appreciated by anyone with a love for good... more info
Where's the power?:
This review focuses on the key movement for me (the fourth of the Second Symphony), and so will pay short shrift to the other works on this CD; my apologies to those who prefer to see a review weigh the entire CD. But my purpose in purchasing this CD was to find a reading of the Fourth movement that would capture what is for me its essential quality and character, which I can only compare to that of a sure-footed captain guiding his craft through a wailing storm (the Finnish people enduring Russian... more info
sublime:
These two discs contain some of the most gorgeous symphonic music and awesome orchestral playing ever committed to disc. Of Sibelius' seven symphonies, we have here the dark, Tchaikovskian First; the epic, majestic, forlorn Second; the austere, solemn, and noble Fourth; and the affable, complex, understated, and profound Fifth. These works capture something of the essence of the Nordic spirit as poignantly as the Dvorak symphonies do the Slavic, and are quite simply some of the most rewarding,... more info
Excellent First and Fifth:
This half of the Colin Davis/Boston Symphony Orchestra Sibelius cycle includes two performances I've long admired, one that's unexceptional, and one that seems a complete misfire. Writing the finale to a symphony causes problems for young composers. The finale of the Mahler First is by far the weakest movement in the Mahler canon. The same is true of the Sibelius First--or is it? The stunning opening of the First announces a mature, original genius, but the finale can easily sound like imitation... more info
Tracks:
Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39: 1. Andante, ma non troppo - Allegro energico
Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39: 2. Andante. Ma non troppo lento
Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39: 3. Scherzo. Allegro
Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39: 4. Finale
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63: 1. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63: 2. Allegro molto vivace
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63: 3. Il tempo largo
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63: 4. Allegro
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43: 1. Allegretto - Poco allegro - Tranquillo, ma poco a poco ravvivando il tempo al allegro
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43: 2. Tempo andante, ma rubato - Andante sostenuto
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43: 3. Vivacissimo - Lento e suave - Largamente
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43: 4. Finale. Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82: 1. Tempo molto moderato - Largamento - Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82: 2. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82: 3. Allegro molto
