My favorite Sibelius tone poem is, perhaps, The Wood Nymph. It's certainly rarely heard in the concert hall, and only one (excellent) recording of it exisists with Osmo Vanska and the Lahti SO.

I've heard this piece described as "repetitive" by others, and maybe that's true, but I never cease to get excited when I hear it. I especially love that darkly powerful ending.

Anyone else like or dislike this piece?

(By the way, my second favorite tone poem is probably Pohjola's Daughter.)

When I was creating

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

, I had completely forgotten about the existance of this piece, as I have never actually heard it myself. I dare not edit the poll options now, that often destroys the poll completely (a forum software problem). Feel free to write it in as a protest at the bottom!

As far as The Wood Nymph is concerned, the following is from Finnish Music Quarterly, 1/1999, written by Eija Kurki: (excellent name, by the way)

The spring of 1996 saw the eagerly awaited release of the first recording of Sibelius's Skogsrået (The Wood-Nymph). The concert performance of the work in Lahti on February 9 had already caused a notable international stir, because even the exis-tence of the 20-minute symphonic poem was not common knowledge. The work was unpublished and had seen only one other performance during the present century - and that no less than some 60 years ago. The manuscript had resided at the Helsinki University Library since 1982, when Sibelius' heirs donated his music manuscripts to the university. Thus, the score wasn't exactly found in the food cupboard at Ainola, as certain sensationalist news reports have suggested.

To read more of this article,

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

.

And once again my apologies to Tapkaara and other fans of this piece for leaving it off the poll.

Aha, I had been wondering why The Wood-Nymph wasn’t on the list!

I strongly agree with Tapkaara - it is a major discovery. I was at the February 1996 performance in Lahti (and rehearsal) and have probably heard it 6-7 times in concert now, and it never fails to make a huge impact.

Repetitive: well, perhaps, but this characteristic doesn’t seem to have done Ravel’s s Bolero any harm… and it doesn’t in any way diminish my enjoyment of the piece.

In fact two other recordings have been issued, but they pale into insignificance alongside Vänskä’s: one with a Finnish student orchestra, the Polytech Symphony Orchestra, under Hannu Norjanen (POCD-7800, rcorded in April 1999), and one with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra under Shuntaro Sato (Finlandia 0927-49598-2, recorded April 2002). Sadly the Kuopio orchestra, as heard on this and other recordings, simply doesn’t have the depth or refinement of sonority to do such a work justice. There’s also a rival recording of the melodrama version conducted by Anu Tali (Warner Classics 2564 61992-2), but the very obtrusive balance of the (overdubbed) narration rules this out of court.

Incidentally the JSW/Breitkopf & Härtel critical edition of The Wood-Nymph (along with both versions of Spring Song) should be out any time now. Osmo Vänskä has returned to the work and made a new surround-sound recording in Lahti, using the critical text (including for instance a few extra bars). With luck that disc will be issued later this year.

To digress for a moment: I don’t know if you are familiar with Eija Kurki’s fascinating doctoral thesis on Sibelius’s music for Symbolist plays (from Kuolema through to Ödlan and Swanwhite). In it, she explains in detail the relationship between the original theatre numbers and the concert selections - and I do remember her being rather delighted at critical reactions such as: 'Kurki solves the mystery of Kurkikohtaus'!

And finally I can’t post this without urging you all to listen as well to the other great Sibelius/Rydberg work, similar in so many ways (episodic structure, story-line, musical style) to The Wood-Nymph: Snöfrid, Op.29, for narrator (briefly), mixed chorus and orchestra - another magnificent piece that knocks concert audiences flat and deserves the widest currency.

Thanks, Andrew, for the information about The Wood-Nymph. I did not realize that other recordings of this piece exisited.

And I agree with your point that repetition doesn't tarnish the reputation of Ravel's Bolero, so the much less repetitive Wood-Nymph should not turn people off. Through Sibelius's repetition in this piece, a certain tension is built up towards its sweeping ending. Absolutely genius.

Snöfrid is also a wonderful work. An excellent recording of that exists on BIS with...you guessed it...Vänskä and the Lahti SO.

Tapkaara, I just noticed that the Tone Poem Poll has an "other" option at the bottom (I must have put it there and forgotten about it). If you haven't voted for another one already, you can make your voice heared that way.

There are two versions of Wood Nymph, one a monodrama, one a "tone poem," I'm guessing that everyone here is talking about the longer version, without narrator. Only a guess though.

I think the short version, with narrator, and piano, is very tasty indeed, whereas the long version is, well, just ok.

It's no Pohjola's Daughter, in either version, but then what is?

Well perhaps the tone poem version is a little bit on the long side, though I do like its massive orchestral sound.
Don't forget the piano transcription of the last section... or the earlier solo song (even if it's musically 99.9per cent different - the last 0.1 per cent is the use of octave motifs)!

I shouldn't have referred to length. It is about twice as long, but that's not why I prefer the monodrama. It's tighter and leaner over all. The rhythms come off better in the short version, I think. The transitions are more abrupt (more dramatic). Plus that narrator, just him talking over the first climax makes the tension more, well, tense.

