The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Karl Henning]

I am not a huge "Sibelian" and far from a completist but I want to close a few gaps among the Tone Poems, Incidental music etc.
Which ones are more important and which recordings are recommended?

I remain a huge fan of this disc:

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[vandermolen]

I remain a huge fan of this disc:

[asin]B00000DMKY[/asin]

I agree with Karlthat is a great disc and a great programme. This morning the BBC played 'The Oceanides' which, together with Tapiola are my favourite works by Sibelius. I'm not a great fan of Simon Rattle but I think that he is a fine sibelian.

[North Star]

I am not a huge "Sibelian" and far from a completist but I want to close a few gaps among the Tone Poems, Incidental music etc.
Which ones are more important and which recordings are recommended?

Apart from the question which of these pieces are worth getting I am also quite confused by apparently differing versions of these suites/incidental music selections: Often they are purely instrumental but some, e.g. Segerstam's series on Naxos also includes a few songs or vocal pieces. Should this be a factor when deciding?

Which works are you missing out of the tone poems?
As for the incidental music, The Tempest is easily the most important Sibelius work in that genre. I don't know the Segerstam disc as I only have Vänskä's complete recording (and Järvi's suites). I prefer the complete thing, but the suites are good too and contain much of the music.

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[Jo498]

I (think) I am missing Oceanides, Spring song, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar, Nightride and probably a few more lesser known ones.
I have several of Tapiola and Finlandia and also The Bard, En saga, Lemminkainen 1-4, Valse triste, Karelia-Suite.

I actually had the Segerstam with the Tempest suites already on my list of things to probably get. I guess Oceanides, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar and Nightride are the major tone poems I am still missing. Besides the Segerstam disc I thought about the following disc:
[asin]B0000676P5[/asin]

This will leave Luonnotar where I should probably listen to some samples because the singer will be important. The lesser theatre music can probably wait or I could sample one of the Segerstam/Naxos.

[North Star]

I (think) I am missing Oceanides, Spring song, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar, Nightride and probably a few more lesser known ones.
I have several of Tapiola and Finlandia and also The Bard, En saga, Lemminkainen 1-4, Valse triste, Karelia-Suite.

I actually had the Segerstam with the Tempest suites already on my list of things to probably get. I guess Oceanides, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar and Nightride are the major tone poems I am still missing. Besides the Segerstam disc I thought about the following disc:

This will leave Luonnotar where I should probably listen to some samples because the singer will be important. The lesser theatre music can probably wait or I could sample one of the Segerstam/Naxos.

Sounds like a plan. My preference for Luonnotar is Helena Juntunen/Vänskä, though Mattila/Oramo, and Isokoski with Segerstam or Järvi aren't bad either. I don't remember being very fond of any version with a soprano who doesn't speak Finnish...

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I (think) I am missing Oceanides, Spring song, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar, Nightride and probably a few more lesser known ones.

Cannot recommend recordings because I like almost any recording that doesn't completely ruin the work, which to my ear are really rare. However, I can give you recommendations on which compositions to pick, and those are, without a doubt, Pohjola's daughter and Luonnotar. Of course all Sibelius's tone poems are of a very high quality and I love them all but those two remain at the very top.

[North Star]

Cannot recommend recordings because I like almost any recording that doesn't completely ruin the work, which to my ear are really rare. However, I can give you recommendations on which compositions to pick, and those are, without a doubt, Pohjola's daughter and Luonnotar. Of course all Sibelius's tone poems are of a very high quality and I love them all but those two remain at the very top.

He should get the above disc with Vänskä, so no need to pick and choose of the works.

[Mirror Image]

I am not a huge "Sibelian" and far from a completist but I want to close a few gaps among the Tone Poems, Incidental music etc.
Which ones are more important and which recordings are recommended?

Apart from the question which of these pieces are worth getting I am also quite confused by apparently differing versions of these suites/incidental music selections: Often they are purely instrumental but some, e.g. Segerstam's series on Naxos also includes a few songs or vocal pieces. Should this be a factor when deciding?

