Sibelius Symphonies - which Colin Davis cycle do you prefer?

[Wolfram]

Karajan, anyone? He had several goes at these symphonies though I think he really only liked the last four. But I think his late '70's First is the best of all, a stereo replacement for the otherwise superb Collins.

Definite yes to Karajan; the 1960s DG recordings and the 1980 2nd on EMI.

I don’t mind the sound on the Davis Barbican recordings. So I would choose those along with the early Boston series. I have the RCA recordings, but haven’t listened to them in years. Maybe I should.

[Sir Velo]

That's rather like asking which Austin do you prefer: Allegro, Maxi or Maestro.

Kamu's my own personal cup of Sibelian Lahti, but will go with Jayne that Rouvali is something special.

[silvestrione]

That's rather like asking which Austin do you prefer: Allegro, Maxi or Maestro.

Kamu's my own personal cup of Sibelian Lahti, but will go with Jayne that Rouvali is something special.

Storgards with the BBC Phil anyone? Just put the start of the First on, and you'll be drawn in. My favourite though is Vanska Lahti . And Karajan's Philharmonia recordings I prefer to the fine DG ones!

[CallMePaul]

Storgards with the BBC Phil anyone? Just put the start of the First on, and you'll be drawn in. My favourite though is Vanska Lahti . And Karajan's Philharmonia recordings I prefer to the fine DG ones!

I am also a fan of the Storgards set, which I bought after going to all three concerts at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. I remember that his recording of the first symphony was the BAL choice a few years ago. My favourites among his symphonies are nos 3-5; Tapiola is, however, my favourite Sibelius piece - try Pekari/ Iceland SO on Naxos.

[smittims]

Around the time of the Storgards broadcasts R3 also played someof the symphonies conducted by Thomas Sondergard which I thought if anything more thought-provoking. We certainly had a wealth of fine Sibelius performances in that year.

Has anyone heard the old Stockholm/Sixten Ehrling set, reputedly the first integral recordong of the series? I can't trace a British release,

[Dave2002]

Some years ago I wanted to play some Sibelius symphonies for a music society. Eventually I decided on the 7th, and found I had a couple of CDs by Bernstein. I settled on the NYPO one I think. Blew most of us away.

I first got to hear the 7th from the Saga LP by Alexander Gibson. I found I wasn't particularly fond of the 3rd, based on that recording, but a Prom performance a few years ago [few probably = 5 or more now ..] really gripped me. Is there anyone who can remember that in the last decade? I'll have to check on the orchestra and conductor.

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra's versions are also worth checking out. Very surprised to hear that orchestra live in the last few years. It is really good.

I have many CDs of the Sibelius symphonies. Most of them are good. I bought a set with Barbirolli since I heard part of one in a record shop. Yes - I do have several of the Davis versions.

[Barbirollians]

I have the NYPO Bernstein but have to admit they are in that pile of boxed sets I must listen to .

[richardfinegold]

I had a Pentatone version (SACD-originally a Phillips Quad lp)of the Davis/Boston 5/7 and En Saga that I pulled off the shelves yesterday. I would describe it as a competent run through. So many other conductors make much more out the drama of the Seventh and En Saga where Davis just seems to be beating time. He does better in the Fifth but it still leaves one wanting more.

Fwiw, the sonics wren't particularly outstanding. I know the Boston Hall well, as my wife's family lives in the area and we usually make it to a concert every non pandemic year. The Nelsons Shostakovich cycle is an excellent capture of the Hall sound. And it is quite possible that the BSO Hall sounded very different in the 1970s (doubtful, since one of the virtues of the Hall is the continuity over time). This Davis recording is pretty bland

[Bryn]

I have the NYPO Bernstein but have to admit they are in that pile of boxed sets I must listen to .

I was recommended the NYPO/Bernstein set by oboist and music historian Kathy Pisaro when visiting an HMV sale with her a decade and more ago (she was working on a thesis relating to the Scratch Orchestra at the time). I had not previously thought of Bernstein in connection with Sibelius. I was very pleasantly surprised when I purchased and heard the set.

[smittims]

Hi, Dave, the BBC Scottish S.O. and Ilan Volkov did the Third at the Proms on 16 August 2015. It was a good performance, Volkov generating a wonderful momentum throughout, even in the middle moveemnt which he took qiite slowly. Among the orchestra, the timpanist in particular distinguished himself.

As for Bernstein , he admitted he learnt his Sibelius from Koussevitsky, and went on to regard Sibelius as an important 'turning point' in music. I well remember his 1960s BBC TV series 'The Symphonic Twilight' in which he did the Fifth with the LSO. His interpretations weren't for everyone, though. I remember a BaL reviewer describing the opening of the second movement of the Fifth as 'seated one day at the organ'!

