Pre Christmas Sibelius advice please.

[teamsaint]

Hello Sibelius lovers

can anybody give a definite thumbs up or down for any of these. Remember, hopefully any one of these could be heading for the Teamsaint Christmas stocking, and will have to see me through a cold January on the road, so no duff advice please !!
Cheers

TS

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Barbirolli-Jean/dp/B00003ZKRM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Symphonies-Poems-Violin-Concerto/dp/B00008CLIG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphonies-1-Rattle-Jean-Sibelius/dp/B000UPQFEA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Symphonies-Nos-1-7-Jean/dp/B0000041Z3/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-6

or any better alternatives at the bargain part of the market ?

[Bryn]

At the risk of being shot down in flames, of those, if only able to pick one, it would be the Rattle. I love the Barbirolli but it does show its age more, and you do get more with the Rattle. However, you should be aware that both recordings of the 5th in Rattle's set are of the revised version. Only Vanska was permitted to record the original version, and even he is not to perform it live in public, IIRC.

However, I have just found this set:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0000035OJ/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1322502662&sr=1-3&condition=new

on amazon.co.uk. It sweeps the floor as far as I'm concerned.

[Anna]

Teamsaint, have you had a look at this thread? Some suggestions (although not only for box sets)

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?3801-Talk-about-Jean-Sibelius

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

IMO:
Barbirolli = excellent performances, sound a bit dated.
Ashkenasy = decent performances (others are far more enthusiastic about this set than I am) very good sound.
Rattle = very good performances and sound (as Bryn says, probably the best overall set of the four on offer)
Maazel = some excellent individual performances (nos 4 and 7 especially, good in 1 and 2, too) some stinkers (3 & 6). Dated sound.

Bryn mentions the Vanska, and, if you don't mind MP3 downloads try:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-CompleteSymphonies-Lemmink%C3%A4inen_Concerto/dp/B004Z4O440/ref=pd_ys_qtk_general_recs_85

... which takes less time to download than to type out!

[Pabmusic]

Hello Sibelius lovers

can anybody give a definite thumbs up or down for any of these. Remember, hopefully any one of these could be heading for the Teamsaint Christmas stocking, and will have to see me through a cold January on the road, so no duff advice please !!
Cheers

TS

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Barbirolli-Jean/dp/B00003ZKRM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Symphonies-Poems-Violin-Concerto/dp/B00008CLIG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphonies-1-Rattle-Jean-Sibelius/dp/B000UPQFEA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Symphonies-Nos-1-7-Jean/dp/B0000041Z3/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1322501710&sr=8-6

or any better alternatives at the bargain part of the market ?

Admittedly, this is probably a possible second set, because of the dated mono sound, but you shouldn't ignore:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphonies-N...2504932&sr=8-1 or

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphonies-Nos-5-Karelia-Suite-Overture/dp/B00104CIPU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322505288&sr=8-2

[Norfolk Born]

I have the Ashkenazy, which has often been recommended as the best all-round set. The Maazel is a bit variable in terms of performance.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I cut my Sibelius (and C20 symphony teeth) on the Barbirolli 2nd back in the early 70s, and then slowly got to know the whole cycle via lots of single LPs and CDs, though no other Halle/Barbirollis.

Recently though I've bought 2 cycles, the mono Decca Collins and the Halle/ Barbirolli. The latter really amazed me for the passion and excitement in the playing, and the power and coherence of B's conceptions. The sound (orchestral sonority and the recordings) is a little coarse, but much better that IMHO than all smoothed out. It suits the scale and icy grit of the the conductor's vision.

A friend who knows his Sib rushed out and bought the box after hearing mine. There are many Amazon reviews and it still scores well over 4 stars, so few or no serious knockers. Pretty amazing when its reception in the Penguin Guide as it came out on the original LPs wasn't that brilliant, and given the many other estimable cycles since in digital sound. It must have something so, at the very low price, just buy it!

[johnb]

I've just been listening to the Barbirolli Sibelius 2. It's a terrific performance - the polar opposite to the Karajan/BPO style. I certainly wouldn't want to be without it but I wouldn't want it to be the only recording I had. The sound is just too poor (and rather strident).

[DracoM]

Lahti SO / Vanska.

No contest. AND you get original and amended versions of Symp 5.

[Chris Newman]

Like others I began with Barbirolli and Alexander Gibson. They are fine benchmarks and individually I have supplemented my range of most of the symphonies. Sargent 1, Beecham 2, and both the Naxos sets etc. I also have the massive Bis Essential Sibelius box which comes complete with Osmo Vanska's basic set of symphonies (I already had his version of Sibelius's first thoughts about the 5th symphony and En Saga as mentioned by DracoM above so was happy to get lots of Choral music, Violin Concerto, Kullervo, incidental music, piano music and songs instead for almost the same price as the complete symphony box). As with all sets I like some interpretations and not others. When I collected LPs I had Maazel's set but have not replaced it as he is very inconsistent. If you are just beginning a Sibelius collection on a budget, the 15 CD Bis Essential Sibelius box is excellent value if you shop around Amazon and Google.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sibelius-Essential-Love-Derwinger/dp/B000KC849W/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1322524324&sr=1-1

[Biffo]

Go for the Barbirolli set. I am not sure how Bryn concludes you get more with the Rattle set. Rattle has the Violin Concerto, easily obtainable elsewhere and a couple of short pieces. Against that Babirolli has a whole disc devoted to shorter pieces including 'Pohjola's Daughter' and Karelia Suite; other discs have fillers - 'Pelleas and Melisande' Suite, Scenes Historique, Rakastava and Romance in C.

The original version of No 5 is interesting to hear but Sibelius knew what he was doing when he revised it.

[Bryn]

The Rattle box has two different recordings of the 5th. Both are well worth having. The Violin Concerto is no mere make-weight. For bargain compilations of the tone poems, etc., it has to be Berglund, surely, though I would not want to be without Rubber Brolly's Pohjola's Daughter, admittedly.

However, for the Symphonies and a Night Ride and Sunrise without equal, while it's to be had for £14.99 plus £1.26 p&p, the Sanderling set cries out to be ordered:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/7-Symphonies-Sanderling-Berlin-So/dp/B0000035OJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1322571864&sr=1-1

[Biffo]

Not sure of the point of two recordings of the 5th, especially as the second (CBSO, 1988) one is supposedly a lot better than the first (RL in Gramophone). I have the Philharmonia (1982) version and it's OK.

[Pabmusic]

Wasn't there a recording of Barbirolli doing the second symphony with (?) the RPO? It was a World Record Club disc and was just about the best performance of the work I'd ever heard - a vivid memory from many years ago.

[Biffo]

There is a Barbirolli/RPO in No 2 available on Testament (coupled with No 5); that could be the one you are thinking of.