Vänskä should fill the void here. Sibelius' most important tone poems are, IMHO, probably Tapiola, Pohjola's Daughter, En Saga, The Oceanides, and Luonnotar. Not in this order of course. Night Ride & Sunrise is perhaps his most least critically acclaimed tone poem, but I love it and I recommend it. As for the theatre music, The Tempest in it's complete form (w/ Vänskä) is absolutely essential IMHO. I'd also say that Pelleas and Melisande and Swanwhite are worth checking out. Let's also not forget about all of the great vocal and choral music he wrote. In this case, I'd recommend the Sibelius Edition set Voice & Orchestra. Loads of gems there. Happy listening!

[Jo498]

Sounds like a plan. My preference for Luonnotar is Helena Juntunen/Vänskä, though Mattila/Oramo, and Isokoski with Segerstam or Järvi aren't bad either. I don't remember being very fond of any version with a soprano who doesn't speak Finnish...

Thanks, I would not be able to tell poor Finnish diction, though, and two apparently highly regarded recordings are with Gibson and Bernstein as conductors and anglophone singers. But while the Juntunen seems locked in an expensive box both Isokoski's and Mattila's are very attractive discs with nice couplings. I have very few songs by Sibelius, only the historical DGG disc with Borg and one or two mixed recitals (Bonney and maybe Von Otter).

[calyptorhynchus]

Don't forget The Dryad, Op. 45 No. 1. It's a really atmospheric (though not very long) piece.

Can't actually remember where the recording I own came from, think it was a Chandos disk with Alexander Gibson along with the 4th Symphony.

[North Star]

Thanks, I would not be able to tell poor Finnish diction, though, and two apparently highly regarded recordings are with Gibson and Bernstein as conductors and anglophone singers. But while the Juntunen seems locked in an expensive box both Isokoski's and Mattila's are very attractive discs with nice couplings. I have very few songs by Sibelius, only the historical DGG disc with Borg and one or two mixed recitals (Bonney and maybe Von Otter).

The Juntunen recording is also separately available here. Pan & Echo and Väinön Virsi perhaps among the more interesting couplings, there are also songs for soloist & orchestra, Höstkväll (Autumn Evening) also in the Mattila & Isokoski discs at least. I don't know Korhonen but Tommi Hakala is an excellent Sibelius baritone.
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[vandermolen]

I like Dorati's recording of Luonnotar:
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[Madiel]

I (think) I am missing Oceanides, Spring song, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar, Nightride and probably a few more lesser known ones.
I have several of Tapiola and Finlandia and also The Bard, En saga, Lemminkainen 1-4, Valse triste, Karelia-Suite.

I actually had the Segerstam with the Tempest suites already on my list of things to probably get. I guess Oceanides, Pohjolas daughter, Luonnotar and Nightride are the major tone poems I am still missing. Besides the Segerstam disc I thought about the following disc:
[asin]B0000676P5[/asin]

This will leave Luonnotar where I should probably listen to some samples because the singer will be important. The lesser theatre music can probably wait or I could sample one of the Segerstam/Naxos.

I bought the Vanska disc you're looking at, for pretty much the same purpose. It has a good collection of tone poems and, unlike a lot of Vanska discs, doesn't have any funny scraps or alternate versions.

I'm generally happy with it, although for the only piece where I could do a direct comparison I prefer my other version (En Saga, Ashkenazy conducting).

[SurprisedByBeauty]

#morninglistening to #Sibelius on #BIS w/@LahtiSymphony & @OsmoVanska

http://a-fwd.to/3tcclmv

#Snöfrid & other delightful #choralmusic
and #vocalmusic w/orchestra.

@surprisedBeauty music

Inspired here.

[Jo498]

I bought the Vanska disc you're looking at, for pretty much the same purpose. It has a good collection of tone poems and, unlike a lot of Vanska discs, doesn't have any funny scraps or alternate versions.

