BaL 13.05.23 - Sibelius: Symphony no 6

[Poppydhb]

Yes, the reviewer needs to be in a locked room with the recordings and a mike (not an Andrew!). Let them out when they’ve done the review, then play the thing. Whoever heard of a two-hand soliloquy, I ask you? But as you say, moaning won’t change it. Surely there must be something that would.

Personally, my 6th is in the LSO live/Davis set, but I confess it’s the one in the box I’ve listened to only once. I plan to listen to RRE tonight then Davis again as soon as I can. Then I’ll try the Lahti version with Vanska, which sounded interesting yesterday while I was grappling with putting up a roller blind. By then I might have an idea of the music …

[Alison]

There’s something about the sound palette of the LSO that IMVHO doesn’t lend itself to Sibelius. It’s that brilliant, very ‘full’ sound which I’m struggling to put into words.

[Poppydhb]

Yeas, I think that might be why the Lahti version caught my ear while I struggled and raged with my roller blind.

[smittims]

Well yes, Alison, but doesn't the Berlin phil have a brilliant, very full sound? I think Anthony Collins used to get a very idiomatic Sibelian sonority from the LSO, but of course that was seventy years ago. Certainly the Philharmonia under Herbert inthe '50s weren't brilliant or very full, and I do like their Sibelius.

[DracoM]

<< Yeas, I think that might be why the Lahti version caught my ear >>

THE best version for me. Echt-Sibelius.

[Barbirollians]

Has anyone ever timed the length of Mr McGregor;s interjections to see how much time could be spent on longer extracts or analysis ?

[CallMePaul]

A quick look at the Presto website shows that both the Lahti and Minnesota cycles of Sibelius symphonies, plus the single disc edition including No6 as recommended on Saturday are "out of stock at the UK distributor". This is becomming regular with certain labels (Harmonia Mundi is another culprit), which begs the question as to whether these discs are due for imminent deletion or downgrade to download only. Back castalogue is perhaps more relevant to classical music than to other genres (maybe not jazz) and record companies need to be aware that their back catalogues contain fine versions of works that are in demand.

[CallMePaul]

Looking at Amazon, I see that the CD version of Sibelius 6 is available as a Japanese import at the bargain (!) price of £46! Other than this the Lahti set is available for £35 or so. Does the fact that Amazon only has an expensive import or a download of the Minnesota version imply imminent deletion, pace Presto?

[crb11]

A quick look at the Presto website shows that both the Lahti and Minnesota cycles of Sibelius symphonies, plus the single disc edition including No6 as recommended on Saturday are "out of stock at the UK distributor". This is becomming regular with certain labels (Harmonia Mundi is another culprit), which begs the question as to whether these discs are due for imminent deletion or downgrade to download only. Back castalogue is perhaps more relevant to classical music than to other genres (maybe not jazz) and record companies need to be aware that their back catalogues contain fine versions of works that are in demand.

I've noticed this with previous BAL winners as well as some newly-released CDs which get good reviews in Gramophone. (When I've ordered them they've turned up within a few weeks.) My assumption is that either causes an unexpected spike in demand and they run out until another batch is shipped over or printed off. It would be interesting to know what the numbers are, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few hundred sales of the winner, which probably equates to something like a year's worth normally. (I agree that CDs being deleted in general is not what we want, but unfortunately with the economics of the market I can see why it happens.)

[richardfinegold]

Looking at Amazon, I see that the CD version of Sibelius 6 is available as a Japanese import at the bargain (!) price of £46! Other than this the Lahti set is available for £35 or so. Does the fact that Amazon only has an expensive import or a download of the Minnesota version imply imminent deletion, pace Presto?

BIS has a no deletion policy. Presumably it’s the middleman that no longer wish to carry the product. Presto has taken an obvious turn towards streaming and probably isn’t interested in disc based play in the long run

[Goon525]

Having listened to the winner, the sound from Minnesota is sensationally good, one if the finest orchestral recordings I’ve heard.

[CallMePaul]

BIS has a no deletion policy. Presumably it’s the middleman that no longer wish to carry the product. Presto has taken an obvious turn towards streaming and probably isn’t interested in disc based play in the long run

Last year the MD of Presto appeared on Record Review on Record Shop Day. He said that CD sales accounted for over 70% of his company's business (can't remember the exact figures), so surely it is in the company's interest to promote CD sales rather than electronic formats?

[smittims]

Ho ho. Barbirollians! I've often said that if the speakers on 'Woman's Hour' didn't say 'So, yunnow, , like, if I'm honest, like, yunnow, it's kine of, like, incredible ' the programme would require only half its length.

[Barbirollians]

I've noticed this with previous BAL winners as well as some newly-released CDs which get good reviews in Gramophone. (When I've ordered them they've turned up within a few weeks.) My assumption is that either causes an unexpected spike in demand and they run out until another batch is shipped over or printed off. It would be interesting to know what the numbers are, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few hundred sales of the winner, which probably equates to something like a year's worth normally. (I agree that CDs being deleted in general is not what we want, but unfortunately with the economics of the market I can see why it happens.)

Yes my experience of out of stock reports on Presto has been the same - the CD has turned up when ordered and sometimes much more quickly than expected. So I would not panic just yet.

[HighlandDougie]

Listening - very belatedly - to this BaL in my bland hotel room in Hong Kong has cheered me up greatly. One of my favourite pieces of music - and my favourite recording as winner. Stellar recording quality and the performances with which it's coupled are also pretty impressive. I thought that Mark Lowther's comments on Makela were spot on - very good but still something of a work in progress. And on Berglund being a bit "dogged" in a mercurial symphony which is anything but that (I think that I was at the concert in the RFH which formed the basis of the LPO Live recording). A good BaL, I thought.