Sir Alexander Gibson

[Barbirollians]

Are Gibson's Sibelius recordings currently available on CD? Not sure if they were all released, and even if they were, maybe I need to look in charity shops to find them. I have 3 and 7 on LP. The favourable comment on Symphony 1 is tempting me to look around.

The Chandos ones were around on the bargain collect label till tow or three years ago as Ads but I think download only now . The Sibelius 1 and 5 on CfP I got from Amazon second hand - no idea about the Decca recordings.

[Dave2002]

The Chandos ones were around on the bargain collect label till two or three years ago as cds but I think download only now . The Sibelius 1 and 5 on CfP I got from Amazon second hand - no idea about the Decca recordings.

Some - in different formats can be found at eBay - with some cheapies at World of Books.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=Alexander+GIBSON+Sibelius&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=Alexander+GIBSON&_osacat=0

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/category/media-music?search=alexander%20gibson%20sibelius

[Barbirollians]

The CFP /EMI Sibelius 2 about which RL was quite enthusiastic never seems to have made it to CD - the 1 and 5 being coupled with a CD of Halle/Ole Schmidt Sibelius rather than it and some of the works from HQS 1070

[Retune]

My introduction to the Mozart 23rd & 24th Piano Concertos was a very fine performance by Ian Hobson and Gibson with the English Chamber Orchestra on an EMI CfP cassette, recorded in 1982, the year after Hobson won the Leeds Competition (Peter Donohoe, much to his chagrin, came 6th). I couldn't find a copy of the CfP version when I eventually sought it out on CD, but came across an obscure reissue on Royal Classics that looks almost like a bootleg (Gibson is named on the front cover, but not Hobson). Sadly neither company used the original LP sleeve artwork for the CD or cassette releases, a David Inshaw painting apparently commissioned for this record that is certainly an 'interesting' take on the music! However packaged, it's an excellent interpretation that deserves to be more widely known (Gramophone: 'remarkable for its freshness and vitality').

[Barbirollians]

The CFP /EMI Sibelius 2 about which RL was quite enthusiastic never seems to have made it to CD - the 1 and 5 being coupled with a CD of Halle/Ole Schmidt Sibelius rather than it and some of the works from HQS 1070

Although I have reservations about the recording of the violin concerto with Eugene Sarbu - the Halle/Schmidt Karelia Suite is great fun and the performance of Finlandia is a thriller too.

[cloughie]

Although I have reservations about the recording of the violin concerto with Eugene Sarbu - the Halle/Schmidt Karelia Suite is great fun and the performance of Finlandia is a thriller too.

You may be aware of this:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/may04/sibelius_tone_songs.htm

Also Sym 1 & En Sags and Sum 2 & Finlandia & Karelia Suite were available RPO/Gison on the Collins label.

[neiltingley]

21 years since his death he would have been 90 this year .

Not a conductor well known to me since I began to collect his marvellous Chandos Sibelius recordings - which are wonderfully idiomatic and immensely enjoyable .

Any memories of him in concert or other favourite recordings ?

The Elgar Overtures disk! In the South is as good as Silvestri, it's properly swashbuckling and the RSNO play so well for him.

[neiltingley]

As a regular at the Usher Hall on Fridays in the late 80's and early 90's I can tell you the RSNO was not in a very state under the very patchy Bryden Thomson. Can you imagine Beethoven 5 being dull? He managed that.