Symphony No.2 Op.43 Sibelius.

[Guest]

Hello my Many Friends from the BBC Radio 3 Message Board.

I think and hope I'm getting the hang of the Radio 3 Forum thanks to french frank.

Yes I now have my 56th recording of Sibelius's thrilling and glorious Symphony No.2 with the late and lamented Sir Charles Mackerras, his second recording made with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I bought it in a Helsinki super store, Stockmans for a silly price and it's actually on a DVD showing wonderful Finnish scenery.

Best wishes to you all for a "record" Christmas and New Year.

As Ever, John J. Davis, Newton Abbot, Devon. UK. (KCII)

[Roehre]

Good to see you here KCII (and I guess you are now looking for no.57?? )

[pastoralguy]

Hi KC11. Have you heard the LPO Live version under Paavo Berglund? It's coupled with a searing no. 7. I'm considering making this one of my top 5 cds of 2010!

[Thomas Roth]

The second is my least favorite of the seven. Wonder why. It is a bit rambling and unfocused, I think. Glorious moments though. Today I received the old Beecham 7 and Tapiola etc. I had them on LP and found them rather lacklustre and hearing them on CD they still sound dull.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Good to hear from you again, KCII. But 56 versions of the same work. Wow!

Just out of interest, do you have an inventory of your recordings of other Sibelius works? (I'm assuming Sibelius is the composer you have the most recordings of.)

[Parry1912]

The second is my least favorite of the seven

It used to be my favourite although I'm leaning towards the fourth these days (Blomstedt or Vanska for choice).

[StephenO]

Good to hear from you, KCII. I've just given you a mention on Platform 3!

Like Parry1912, the Second used to be my favourite, although I've never come anywhere near 56 versions - just a rather meagre three at the last count, I'm afraid. There's hardly a note of Sibelius I don't love but, if I could only have one of his symphonies, it would be the Seventh with either Beecham and the RPO or Colin Davis on magnificent form on LSO Live. Vanska's good too.

[Mr Pee]

Hello, KC2!

I've recently bought Neeme Jarvi and the Gothenburg SO's box of the complete symphonies, plus the tone poems and other orchestral works, and I must say I'm really enjoying the set. So far I've listened to Symphonies 1,2,5, and 7, and a number of the other works, many of which I didn't know before- including the Suite from King Christian 2, which I loved- the Elegy sounds remarkably Elgarian to my ears. And those are two composers I wouldn't normally have put together.

I've neglected Sibelius a bit recently- sorry! - but listening to this set has re-ignited my enthusiasm.

[Parry1912]

A quick check of my database shows that I have 10 versions of No. 5. Still a little way behind KCII.

[BBMmk2]

KCII, great to have you here!! I have Ashkenazy doing the 2nd. IYO, what's the best one?

[Barbirollians]

RPO/Barbirolli ! Unmatched .

[salymap]

Morning KCII Good to hear from you again. Do you include the recording of Sibelius 2 by Malcolm Sargent, and if so what do you think of it? In the 40s/50s and until their respective deaths in 1967 and 1963 Sargent and Beecham were the live performances I grew up with. I rated them both highly, although a 'real' musician would, no doubt, spot differences between them. I think MS only recorded syms 1 and 2 but have them somewhere on tape.You only had to hear him rehearse to realise how much Sibelius meant to him. bws salymap

[Chris Newman]

Morning, saly and KCII.
I remember Sargent's No 1 on MfP with the BBCSO. I bought it as a schoolboy days after hearing Norman del Mar give the symphony at Brighton with the Philharmonia (Walter Legge had just announced the end of that orchestra). Sargent's recording was very fine: as ogranic in its development as the live Brighton performance. Some 5 years later I swapped it for Bruckner's 4th (Jochum) with a friend after I had bought Barbirolli's Halle version of the Sibelius. I have never heard Sargent's No 2 though I am sure it would be very good. My favourite recording of No 2 is Beecham at the Festival Hall because it is so rough, passionate and exciting which is how I like early Sibelius. For modern sound I mostly listen to Colin Davis... I have three versions and cannot decide which is the finest.

[salymap]

KCII and Chris. I have mentioned this before but listing music years ago I just put composer and title.
Therefore I never know what I have!!! However I've checked Sibelius 2 and have Sargent 2 on tape, Antol Dorati and Stockholm Phil. on ancient LP, Colin Davis with Boston SO on CD [plus his 1,4 and 5} I know I have them all on CD in some shape or form, plus lots of old bits and pieces. Wish I could afford a secretary to sort and list them all.

[Ferretfancy]

salymap,

I remember that Sargent of No.1 LP very well, and wish that I had kept it, along with quite a few others. I grew up with the old Sibelius society recordings on 78s at school, not realising at the time that some of them were really quite old. The conductor whose Sibelius really reached me was that great Proms standby Basil Cameron, but unfortunately he left very few recordings. As I remember it he shared quite a bit of the conducting duties with Sargent.