Favourite Sibelius cycle

[LMcD]

The finale of the fifth was on Breakfast this morning - GSO Rouvali - the last chords sounded strange with what sounded like duplicated drum beats. I’ve noticed listening to the finale of his No 3, around halfway through what sounds like a stuttering - I would whether these are his affectations or a true interpretation of Sibelius’ intentions.

I have lots of recordings of Sibelius symphonies - probably too many - but the only complete cycle I have is the Ashkenazy.

[Petrushka]

I have lots of recordings of Sibelius symphonies - probably too many - but the only complete cycle I have is the Ashkenazy.

There are three complete cycles in the Berglund box (Bournemouth SO, Helsinki PO and COE). I've not yet heard the last but the Bournemouth one is superb and would now be my first choice, followed by the Helsinki. I also have complete cycles from Colin Davis (x3), Maazel, Barbirolli, Rattle and Karajan's almost complete one.

[Barbirollians]

Rattle is good with the CBSO.

[Petrushka]

Rattle is good with the CBSO.

Oops! I missed that one out. I have that, too.

[Lordgeous]

The finale of the fifth was on Breakfast this morning - GSO Rouvali - the last chords sounded strange with what sounded like duplicated drum beats. I’ve noticed listening to the finale of his No 3, around halfway through what sounds like a stuttering - I would whether these are his affectations or a true interpretation of Sibelius’ intentions.

So love this piece, especially the finale, though nothing has ever come close to the impact of hearing Barbirolli rehearsing it in the RAM Duke's Hall when I was a student there (contempories of mine share the same memory). I've always felt let down by the strange ending though. Am I in a minority here?!

[smittims]

The last chords of the Fifth have been subject to interpretation. Karajan speeded up the gaps between the chords, and some conductors emphasise the accacciaturas on the timps at the very end : de-dum! or de-de-dum! They blame old Sib's notoriously untidy handwriting.

The finale of the Third has questionable cascading, skittering violin passages about a minute in, which some conductors reject as inauthentic. . And in the finale of the Sixth the cellos and basses get out of phase with one another towards the end. Some conductors 'correct' this. Norman del Mar deals with this in his fascinating book 'Orchestral Variations' (Eulenberg).

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I just gave the end of the Rouvali 5th a quick listen, and those timpani acciaccaturas/acciaccature/whatever are as accented in this recording as I have ever heard them. On my first encounter with S5 decades ago I wasn't even aware that the timpani had earlier entries on those chords. Rouvali's takes it to the other extreme.

On the thread topic, my only two actual complete sets are Davis (LSO Live) and Saraste (RCA or whoever owns them this week) although I could compile several cycles from partial or near-complete sets of Ashkenazy, Segerstam, Karajan, Rattle, Järvi and others.

[Barbirollians]

I understand there is a live 4 on Urania but considering how stupendous his recordings of Sibelius 2 it’s a shame Szell appears to have recorded no other Sibelius symphonies .

[Roslynmuse]

So love this piece, especially the finale, though nothing has ever come close to the inpact of hearing Barbirolli rehearsing it in the RAM Duke's Hall when I was a student there (contempories of mine share the same memory). I've always felt let down by the strange ending though. Am I in a minority here?!

I wouldn't say I feel let down by it; my two reactions are (a) listening at home - puzzlement (there must be a rationale behind them, but despite having loved this piece for 45 years I still can't penetrate the meaning) and (b) listening in the concert hall - fear that some idiot will applaud after the first chord, or indeed any of the others... (strangely I don't think it has ever happened, so I am projecting some insecurity of my own, no doubt!)

The first almost complete cycle I heard was a series of live concerts by the RLPO with David Atherton when I was at school. I heard him do No 5 three times. As far as I know he hasn't recorded any of them, although the BBC broadcast them (1981 - 2) so they hopefully exist in someone's off-air collection. I have 2 x Colin Davis and Mark Elder's Hallé series plus several individual symphonies under various conductors - Karajan in 5 and 7 still stand out.

I have not yet come to terms with the abrupt end of the first mt of No 6 - I don't really understand that - but I don't know it as well as the others so probably just need a bit more time with it. I listened to Tapiola endlessly during lockdown and got a huge amount out of becoming so familiar with it.

[smittims]

I envy you hearing David Atherton conduct Sibelius' symphonies. In my opinion he is a most underrated conductor and should have been offrered Chief Conductor, BBC S.O. years ago.

I'm sorry to hear you have a difficulty with some of Sib's endings. That's never occured to me, I must say. The composers who do, in my view have trouble ending a movement were Dvorak (for me the 9th symphony and the cello concerto end about three minutes before the music stops!) and Jack Moeran (his symphony especially, but other orchestra works too).

[oliver sudden]

Sibelius 5 is high up my list of all-time great endings... just personally of course (although judging from the ends of their first symphonies, Walton and Max agreed). After all that seething, those gaping silences and then the door-slam. Of course it works best in concert when the audience can finally join in after holding their breath for the last page. (Hopefully they have actually done so.)

I cannot abide stretched-out versions of the timpani grace notes at the end. As far as I'm concerned the notation asks for a tight flam. And the early recordings do that: with Kajanus you wouldn't even know the grace notes were there, or even with Karajan (whose ending is in general an abomination).

[Barbirollians]

I only heard David Atherton conduct in Hong Kong - the concerts I heard (admittedly only three ) made me feel as if he wanted to be somewhere else . They sounded pretty routine.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I only heard David Atherton conduct in Hong Kong - the concerts I heard (admittedly only three ) made me feel as if he wanted to be somewhere else . They sounded pretty routine.

DA conducted the Prom performance of Holst's First Choral Symphony was to have been conducted by Richard Hickox. I remember it as being a good one, although it is eclipsed in my memories by the recording we made with SAD, one of the best things that Andrew did with the BBCSO and us in my time at the SC.

[Barbirollians]

DA conducted the Prom performance of Holst's First Choral Symphony was to have been conducted by Richard Hickox. I remember it as being a good one, although it is eclipsed in my memories by the recording we made with SAD, one of the best things that Andrew did with the BBCSO and us in my time at the SC.

I did wonder whether the very traditional repertoire - plus as I recall something by Tan Dun might not have showed Atherton to best advantage .

[HighlandDougie]

David Atherton pre-dates my numerous work trips to HK since 2014, although I seem to remember him returning to conduct concerts from time to time. I have experienced some very dull HKPO concerts, Jaap van Zweden being the chief culprit. Their new chief (Tarmo Peltokoski) from 2026 onwards) is anything but dull. I wonder if he can persuade HK to play Vaughan Williams symphonies as he has done with his other orchestra in Toulouse.