The Snowshoed Sibelius

Started by Dancing Divertimentian, April 16, 2007, 08:39:57 PM

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Brian

Man, I hope Dancing Divertimentian is OK. I met him three or four years ago for about ten minutes - he was living nearby and selling me his copy of Muza Rubackyte's Liszt Années. It sounded like he had a fairly stressful job in the court system but he was a very nice guy. Good taste in music too.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Brian on August 31, 2021, 10:30:40 AM
Man, I hope Dancing Divertimentian is OK. I met him three or four years ago for about ten minutes - he was living nearby and selling me his copy of Muza Rubackyte's Liszt Années. It sounded like he had a fairly stressful job in the court system but he was a very nice guy. Good taste in music too.

If you know him or have his number, perhaps you could reach out to him and see if he's okay?

staxomega

Quote from: Brian on August 31, 2021, 10:30:40 AM
Man, I hope Dancing Divertimentian is OK. I met him three or four years ago for about ten minutes - he was living nearby and selling me his copy of Muza Rubackyte's Liszt Années. It sounded like he had a fairly stressful job in the court system but he was a very nice guy. Good taste in music too.

Those are phenomenal performances for a complete Annees, my favorite by a pretty wide margin.

krummholz

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on August 30, 2021, 04:26:55 PM
I certainly" heard winter" in the opening of the Sixth the first time I heard it (and without being told that it what I "should hear." By which, all I mean is that I myself have no problem with that.

Not sure if it was the first time I heard it, but my associating the first movement with sleigh rides and wintry landscapes certainly didn't come from someone else's suggestion, nor did it have anything to do with some stereotypical idea that Finland is locked in perpetual winter (I knew better than that!). I was actually pleasantly surprised when I read of Sibelius's phrase "shadows lengthen" for the piece, as that kind of imagery has always come to my mind when listening to it.

Madiel

I should be clear (if I wasn't already) that I have no problem with winter imagery in places where Sibelius himself made relevant allusions.

I just have a problem with slathering the exact same imagery over so many things. For one thing it suggests that Sibelius himself had a severely limited imagination.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Karl Henning

Slathering and music don't mix, to be sure.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

staxomega

Quote from: Mirror Image on August 25, 2021, 05:17:55 PM
Excellent. Will be curious to read your impressions of this Karajan 4th on DG.

I finally got to this, it's a great performance. The Berglund/Bournemouth remains my favorite, incredibly dark and brooding.

Mirror Image

Quote from: hvbias on September 08, 2021, 05:21:29 AM
I finally got to this, it's a great performance. The Berglund/Bournemouth remains my favorite, incredibly dark and brooding.

The Karajan isn't exactly sunshine and daisies either. ;) Good to read you enjoyed the performance, though. I like the Berglund/Bournemouth as well. I definitely prefer Berglund's first thoughts on Sibelius compared to any of the later recordings he made.

André



Nos 3, 6 and 7.

Rozhdestvensky's 'crime-against-humanity-Sibelius' never ceases to thrill and fascinate. The 6th here has got to be the brassiest, most rythmically edge-of-the-seat version I know. No romantically glowing northern lights à la Karajan, this. It's like watching a tightrope walker reach the other end of the chasm. As for the 3rd, it's easily the iciest and most exciting one I know. I love it.

Irons

Quote from: André on September 24, 2021, 10:27:21 AM


Nos 3, 6 and 7.

Rozhdestvensky's 'crime-against-humanity-Sibelius' never ceases to thrill and fascinate. The 6th here has got to be the brassiest, most rythmically edge-of-the-seat version I know. No romantically glowing northern lights à la Karajan, this. It's like watching a tightrope walker reach the other end of the chasm. As for the 3rd, it's easily the iciest and most exciting one I know. I love it.

Also, the 4th is one of the darkest.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

vandermolen

Quote from: André on September 24, 2021, 10:27:21 AM


Nos 3, 6 and 7.

Rozhdestvensky's 'crime-against-humanity-Sibelius' never ceases to thrill and fascinate. The 6th here has got to be the brassiest, most rythmically edge-of-the-seat version I know. No romantically glowing northern lights à la Karajan, this. It's like watching a tightrope walker reach the other end of the chasm. As for the 3rd, it's easily the iciest and most exciting one I know. I love it.
Oh, I have that set - must listen to it again - I like his VW box as well.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vers la flamme

Quote from: André on September 24, 2021, 10:27:21 AM


Nos 3, 6 and 7.

Rozhdestvensky's 'crime-against-humanity-Sibelius' never ceases to thrill and fascinate. The 6th here has got to be the brassiest, most rythmically edge-of-the-seat version I know. No romantically glowing northern lights à la Karajan, this. It's like watching a tightrope walker reach the other end of the chasm. As for the 3rd, it's easily the iciest and most exciting one I know. I love it.

Hmm, why's it a crime against humanity?

André

Quote from: vers la flamme on September 25, 2021, 10:30:36 AM
Hmm, why's it a crime against humanity?

Dixit David Hurwitz. Check about 1/3 of the way through this thread for a discussion on the matter  ;).

Karl Henning

So, yet another dumb thing that Hurwitz said ....
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mirror Image

Quote from: André on September 24, 2021, 10:27:21 AM


Nos 3, 6 and 7.

Rozhdestvensky's 'crime-against-humanity-Sibelius' never ceases to thrill and fascinate. The 6th here has got to be the brassiest, most rythmically edge-of-the-seat version I know. No romantically glowing northern lights à la Karajan, this. It's like watching a tightrope walker reach the other end of the chasm. As for the 3rd, it's easily the iciest and most exciting one I know. I love it.

You've certainly piqued my interest, Andre. I must dig this set out from storage and give it a listen. It's been a long time time since I've heard it, but I remember my impressions overall were quite favorable. Much more favorable than Hurwitz's who I think was unfairly harsh in his criticism about this set. There's more than one way to skin a cat and the plethora of Sibelius interpretations that are out there are proof of this fact.

Brian

I'm really sad I missed that box when it was in print. It sounds totally fascinating.

Mirror Image

#3056
Quote from: Brian on September 26, 2021, 06:12:22 AM
I'm really sad I missed that box when it was in print. It sounds totally fascinating.

Yikes! :o Some jackal has it for $334 on Amazon MP:

https://www.amazon.com/Sibelius-Symphonies-1-7-Jean/dp/B003GT37LG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Sibelius+Rozhdestvensky&qid=1632666827&s=music&sr=1-1

It's certainly not cheap on Discogs either:

https://www.discogs.com/Sibelius-Gennady-Rozhdestvensky-Moscow-Radio-Symphony-Orchestra-The-Symphonies/release/8801618

I'm glad I pounced on this set when it came out many years ago, although I'm a bit surprised it hasn't been reissued again.

Brian

What I do own is a full-size print of the cover painting, framed in the house here. It's been one of my favorite paintings since I saw it in real life at London's National Gallery. And, as all the record labels know, it pairs perfectly with Finnish music.

Mirror Image

Yep, I like Gallen-Kallela's work, too.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 26, 2021, 07:37:20 AM
Yep, I like Gallen-Kallela's work, too.
Me too - I have a framed print of Lake Keitele in my 'Man Cave' at the bottom of the garden.
I'm currently thoroughly enjoying this CD. I've had it in my collection for years without realising how good it is:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).