HI. I own only Colin Davis cycle of symphonies with Boston Symphony Orchestra. I like his approach very much. But... can anyone make comparison with some excellent another cycle? It would be great to know which symphonies sounds different in other hands, because my ears are now totally in Davis manner in this music. I also own his Kullervo with London symphony orchestra and chorus with C. Davis as a live recording but I cannot make final decision about the quality of perfomance... has anyone heard Kullervo with Davis?

There's much to enjoy in the 'live' Davis Kullervo - but for me it is almost ruled out by the unrefined sound in the difficult acoustic of London's Barbican Hall.

I'd heartily concur with Kurkikohtaus's recommendation of the Osmo Vänskä cycle as a genuine Finnish alternative.

Of the 'mainstream' cycles, most have their merits but I would avoid the Maazel/Pittsburgh, which is a big ego trip for the conductor but does little for poor Sibelius.

Tapkaara wrote:

Ever since making a comment in this thread about the Segerstam/Helsinki S.O. cycle, I've revisited it somewhat and have discovered I really love their 5th. Wow...I know I had heard that recording before, but something happened and it's like I'm hearing it for the first time. Simply incredible.

Oh my god. After listening to the very ending of this 5th I stand amazed.

i spent some time with the vanska/lahti 5 yesterday. that older version is nice.

dj

yesterday i picked up the berglund 1-4 gemini w/helsinki. i'll be interested in hearing that tomorrow!

dj

The Berglund cycle was my first complete cycle, and my first introduction to Symphonies 3-7 and Tapiola.

While I can think of many recordings that I enjoy more today, the sound of the orchestra and Berglund's sober tempos still give me a feeling of nostalgia and "home" every time I hear them.

ah...my berglund is quite excellent! different enough from what i'm used to to sound really fresh to me.

dj

I saw Paavo Berglund conduct a couple of months ago - the first two Lemminkäinen Legends among other things - and I'm afraid that his health is far from good. He had to be helped onto the stage and it took two men to lift him into his chair. But by heck did he get an ovation at the end!

i envy you. may he continue his music making in decent health for many years.

dj

Andrew B wrote:

I saw Paavo Berglund conduct a couple of months ago ... and I'm afraid that his health is far from good.

As concerning as this is, I am delighted to hear this, becuase for some reason, I thought he had already passed away!

arenan wrote:

Tapkaara wrote: Ever since making a comment in this thread about the Segerstam/Helsinki S.O. cycle, I've revisited it somewhat and have discovered I really love their 5th. Wow...I know I had heard that recording before, but something happened and it's like I'm hearing it for the first time. Simply incredible. Oh my god. After listening to the very ending of this 5th I stand amazed.

The fifth is amazing indeed! Those Helsinki PO horn players are perfect! The strings are also awesome, especially in the beginning of the last movement.

Segerstams Sibelius Five is indeed amazing. I just have one gripe.
In the final pages of the Finale he greatly exaggerates Sibs 'Stretto' indication as he races for the final six hammar blows. This also defaced his excellent Danish Radio version. Still, thats Segerstam!--kullervopete.

I agree completely - it is after all only marked 'Un pochettino stretto'.
Do you remember the bizarre pause that he used to insert in the first movement (I've heard him do it in concert and on the older Danish recording). I think it was halfway through the third bar after M. Thankfully that doesn't disfigure the Helsinki version.

An odd quirk I have, I carry the pocket score of the 5th everywhere, you know... just in case I ever need to "check" something...

So looking at the 3rd bar after M, for those of you that don't have a score, the strings finish their statement of the 2nd-theme-motive, and the separation that Andrew B is talking about probably comes right before a WW/Hn chord that is then sustained above another statement of the same motive in the strings. This statement of the motive, ending in sycopations, leads to the Recap of Theme 1, which serves the role of the transition to the scherzo.

So why the break? I suppose for a clear articulation of the penultimate moment before a very short quasi-pedal that leads to the Recap.

In Beethoven and Brahms, the Dominant Pedals (whether true Dominants or some derivative) tend to be quite long and obvious and do not leave educated listeners in the dark as to where they are in the structure. But after a rather dark and brooding Development, what with heavily syncopated thematic material and the bassoon lament, Sibelius uses this very woodwind chord as the "signal" before the short 4-bar "pedal-like" section, leading to the recap. The fact that the chord is not a simple dominant but a Sibelian half-diminished chord is rather poignant... and perhaps that is why Segerstam felt it needed a little extra... articulation.

That said, it would never have occured to me to do that.

I'd say it was more than a little articulation... more a gaping chasm . I'm glad he doesn't do it these days.

Yes, I recall Segerstam in a radio broadcast back in the 80's. He paused for a few seconds, I think after the violins F Sharp, two and a half bars after letter M. Maybe the maestro was paying homage to the works four movement origin.--kullervopete.

I'm not sure if they are part of a full cycle, but I have two discs on the Erato/Warner of Sakari Oramo conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - one is symphonies 2 and 4, the other is 6 and 7. I'm not overwhelmed by the latter, but 2 and 4 are fine recordings, especially 4.

Again, being relatively new to Sibelius I'm not sure if it's a cycle, but the EMI recordings with Paavo Berglund conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic are very fine indeed. I only have 5, 6 and 7, but the seventh is the finest recording of that work I have - and the finest by Berglund (I have all his others!).

I notice someone mentions a non-Finnish conductor's account above - I wonder what other non-Finn conductors people would say are real 'Sibelians'?

The Berglund/HPO is indeed a cycle. Do you have the 2CD set with Aallotaret and Tapiola on it? The "first" 2 cds have symphonies 1-4.

The cover art varies, I have an older green booklet, this is what they look like now:

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I am a bit of a freak when it comes to the tempo of the opening adagio. You can read my reviews of the 2 Berglund recordings I've heard

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All in all, I like Berglund as a kind of "standard" that's nice to come back to, but I can't say I appreciated his 7th much, at least not compared to the other recordings I've heard. Oh, and I did finally get my hands on the Vanska/Lahti, I will add it to the list in that thread at some point during the holidays.

I like Maazel's cycle. It's excellent. It's my only one... but that sounds pathetic.

Not pathetic, you have to start somewhere, and that cycle gets a lot of publicity.

That said, have you read Andrew B's mini-review of this cycle? You can find it on the first page of this thread, about half-way down. Simply put, other cycles have emerged that have exposed serious flaws in Maazel's recordings. Andrew B lists the 3rd and 6th symphonies as being "unidiomatic", Ainola and I don't like the playing in the 1st symphony at all, and I find the 7th to be too much of a departure from the score.

So just sift through the "recordings" category, you'll be sure to find plenty of reviews and recommendations on where to look next!