The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Interesting to read about several of you having difficulty initially "cracking the nut" as it were of Sibelius' sixth symphony.  I didn't have any problem at all.  Goes to show, yet again, how differently we all react to music and that our journeys are all different.  Loved it at first hearing.  Trying to remember whose version I listened to first...not certain.  Early versions that I acquired were the Lahti/Vanska one with No. 7 and Tapiola and also the LSO Live one with Colin Davis.

PD

[krummholz]

Interesting to read about several of you having difficulty initially "cracking the nut" as it were of Sibelius' sixth symphony.  I didn't have any problem at all.  Goes to show, yet again, how differently we all react to music and that our journeys are all different.  Loved it at first hearing.  Trying to remember whose version I listened to first...not certain.  Early versions that I acquired were the Lahti/Vanska one with No. 7 and Tapiola and also the LSO Live one with Colin Davis.

PD

It took me a few hearings as I was quite young when I first heard it, but it soon became my favourite of the Sibelius symphonies, or at least tied with the 4th (which was a tougher nut for me). I find the 6th to be the most evocative of his symphonies... for me it evokes a number of fleeting images, but the strongest has always been of a journey by train (or by sleigh?) through a magical winter landscape. I guess it means something different for everyone... when I played it for my partner 20 years ago or so, she said it was like a lively conversation with friends!

[Madiel]

I went back today to wrapping my head around Sibelius' earlier attempts at opus numbers.

I'm definitely going to try listening to the 20-or-so works that he initially thought were worthy of getting numbered, before screwing up the first 34 opus numbers to an amazing degree.

There's a lot less disruption after that. But still some curiosities, like how there were actually 3 pieces thought of as "Dance-Intermezzos" (which I already knew) and they were probably grouped together at one point as a single opus (which I did not).

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It took me a few hearings as I was quite young when I first heard it, but it soon became my favourite of the Sibelius symphonies, or at least tied with the 4th (which was a tougher nut for me). I find the 6th to be the most evocative of his symphonies... for me it evokes a number of fleeting images, but the strongest has always been of a journey by train (or by sleigh?) through a magical winter landscape. I guess it means something different for everyone... when I played it for my partner 20 years ago or so, she said it was like a lively conversation with friends!

Nice!   

Just had an enjoyable revisit with it on this CD:



PD

[staxomega]

At last this fascinating work has clicked on me. I'm talking about his Symphony No. 6 in D minor (?), Op. 104. The first movement sounded to me more in C major most of the time, but it does finish in a sort of D minor. For me it represents the Finnish four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Here Sibelius speaks with a more feminine approach. The music also seems to describe a beautiful nymph who inhabited those mystical and breathtaking lakes. I'm really shocked by how wonderful this symphony is. Sibelius was a real bard of the Finnish forests.

Agree with everything you've said! I wish there were more symphonies that evoked images of bodies of water, forests, etc. I used to watch Rally racing and Finland's geography is pretty similar to ours near the larger lakes. Always wonderful hearing this music in the late fall and winter. I will play Blomstedt in the 6th this evening

Edit: my favorite "new" to me Sibelius performance of the second. Blown away by how good it was, not easy to do in a piece that can lend itself to too much over familiarity

[Pohjolas Daughter]

How do you folks find Blomstedt's Sibelius symphonic cycle to be overall?

PD

[Mirror Image]

How do you folks find Blomstedt's Sibelius symphonic cycle to be overall?

PD

Although I spoke of Blomstedt with some ambivalence last night, this is a question I'm wondering as well as I'm always looking for more Sibelius to rip to my computer.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Although I spoke of Blomstedt with some ambivalence last night, this is a question I'm wondering as well as I'm always looking for more Sibelius to rip to my computer.

Well, I've found some samples here:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=blomstedt+sibelius   

PD

[Mirror Image]

Well, I've found some samples here:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=blomstedt+sibelius   

PD

Well, I own the box set, so I'll just listen to it that way. Thanks anyway, PD.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Well, I own the box set, so I'll just listen to it that way. Thanks anyway, PD.

Sorry, the dangers of speed reading! 

In any event, if others want to check out the recordings, they are there! 

PD

[staxomega]

I think it's a very good cycle. I hear no weaknesses from start to finish. YMMV as I tend to like the early symphonies played in a more balanced manner without over the top bombastic romanticness.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I think it's a very good cycle. I hear no weaknesses from start to finish. YMMV as I tend to like the early symphonies played in a more balanced manner without over the top bombastic romanticness.

Thank you for sharing your comments and view hvbias! 

PD

[Mirror Image]

I think it's a very good cycle. I hear no weaknesses from start to finish. YMMV as I tend to like the early symphonies played in a more balanced manner without over the top bombastic romanticness.

Interesting. Thanks for the feedback. Truth be told, I listen to the 1st and 2nd less than the other five.

[DavidW]

How do you folks find Blomstedt's Sibelius symphonic cycle to be overall?

PD

Excellent but I prefer Vanska and Segerstam.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Excellent but I prefer Vanska and Segerstam.

Don't know Segerstam's recordings, but thank you for chiming in! 

PD

[Mirror Image]

Don't know Segerstam's recordings, but thank you for chiming in! 

PD

Segerstam is an excellent Sibelian, but I don't find him too convincing in the 6th --- like so many who have conducted this symphony, it's just too heavy-handed. Other than this, I have no complaints about his Helsinki cycle on Ondine. I haven't heard his Danish cycle on Chandos, but it's difficult to track down since it's OOP and quite expensive.

[vers la flamme]

Y'all have piqued my curiosity about the Blomstedt set. I'm very fond of his work in San Francisco, and in Dresden with the Staatskapelle. But I already have a Sibelius set that I need to explore further, as I've barely touched it since receiving it in the winter...:

[DavidW]

Segerstam is an excellent Sibelian, but I don't find him too convincing in the 6th --- like so many who have conducted this symphony, it's just too heavy-handed. Other than this, I have no complaints about his Helsinki cycle on Ondine. I haven't heard his Danish cycle on Chandos, but it's difficult to track down since it's OOP and quite expensive.

You'll probably throw a brick at me for this... but I really like Karajan's 6th.

[vers la flamme]

You'll probably throw a brick at me for this... but I really like Karajan's 6th.

I do, too, along with his 4th and 7th. Don't care for his 5th. (Talking about the DG recordings here; I've never heard his EMI Sibelius.)

[Mirror Image]

You'll probably throw a brick at me for this... but I really like Karajan's 6th.

You're certainly not wrong for liking this performance, Dave. I kind of like it, too, but I think this is as much of a testament to Karajan's conducting as anything. He's done such excellent work in Sibelius except I don't like those later EMI recordings that much --- they're a bit too smoothed over for my tastes. Oh and unlike vers la flamme, I really enjoy Karajan's 5th on DG. Excellent performance.