I've always loved the Third and have never understood why so may Sibelians (Ormandy, Koussevitsky, Beecham, Karajan) avoided it .

[Dave2002]

Hi, Dave, the BBC Scottish S.O. and Ilan Volkov did the Third at the Proms on 16 August 2015.

I've always loved the Third and have never understood why so may Sibelians (Ormandy, Koussevitsky, Beecham, Karajan) avoided it .

Possibly was that one.

I thought there was/is a Proms Archive, where I can search for any performance, but it doesn't seem to be accessible or working right now.

If that was the performance I heard, it was very much better than I expected - so I would describe it as at least very good. Not sure if you heard it in the hall - which we did. The broadcast/recording might have dampened the overall effect.

[jayne lee wilson]

Hi, Dave, the BBC Scottish S.O. and Ilan Volkov did the Third at the Proms on 16 August 2015. It was a good performance, Volkov generating a wonderful momentum throughout, even in the middle moveemnt which he took qiite slowly. Among the orchestra, the timpanist in particular distinguished himself.

As for Bernstein , he admitted he learnt his Sibelius from Koussevitsky, and went on to regard Sibelius as an important 'turning point' in music. I well remember his 1960s BBC TV series 'The Symphonic Twilight' in which he did the Fifth with the LSO. His interpretations weren't for everyone, though. I remember a BaL reviewer describing the opening of the second movement of the Fifth as 'seated one day at the organ'!

I've always loved the Third and have never understood why so may Sibelians (Ormandy, Koussevitsky, Beecham, Karajan) avoided it .

No.3 is tricky to get right. Very subtle, at times mysterious, largely serene work, with no obvious conflict/resolution; three sections without much cross-referral, but four movements, where the scherzo dovetails so smoothly into the finale it scarcely needs a transition, yet tempi relations through this need delicate judgement. So easy to understate, or overplay, a work like this; easy for the listener to feel underwhelmed at the end, an ending which ideally shouldn't approach the dramatic or overpowered.....

Tricky to play.... or to describe! (I've seen it described as "Haydnesque" - but that isn't really right, is it? But it is where Sibelius finds his true, mature voice...a sea-change after 1 & 2).
Yet it all seems so perfectly uniified....

[seabright]

Hi, Dave, the BBC Scottish S.O. and Ilan Volkov did the Third at the Proms on 16 August 2015. It was a good performance, Volkov generating a wonderful momentum throughout, even in the middle moveemnt which he took qiite slowly. Among the orchestra, the timpanist in particular distinguished himself.

As for Bernstein , he admitted he learnt his Sibelius from Koussevitsky, and went on to regard Sibelius as an important 'turning point' in music. I well remember his 1960s BBC TV series 'The Symphonic Twilight' in which he did the Fifth with the LSO. His interpretations weren't for everyone, though. I remember a BaL reviewer describing the opening of the second movement of the Fifth as 'seated one day at the organ'!

I've always loved the Third and have never understood why so may Sibelians (Ormandy, Koussevitsky, Beecham, Karajan) avoided it .

Stokowski gave the US Premieres in Philadelphia of the 5th, 6th and 7th Symphonies in the 1920s and in 1932 he made the first recording of No. 4. He also recorded No. 7 in 1940 with the All-American Youth Orchestra and ten years later No. 1 with 'his Symphony Orchestra,' for which he received a delighted letter from the composer. He recorded No. 2 with the NBC Symphony in 1954 and this was the one Sibelius symphony he performed the most, including during the 1964 Proms season with the BBCSO. I only mention all this because - apropos the conductors you list - Stokowski also never took No. 3 into his repertoire either!

[smittims]

Thanks , seabright, for that extra info. I've always admired Stokowski's Sibelius and wished he'd done more, but I think there were so many other devoted Sibelians then and he wanted to do less familiar works. I was delighted to come across a 1937 78 of him doing the 'Berceuse' from the 'Tempest': very haunting.

[seabright]

Thanks , seabright, for that extra info. I've always admired Stokowski's Sibelius and wished he'd done more, but I think there were so many other devoted Sibelians then and he wanted to do less familiar works. I was delighted to come across a 1937 78 of him doing the 'Berceuse' from the 'Tempest': very haunting.

The old Philadelphia 78 of the "Berceuse" is on YouTube, naturally enough, and despite the archaic sound and clicks and pops, you can hear just what a superb string section that orchestra had in those days ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csl_vmTV2P8

The duration of the piece is 2-and-half minutes on that old 78. However, when Stokowski re-recorded it in 1950, it lasted 5 minutes. It says "arranged" on the CD but what he did was simply play it through twice! ... Does that count as an "arrangement"? ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CljAUEjwv_c