Sibelius went back and forth his whole career between lean and fat.

I prefer the lean works on the whole. Not that I dislike the fat ones. Sheesh. That would just be daft.

Oh yes, we need the fat ones too.
No low-cholesterol Sibelius for me!

Why is the Wood Nymph so under-performed? You never hear anything about it...

Andrew B mentions a few other records of this work in an earier post, but I seem unable to find them anywhere online.

I'd like to hear a Segertam verion of this grand work..!

Because it was only 'rediscovered' in 1996 and has only just been published. Now it is there in a clean modern edition, let's hope that conductors take the bait.

Cool...I'm hoping the bait will indeed be taken...it's time to hear some other conductors tackle this work.

I think a Segerstam interpretation would be most interesting, personally. Good ol' Leif is one of the best Sibelians working today...

I just got into listening to this piece the other day and couldn't stop listening to it (and Shostakovich's 7th symphony, but whatever). It's such a fascinating piece; I don't know many pieces that start in the major and end in such a massively impactful minor chord. And the middle section with the cello solo is so serene.

I never at all got the feeling of Bolero (probably precisely because I was listening to the Leningrad symphony as well...). The piece in general reminds me more of Bruckner, really, with all the massive sonorities and whatnot. Especially the final buildup... Bruckner 4?

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

I can't understand why this magnificent tone poem is still largly ignored since its rediscovery in the 1990's. I have Vanska's superb recording on Bis, but we don't seem to have had any rival version.
I was tempted by the Douglas Bostock recording seen above which claims to be the premiere recording of the new critical edition prepared by Breitkopf and Hartel. The review that I have seen shows a preference for the Vanska. Come on record companies, lets have a few less violin concertos and a few more Wood-Nymphs.--kp

Tapkaara tipped me off about The Wood Nymph a few weeks ago, and on the strength of that I bought a copy of the Vanska recording. I was immediately captivated by it - it has all the Sibelian characteristics I most love, and it seems absurd that it's so relatively unknown.

Vänskä has recorded it twice - once on BIS-CD-815 and then again using the critical edition in Box 1 of the Sibelius Edition. The newer recording was made in surround sound (the standard stereo mix is in the box but it will also be issued as a Hybrid SACD early in 2010: BIS-SACD-1645).

Now you may think I am biased here but I must say that both versions are infinitely better played and recorded than the Bostock. If you don't believe me, listen to them and you'll see what I mean. There are a couple more rivals - the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra's recording on Finlandia (now defunct, I think), and one by a Finnish student orchestra. Neither of those provides any meaningful competition for Vänskä either.

My own preference is firmly for the earlier Vänskä recording. It may lack a couple of bars that are included in the JSW edition, but it has far more freshness, a true feeling of new discovery... and I prefer the sound as well, which on my system is more naturally balanced, with a greater sense of perspective.

And I wholeheartedly concur with KP's plea for more orchestras and conductors to play/record it. Now that it's published, there is no excuse.

P.S. Bostock's disc manages to misspell the violin soloist's name on the cover. Sakari Tepponen is his real name. Also the cover portrait of Sibeliusis the wrong way round. D'oh! - but typical of the disc's sloppy production standards.

My first hearing of the Wood Nymph was at a BBC Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London on the 20th August 1997.

Osmo Vanska conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Also Luonnotar and Kullervo Symphony with Kirsi Tiihonen, soprano, Jukka Rasilainen, baritone and the Helsinki University Male Chorus.

This was the first London performance of The Wood Nymph although the first UK performance took place in Dundee, Scotland a few days before.

A very memorable concert indeed!

Ciarain.

Kieron Kirk wrote:

My first hearing of the Wood Nymph was at a BBC Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London on the 20th August 1997. Osmo Vanska conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Also Luonnotar and Kullervo Symphony with Kirsi Tiihonen, soprano, Jukka Rasilainen, baritone and the Helsinki University Male Chorus. This was the first London performance of The Wood Nymph although the first UK performance took place in Dundee, Scotland a few days before. A very memorable concert indeed! Ciarain.

I well remember that concert, Vanska did some marvellous Sibelius during his time in Scotland.--kp

Yes, it was a good Prom!

A small correction: the UK première was at the City Halls in Glasgow with a repeat performance in Inverness a couple of days later (I was at all three concerts, including the Prom!). The programme included the work for trombone and orchestra by Sandström in which the soloist has to strip off on stage. This was fine in cosmopolitan Glasgow, but in Inverness nobody has thought to warn the predominantly elderly ladies in the audience what Christian Lindberg (for it was he) was about to uncover… there were quite a few murmurs… which admittedly soon turned into a riotous wave of enthusiasm.

I picked up a (used) copy of the Wood Nymph recording on Finlandia at Stockmann's in Helsinki. I had known of this recording but had been unable to find it, even online. I'm gonna give it a go so I can compare it t Vänskä's, which is currently the only one I know. I will report here later...