Anyone familiar with this work? I have played it couple of times but do not even own a recording of this. Any favourite albums? I own a copy of the partiture so I am a bit more familiar to this piece day by day. But such a strange work.

A strange work indeed - but a marvellous one once you get to know it better.
Shortly after Simon Rattle's EMI recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra appeared in the early 1980s, I had the privilege of meeting with Jussi Jalas [S's son-in-law and one of the few people with whom he really discussed interpretation of his own works]: Jalas found Rattle's performance 'just about perfect'.
If we compare the structure of Night Ride with the finale of the Third Symphony, we find an unexpected parallel - a fast section (often akin to a ghostly scherzo) and then a more hymnlike second section.

Andrew B wrote:

...Simon Rattle's EMI recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra...

This is the recording that I have and to date the only recording of this piece that I have heard. I have never heard it in performance.

I have done some preliminary score study. To sustain the right feeling and sound of the "ghostly schezo", I think you need a very high-quality string section or at least one from a Finnish orchestra that plays this piece often (yearly?) so that they're not actually learning the notes as they go along... a little bit like the way Czech orchestras play the inner string parts of Vltava... this is a killer if you are playing it for the first time, but if you play it several times a year as most Czech orchestras do, it just sort of flows along. I think this same facility is required in Night Ride, but with a much higher degree of virtuosity and precision than in Vltava.

All of that said, my orchestra will unfortunately not be playing Night Ride any time soon, or anytime later for that matter.

Finnish orchestras do not play this piece very often altough I have a feeling that this language is very easy for Finnish players but then if we want a topnotch performance we all have to put so much into it. And it aint easy in professional orchestras..

I honestly cannot imagine the amount of concentrationa and precision it would take to play the endless rows of dotted pp rhythms accruately, precisely, evenly, with the right colour... it must be incredible to watch.

So you say Finnish orchestras do not play it very much? I would have thought that it is a standard at Christmas concerts!

It is a very rare occasion to be able to hear this piece live. Even in Finland.

it took me a while to appreciate but I find it absolutely brilliant but have never herad it live...shame
dave

My favourite recording of this work is surprisingly by a German conductor, Eugen Jochum recorded in 1958. After a swift and at times sinister night ride section [Tapio seems to be lurking in the shadows] Jochum gives an almost Brucknerian power to the sunrise part with glorious brass.--kullervopete.

Yes, Jochum's recording is really good (despite being in mono), at least it made me perceive this tone poem as one of Sibelius's main composition, though reading the booklet afterwards erased that idea.
The poem came along with Jochum's Bruckner no.4 on a 'DG Legendary Recordings' CD. The only easily accessible recording of that tone poem I think.

I got my DG Cd around a couple of years ago 'The Legendary Deutsche Gramophon Sound of the fifties'. In addition to 'Nightride' we also have Jochums account of 'The Oceanides' and 'Prelude to the Tempest' which are equally superb. The couplings are excerpts from Wagners 'Lohengrin' and 'Parsifal'. 'Nightride and Sunrise' is still neglected in the concert hall but is now well recorded and remains for me one of Sibelius's finest works. DG 00289 477 5484 --kullervopete.

'Nightride and Sunrise'

Correct me if I am wrong, but this stunning work is a reflection by Sibelius of an overnight journey to Helsinki - I think on a dog or some kind of horse sleigh/carriage being 'driven' by someone else with Jean as his passenger.
It starts with a very brief flourish of excitement before the journey begins, and almost immediately the music begins to run, bumping bobbing and turning. However, it is night. The deeper the jouney gets, the more sprites of dark forests and unsettling natures of the night bedevil our traveller. But he's up for it, just waiting on the sun to rise, despite the wonder and fear on his mind. The moonlight is the only light on the snowbound journey, up and down, the pathway keeps going, up and down, and the forest trees are speckled with cold stars above...but wait, it's getting lighter...there is hope in the now gradually brightening sky...hope soon becomes music from the treetops, and the Sun rises magnificently to the sound of strings and brass, complimented by the relief of some woodwind.
It is a faboulous work which sounds exactly as it proposes to be. I can say I have been with Sibelius and travelled at his side silently throught a snowbound night in Finland...and anyone else can do it too.

What a grea post, Sibs9th!

I see I'm not the only one who has travelled this way with Sibelius!

NIGHT RIDE is WWWWAAAAYYYYY under-performed. It may not be as readly accessible as, say, the Karelia Suite to the avergae listener, but it's not as elusive as The Bard or even Tapiola. It's a great work in the late-Romantic vein and deserves to be heard more.

And Sibbe's "daybreak" at the end of this work is so much more glorious than the one his Norwegian counterpart Grieg wrote for Peer Gynt.

Sibelius made several remarks over the years regarding his idea's for Nightride and Sunrise. He did indeed tell his secretary Santeri Levas that on a journey from Helsinki to Kerava around 1900, he saw a most amazing sunrise 'The whole heavens were a sea of colours that shifted and flowed, producing the most inspiring sight, until it all ended in a growing light'. But he told Karl Ekman that the main idea came to him on a visit to Italy, in Rome Sibelius saw the Colosseum by moonlight. Actually the structure of this music is very forward looking and even anticipates the minimulists, half a century later.--kp

Excellent point about this work's "prediction" of the Minimalist school.

Yet another example of how ahead of his time Sibelius was.

Tapkaara wrote:

NIGHT RIDE is WWWWAAAAYYYYY under-performed.

I too would love to see it in performance, but it is very difficult for the string players. Look upwards a few posts and arenan will confirm this, having played it himself.

I have been lucky with Nightride. I have heard it performed 'Live' three times. The first time by Sir Colin Davies and the London Symphony. In Manchester I have heard it given by French maestro Yan Pascal Tortelier and BBC Phil. and also by Mark Elder and the Halle. It never fails to move me to tears.--kp

kullervopete wrote:

I have been lucky with Nightride. I have heard it performed 'Live' three times. The first time by Sir Colin Davies and the London Symphony. In Manchester I have heard it given by French maestro Yan Pascal Tortelier and BBC Phil. and also by Mark Elder and the Halle. It never fails to move me to tears.--kp

Pete,
I just got Kurt Sanderling's recording on Berlin Classics - what an account! Although I have heard better brass elsewhere, the string playing in the first half of the piece is absolutely unbeatably alert,taut and "sprung", all brought out by a slightly analytical recording quality - this is well worth a listen (especially for £2.91 from amazon.co.uk marketplace!) Probably on a par with Horst Stein/SRO on Decca - and that is praise indeed!

Martin, I concur with you completely regarding Sanderlings Nightride and Sunrise. In fact it is one of my favourite recordings. Sanderling actually conducted the piece in Helsinki with J.S in the audience. You might be interested in my recent post in the General discussion section [Whats that lurking in your Cd player] in which I review Sanderlings Sibelius cycle.--kp

kullervopete wrote:

Martin, I concur with you completely regarding Sanderlings Nightride and Sunrise. In fact it is one of my favourite recordings. Sanderling actually conducted the piece in Helsinki with J.S in the audience. You might be interested in my recent post in the General discussion section [Whats that lurking in your Cd player] in which I review Sanderlings Sibelius cycle.--kp

Peter,
Thanks for the tip!