Sibelius, Jean (1865-1957)

[Alain Maréchal]

one of my earliest memories is of the cover of sargent's sibelius album from the 1960's on hmv which was of the first pictures my little baby eyes focused on. I've always wanted to stand on that spot and next year, with retirement from the nhs beckoning, i intent to attempt to find that very location.

.

Would that be ASD 541?

[Bryn]

Gracious so it is - well a good excuse to listen yet again to Ida Haendel's sensational live recording of the Violin Concerto with the CBSO/Rattle ( which mysteriously disappeared from the Testament site and was deleted not long after it was issued and has never reappeared ) .

Just ordered it, "New" via amazon.co.uk for £11.20 including p&p.

[pastoralguy]

Would that be ASD 541?

That's the one!

[teamsaint]

and next year, with retirement from the NHS beckoning..........

You'll have loads of time for standing on on spots. If I was up your way, I'd start with a tour of Gillespie Kidd and Coia churches,and find some nice spots to stand on from which to admire them

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Of course. I’d forgotten that (re: 30 years). Did Sibelius feel he had nothing more to say or did he find the trend/fashion of the music too alien to take part?

It's widely accepted, I think, that Sibelius completed an Eighth Symphony but held on to it for some years before burning the score. He was subject to depression through much of his life, as well as often feeling alienated from contemporary trends (in 1907, he had a completely different idea of the very nature of symphonic writing from Mahler, and about his Sixth Symphony in 1923 he described how his Music was like "pure water" as opposed to the "cocktails" offered by younger contemporaries) - like many of his contemporaries, (not least Elgar) he felt his aesthetic was unwelcome ... and, ultimately, irrelevant ... in the post-war world.

Still, he is much luckier than Bach and Vivaldi who were forgotten after their deaths

Bach wasn't completely "forgotten" - his keyboard works were still revered by composers whilst the rest of the works were ignored: Mozart arranged some of his Fugues for String Trio and String Quartet, and Beethoven learnt the "48" as part of his piano studies (and, IIRC, getting his own pupils to learn them). Sibelius was certainly luckier, in that recordings of his works were made during his lifetime (two cycles of the complete Symphonies, for example; on HMV and DECCA, as well as individual Symphonies by many other conductors) so that even during the "slump" after his death, people were still able to play and hear his Music.

This thread was started by Anna. I hope she is well and busy.

[Barbirollians]

Just ordered it, "New" via amazon.co.uk for £11.20 including p&p.

I hope you like it . The Elgar is also very good and not at the slow tempos she adopted with Boult . Here is what Geoffrey Norris thought in the Telegraph .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/geoffrey-norris/5899800/Ida-Haendel-and-Simon-Rattle-Elgars-Violin-Concerto-CD-review.html

[MickyD]

I has never occurred to me that Sibelius was alive in my lifetime. How (some) music has changed!!

Even more bizarre is the meeting that one Noel Coward had with the composer, well documented in the former's diaries. I think I posted the entry some time ago here on the boards. I can provide it again if anyone would be interested.

[Alain Maréchal]

about his Sixth Symphony in 1923 he described how his Music was like "pure water" as opposed to the "cocktails" offered by younger contemporaries)

Sibelius was certainly luckier, in that recordings of his works were made during his lifetime (two cycles of the complete Symphonies, for example; on HMV and DECCA, as well as individual Symphonies by many other conductors) so that even during the "slump" after his death, people were still able to play and hear his Music.

My impression is that he didn't drink much "pure water".

There was a cycle by Sixten Ehrling, in Sweden in 1952, which I believe was also issued by Mercury in the U.S.A.

[BBMmk2]

Gracious so it is - well a good excuse to listen yet again to Ida Haendel's sensational live recording of the Violin Concerto with the CBSO/Rattle ( which mysteriously disappeared from the Testament site and was deleted not long after it was issued and has never reappeared ) .

Didn't have timer to listen to Sibelius's music yesterday. Making time today, before I a go for my break.

[jayne lee wilson]

My impression is that he didn't drink much "pure water".

There was a cycle by Sixten Ehrling, in Sweden in 1952, which I believe was also issued by Mercury in the U.S.A.

Yes, this one...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Complete-Symphonies-1-7/dp/B000026ADH/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1506022702&sr=1-1&keywords=sibelius+ehrling

..originally on Metronome, transfers drawn (by Finlandia) from those very Mercury LPs as the tapes were in a poor condition. Very positively received by AA in Gramophone for 3/2000, minor sonic cavils aside....

Surprising given the attention to the Original Version of the 5th Symphony, the Original Version of the Violin Concerto tends to be forgotten...

http://www.eclassical.com/performers/kavakos-leonidas/sibelius-violin-concerto-in-d-minor-op47.html

....fascinating listen and the online notes tell you all you need...

http://www.eclassical.com/shop/art44/BIS-CD-500_booklet_scan.pdf-8324b6.pdf

"more dramatic, more virtuosic and more Beethovenian than the established version. It may also be rougher, more rugged and not as symphonically integrated as the second version..."

[BBMmk2]

Anyone know of Sibelius's chamber music at all. if so, what to look out for?

[visualnickmos]

Anyone know of Sibelius's chamber music at all. if so, what to look out for?

There two 2-CD sets on the label, Ultima.

0927-41355-2 Works for violin and piano, Works for cello and piano

0927-41356-2 Piano trio, string quartet, piano quintet, Kyllikki, Sonatinas 1-3, Rondinos 1&2, piano sonata, Finlandia

Might be worth a look.... I like them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The String Quartet, Voces Intimae, is the only Chamber work that matches the quality of the composer's orchestral masterpieces, Bbm. That's well worth getting to know very well.

[DracoM]

[LMcD]

Anyone know of Sibelius's chamber music at all. if so, what to look out for?

While it's by no means a brilliant piece, you might like to hear the early string trio that was broadcast this lunchtime (see my 'One for Sibelius fans' thread)