Favourite Sibelius cycle

[Petrushka]

What's the view of learned forumites regarding Kullervo? I've never heard it in the concert hall (Proms First Night this year perhaps?) but have the Berglund recording.

I have the numbered symphonies in the LSO/Colin Davis RCA set as individual CDs except Kullervo and as the boxed set contains the symphonic poems (some of which I've never heard) the cheap price on Amazon has my finger twitching.

So what views on Kullervo and the symphonic poems?

[Beef Oven!]

What's the view of learned forumites regarding Kullervo? I've never heard it in the concert hall (Proms First Night this year perhaps?) but have the Berglund recording.

I have the numbered symphonies in the LSO/Colin Davis RCA set as individual CDs except Kullervo and as the boxed set contains the symphonic poems (some of which I've never heard) the cheap price on Amazon has my finger twitching.

So what views on Kullervo and the symphonic poems?

In all honesty, I've never really given it a chance. I have one CD, Esa-Pekka Salonen, LA Phil, and I've played it no more than ten times, in I don't know how many years.

Bits of it are very rousing, but I do find the singing a bit samey. There was a couple of very nice snippets on tonight's 'Symphony' on BBC 4.

[Nick Armstrong]

In all honesty, I've never really given it a chance. I have one CD, Esa-Pekka Salonen, LA Phil, and I've played it no more than ten times, in I don't know how many years.

Bits of it are very rousing, but I do find the singing a bit samey. There was a couple of very nice snippets on tonights 'Symphony' on BBC 4.

I have Vanska and Davis in 'Kullervo' (and have just discovered I have Paavo Jarvi as a download too, wonder how that happened? ). I really love the opening music - the start of the piece is a haunting as anything Sibelius wrote, I think. I lose interest when the singers come in...

[Beef Oven!]

Update: Nearing the end of the second movement. Obviously, I don't remember much of it.....................


"...Dearest Fadda, darling Mudda
How's my precious, little brudda
Let me come home, if you miss me
I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me

Wait a minute, it stopped hailing
Guys are swimming, guys are sailing
Playing baseball, gee that's betta
Mudda, fadda, kindly disregard this letta"

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I really love the opening music - the start of the piece is a haunting as anything Sibelius wrote, I think. I lose interest when the singers come in...

- EXACTLY my response, too!

[LeMartinPecheur]

I lose interest when the singers come in...

How can anyone not be blasted out of their chair by Lemminkainen's Lament???

[makropulos]

We all have our personal favorites and I have not heard many of the choices out there.

1. Davis/BSO
2. Monteux /LSO
3. Saraste/Helsinki
4. Von K/Berlin
5. Barbiroli
6. Vanska Lahti
7. Blomstedt/S.F
Tapiola Von K

OK. Here are mine. For a complete cycle I keep returning to Berglund/Bournemouth SO (EMI), but for individual perfs, here are some favourites from those I know.

A few comments first:
–Karajan is not often a conductor I turn to first, but I greatly like his later (EMI) Sibelius, especially Nos. 4 and 6.
–I love Bernstein's Vienna Sibelius on DG, including the Fifth that was so loathed by the old Penguin Guide.
–I'm probably the only person on this board who doesn't get excited by Colin Davis's Sibelius. Doubtless it's my loss.

No. 1: Bernstein/VPO or Stokowski/National PO
No. 2: Beecham/BBCSO (live)
No. 3: Anthony Collins/LSO, Maazel/VPO
No. 4: Karajan/Berlin PO (EMI)
No. 5. Bernstein/VPO or Tuxen/Danish State Radio SO
No. 6: Karajan/Berlin PO (EMI)
No. 7: Bernstein/VPO or Mravinsky/Leningrad PO

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

OK. Here are mine. For a complete cycle I keep returning to Berglund/Bournemouth SO (EMI),

–I'm probably the only person on this board who doesn't get excited by Colin Davis's Sibelius. Doubtless it's my loss.

That's exactly how I feel about Berglund - just one of those things, I suppose. (I do live in hope that the penny will drop - for about forty years now!)

[Ferretfancy]

Has a anybody mentioned Beecham's wonderful Pelleas et Melisande, or the magical version of the Oceanides? Not to mention his Tapiola. I listened today to Maazel's performance of Tapiola with the VPO, well played with Decca's best from the Sofiensaal but merely workmanlike compared to Beecham.

Comments about Colin Davis interest me. I would suggest that his best Sibelius is the set he recorded in Boston, particularly for No. 6, but it's almost impossible to state a general preference because there are so many fine versions of the symphonies to chose from. I 'Learned" Sibelius from the old Sibelius Society albums conducted by the likes of Kajanus and Koussevitsky. I was still a schoolboy. and had no inkling that these 78 sets were mostly recorded in the early days of electrical recording.
I still find Koussevitsky wonderful in No. 7, and Kajanus makes a very convincing case for No. 3.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Has a anybody mentioned Beecham's wonderful Pelleas et Melisande

tigajen in #12.

[tigajen]

Has a anybody mentioned Beecham's wonderful Pelleas et Melisande, or the magical version of the Oceanides? Not to mention his Tapiola. I listened today to Maazel's performance of Tapiola with the VPO, well played with Decca's best from the Sofiensaal but merely workmanlike compared to Beecham.

Comments about Colin Davis interest me. I would suggest that his best Sibelius is the set he recorded in Boston, particularly for No. 6, but it's almost impossible to state a general preference because there are so many fine versions of the symphonies to chose from. I 'Learned" Sibelius from the old Sibelius Society albums conducted by the likes of Kajanus and Koussevitsky. I was still a schoolboy. and had no inkling that these 78 sets were mostly recorded in the early days of electrical recording.
I still find Koussevitsky wonderful in No. 7, and Kajanus makes a very convincing case for No. 3.

See#21

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

See#21

??? Wotchew tawkin'bout, jen?

[tigajen]

??? Wotchew tawkin'bout, jen?

HAVING A SENIOR MOMENT!

[BBMmk2]

I have Vanska and Davis in 'Kullervo' (and have just discovered I have Paavo Jarvi as a download too, wonder how that happened? ). I really love the opening music - the start of the piece is a haunting as anything Sibelius wrote, I think. I lose interest when the singers come in...

I have the Davis/LSOLive recording, Cali. The Vanska, how does that compare?

[Nick Armstrong]

I have the Davis/LSOLive recording, Cali. The Vanska, how does that compare?

Much better, I think - that damned acoustic makes the Davis/Barbican recording seem flat compared with Vanska and also Paavo Jarvi (I compared all three on Friday)