Sibelius Symphonies - which Colin Davis cycle do you prefer?

[smittims]

No.

[cloughie]

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

Maybe with the record company to fit the two minutes on a 78 side?

[FFRR]

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....

Absolutely! For me, Davis' LSO RCA studio set exemplifies this. I find it superbly recorded with the orchestra perfectly positioned in space, each voice distinguishable yet blending into a satisfying (and thrilling) whole in the climaxes. The basses in the opening measures have never sounded better.

[silvestrione]

Absolutely! For me, Davis' LSO RCA studio set exemplifies this. I find it superbly recorded with the orchestra perfectly positioned in space, each voice distinguishable yet blending into a satisfying (and thrilling) whole in the climaxes. The basses in the opening measures have never sounded better.

Yes! Though the Rattle/CBSO is terrific in the 3rd also, also beautifully recorded...

[akiralx]

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!

I recall reading that the BPO had never played the Third until Simon Rattle conducted it.

[Barbirollians]

Well Abbado seems not to have liked Sibelius and HVK did not conduct the Third , Barbirolli's visits to the BPO concentrated on Mahler and Bruckner and although Okko Kamu recorded the Second with the BPO his recordings of the 1 and 3 were with the Helsinki Radio orchestra so that sounds feasible.

[richardfinegold]

Absolutely! For me, Davis' LSO RCA studio set exemplifies this. I find it superbly recorded with the orchestra perfectly positioned in space, each voice distinguishable yet blending into a satisfying (and thrilling) whole in the climaxes. The basses in the opening measures have never sounded better.

Well, we all hear differently...The Third was the only disc that I purchased from that cycle and thought it distinctly unmemorable.

[Maclintick]

1st VPO Maazel/GSO Rouvali
2nd Philharmonia/Kletzki
3rd BBC Phil/Storgårds (my favourite) VPO/Maazel
4th BPO/Karajan VPO/Maazel
5th BPO/Karajan
6th LPO/Beecham (by quite a distance) BPO/Karajan
7th BBCSO/Koussevitsky / VPO/Maazel

[smittims]

Forgive my nitpick, Maclintick, but I don't think Beecham did the 6th with the LPO. His famous HMV studio recording (DB 6640-2) was with the RPO, and SOMM have an RPO Prom performance from 1954. I think he may have conducted it in concert with the LPO in the 1930s.

If we're giving our 'ideal seven' (and I'f like to hear other posters' choices) I 'd have difficulty picking one only for symphonies nos. 4 or 5 (Collins, Davis and Berglund vie for my favour there), but for the others I'd say

no.1 Karajan (by a narrow margin over Collins)
2 Beecham the BBC concert performance
3 Kajanus
6 Beecham
7 Mravinsky

[Barbirollians]

Forgive my nitpick, Maclintick, but I don't think Beecham did the 6th with the LPO. His famous HMV studio recording (DB 6640-2) was with the RPO, and SOMM have an RPO Prom performance from 1954. I think he may have conducted it in concert with the LPO in the 1930s.

If we're giving our 'ideal seven' (and I'f like to hear other posters' choices) I 'd have difficulty picking one only for symphonies nos. 4 or 5 (Collins, Davis and Berglund vie for my favour there), but for the others I'd say

no.1 Karajan (by a narrow margin over Collins)
2 Beecham the BBC concert performance
3 Kajanus
6 Beecham
7 Mravinsky

1 Philharmonia/Kletzki
2 RPO/Barbirolli ( Kletzki a very close second )
3 Helsinki RO/Kamu
4 BPO/Karajan EMI 1970s
5 I like lots and don't have a particular favourite from Barbirolli,Davis (RCA), Karajan and Maazel
6 Karajan
7 Ashkenazy

[Gargoyle]

1. Rouvali Gothenburg
2. Barbirolli RPO
3. Collins LSO
4. Karajan BPO EMi
5. Karajan DG
6. Berglund Bournemouth
7. Ormandy Philadelphia

[smittims]

It's fascinating to see so many different preferences. I suppose it shows that these symphonies can take a wide variety of interpretations.

[Barbirollians]

It's fascinating to see so many different preferences. I suppose it shows that these symphonies can take a wide variety of interpretations.

Indeed , very few of my favourites are miles ahead of the field in my view. I suppose the differing views of Sir Colin's three cycles expressed on this thread also demonstrates that.

[Maclintick]

Forgive my nitpick, Maclintick, but I don't think Beecham did the 6th with the LPO. His famous HMV studio recording (DB 6640-2) was with the RPO

You're quite correct, of course, Smittims.I have the EMI 90s CD transfer of the 4th & 6th symphonies. LPO for the 4th, & RPO for the 6th. Sadly, he never recorded them in the stereo era, AFAIK.