I'm generally happy with it, although for the only piece where I could do a direct comparison I prefer my other version (En Saga, Ashkenazy conducting).

I already have the En Saga with both Ashkenazy and Kamu. It is unavoidable to get some duplication but I want to keep it within reason. I also think that I do not need every odd bit or the alternative versions often contained in some BIS issues. It is laudable that even minor Sibelius is presented so well but not all of us are such hardcore fans.

For starters I ordered the blue/yellow Vänskä, the song recital with Mattila, another Luonnotar (+ Lemminkainen) with Gibson (Chando) because it was so cheap and King Christian/Kuomela with Segerstam on Naxos. I'll keep the Tempest in mind, have not quite decided if I should go for the somewhat expensive complete recording or the suites. Unless I turn into huge fan this will be enough for some time.

[Biffo]

I already have the En Saga with both Ashkenazy and Kamu. It is unavoidable to get some duplication but I want to keep it within reason. I also think that I do not need every odd bit or the alternative versions often contained in some BIS issues. It is laudable that even minor Sibelius is presented so well but not all of us are such hardcore fans.

For starters I ordered the blue/yellow Vänskä, the song recital with Mattila, another Luonnotar (+ Lemminkainen) with Gibson (Chando) because it was so cheap and King Christian/Kuomela with Segerstam on Naxos. I'll keep the Tempest in mind, have not quite decided if I should go for the somewhat expensive complete recording or the suites. Unless I turn into huge fan this will be enough for some time.

If you are not a completist I suggest you go for The Tempest Suites. The complete version has 36 numbers, most of them very short and some of them duplicated. For example,  Nos 3, 21 & 31 are the same and only last around 20 secs, Nos 5 & 29 are the same and last 16 secs. If you listen to the whole thing in one sitting this doesn't matter too much but the whole thing is rather disjointed.

[North Star]

If you are not a completist I suggest you go for The Tempest Suites. The complete version has 36 numbers, most of them very short and some of them duplicated. For example,  Nos 3, 21 & 31 are the same and only last around 20 secs, Nos 5 & 29 are the same and last 16 secs. If you listen to the whole thing in one sitting this doesn't matter too much but the whole thing is rather disjointed.

There is certainly truth in this.

[Madiel]

What's the feeling on Segerstam's series of "orchestral works" albums on Naxos?

Smaller works and incidental music, off the beaten track. I'm wondering how the performances stack up. Often the only competition is on BIS (usually Vanska, some older recordings by Jarvi).

[Jo498]

As announced above I got one of the Naxos disks with Segerstam. They seem a good cheap option to get the lesser known stuff and apparently also more complete as the more often recorded suites, i.e. including vocal pieces. As I have nothing to compare them with, they seem fine. Although I have to admit that the music sounds mostly rather forgettable to me.

On my "mini-binge" the only pieces I had not really heard before (I had listened a little on youtube) that seem worth the effort are Luonnotar, Pohjola's daughter and the Okeanides. The "nightride" is at least 5 minutes too long; shorter pieces like "The dryad" and "The Bard" hardly seem to get going in the first place. But compared to the incidental music even the in my ears weaker tone poems still sound fairly "Sibelian" if not as distinctive as the symphonies or even the early En Saga.

The King Christian music is not bad but nothing all that memorable either and it is also not surprising that Valse triste is by far the best known bit of the "Kuolema" music. I guess the only two things I will probably get in the future to close the gaps are the Pelleas & Melisande and Tempest incidental music as they seem by far the most famous and more frequently recorded.

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[Madiel]

It's taken me until now to figure out the Serenad for voice and piano and the Serenad for baritone and orchestra, are two completely different songs.

Goodness know it isn't hard to find links that will tell you you're looking at the "version" for piano or the "version" for orchestra, but JS 167 and JS 168 are set to the words of different poets!