The Snowshoed Sibelius

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

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vers la flamme

Quote from: vandermolen on September 26, 2021, 08:31:16 AM
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:


It is quite good. I'm a fan of Sakari's Sibelius, which I've heard described as "Vänskä-lite".

vandermolen

Quote from: vers la flamme on September 26, 2021, 08:32:49 AM
It is quite good. I'm a fan of Sakari's Sibelius, which I've heard described as "Vänskä-lite".
I'm just coming to the end of the 7th Symphony. There's a kind of openness and unmannered integrity about the performances which I find very engaging.
"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).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on September 26, 2021, 08:31:16 AM
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:


Very nice, Jeffrey. I should give that Sakari cycle another listen. I bought it years ago and have only listened to it once.

vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 26, 2021, 07:10:44 PM
Very nice, Jeffrey. I should give that Sakari cycle another listen. I bought it years ago and have only listened to it once.
I think that CD with Symphony No.6, 7 and the Tempest Suite No.2 is especially good John - try Symphony No.6 in particular.
"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).

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on September 26, 2021, 11:08:19 PM
I think that CD with Symphony No.6, 7 and the Tempest Suite No.2 is especially good John - try Symphony No.6 in particular.

Cool, thanks, Jeffrey. This will be the first disc I listen to of the Sakari cycle.

Mirror Image

#3065
Re: Rozhdestvensky's Sibelius

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 27, 2021, 11:57:01 AM
NP:

Sibelius
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63
Moscow RSO
Rozhdestvensky




Man...this is fantastic and Rozhdestvensky's Sibelius is ice cold a la Vänskä in Lahti. Lovely music-making and I totally disagree with Hurwitz's whole "CD From Hell" criticism of this set.

Another instance where Hurwitz is simply full of hot air. "CD From Hell"? I think not!

Roasted Swan

Quote from: vers la flamme on September 26, 2021, 08:32:49 AM
It is quite good. I'm a fan of Sakari's Sibelius, which I've heard described as "Vänskä-lite".

What on earth does "Vänskä-lite" mean?!  Those kind of "clever" descriptions really rile me up.  In one fell-swoop it denigrates Sakari as being in some unspecified way 'less' than Vanska (I like them both by the way but if pushed would probably opt for Sakari) but also is the kind of 'smart ' comment that parades the knowledge insight and sophistication of the person who originated it...... NOT!!

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 30, 2021, 07:55:45 AM
What on earth does "Vänskä-lite" mean?!  Those kind of "clever" descriptions really rile me up.  In one fell-swoop it denigrates Sakari as being in some unspecified way 'less' than Vanska (I like them both by the way but if pushed would probably opt for Sakari) but also is the kind of 'smart ' comment that parades the knowledge insight and sophistication of the person who originated it...... NOT!!
+1

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

vers la flamme

#3068
It wasn't I who originated that comment, but it was a certain professional critic who frequents these boards, so you may want to tone down the aggression there :laugh: As for me, I like Sakari and don't really care for Vänskä, so I couldn't really tell you what was meant by that. I just thought it was funny. (In any case, I believe it was intended as a compliment.)

North Star

Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 30, 2021, 07:55:45 AM
What on earth does "Vänskä-lite" mean?!  Those kind of "clever" descriptions really rile me up.  In one fell-swoop it denigrates Sakari as being in some unspecified way 'less' than Vanska (I like them both by the way but if pushed would probably opt for Sakari) but also is the kind of 'smart ' comment that parades the knowledge insight and sophistication of the person who originated it...... NOT!!
It seems clear enough to me that rather than saying that Sakari is lesser than Vänskä, the writer is saying that the two have a similar approach, but Sakari's is less extreme.
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

DavidW

I took it to mean Sakari sounds similar to Vanska but less ponderous.  Not as in Sakari is mickey mouse.  I haven't heard Sakari, but I say without the context of a full review who knows how it was meant to be taken.

Roasted Swan

So I'm right in saying its a pointless meaningless comment since 3 of us here have interpreted it quite differently and none of us know if any of us are right (in the sense of understanding what the original writer of the phrase meant!).  The issue I take with that kind of phraseology is that it tends to stick without anyone really knowing what it means - but its rarely good.

calyptorhynchus

Actually I'd interpret it another way, if you say x is y lite i think it means x has y's characteristics but isn't as good, as in Trump is Mussolini-lite.
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

Irons

Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 30, 2021, 02:33:58 PM
So I'm right in saying its a pointless meaningless comment since 3 of us here have interpreted it quite differently and none of us know if any of us are right (in the sense of understanding what the original writer of the phrase meant!).  The issue I take with that kind of phraseology is that it tends to stick without anyone really knowing what it means - but its rarely good.

Damned by faint praise.
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.

DavidW

Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 30, 2021, 02:33:58 PM
So I'm right in saying its a pointless meaningless comment since 3 of us here have interpreted it quite differently and none of us know if any of us are right (in the sense of understanding what the original writer of the phrase meant!).  The issue I take with that kind of phraseology is that it tends to stick without anyone really knowing what it means - but its rarely good.

I completely agree.  I also don't like the "this composer sounds like x meets y!"  I say that because it is usually based on genre and geographical location and not how they actually sound.

Brahmsian

Quote from: DavidW on October 01, 2021, 04:21:26 AM
I completely agree.  I also don't like the "this composer sounds like x meets y!"  I say that because it is usually based on genre and geographical location and not how they actually sound.

I am totally guilty of doing comparisons as such. Sometimes it is good to have a reference or compass point, and certainly is never meant as a denigration, or intended to be one.

John Copeland

Quote from: vandermolen on September 25, 2021, 01:59:12 AM
Oh, I have that set - must listen to it again - I like his VW box as well.

Rozdhestvensky...VW as in Vaughan Williams?  That's a completely refreshing thing I never knew about!  I really want to hear Rozdhestvensky doing VW now, I had no idea.  Meanwhile, in context of this thread, I still have a thing for Ashkenazys Sibelius cycle with the Philharmonia Orchestra.  It is accused of being 'too warm', but for me it's at a nice temperature and great sounding.


vandermolen

Quote from: John Copeland on October 01, 2021, 05:59:05 AM
Rozdhestvensky...VW as in Vaughan Williams?  That's a completely refreshing thing I never knew about!  I really want to hear Rozdhestvensky doing VW now, I had no idea.  Meanwhile, in context of this thread, I still have a thing for Ashkenazys Sibelius cycle with the Philharmonia Orchestra.  It is accused of being 'too warm', but for me it's at a nice temperature and great sounding.


Yes John - bizarre as it seems there is a Vaughan Williams symphony set on Melodiya! It is well worth hearing, even though an organ solo goes rather 'Dr Phibes' in Sinfonia Antartica! I like Ashkenazy's Sibelius recordings and also his Walton symphonies:
"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).

Roasted Swan

Quote from: vandermolen on October 01, 2021, 01:44:07 PM
Yes John - bizarre as it seems there is a Vaughan Williams symphony set on Melodiya! It is well worth hearing, even though an organ solo goes rather 'Dr Phibes' in Sinfonia Antartica! I like Ashkenazy's Sibelius recordings and also his Walton symphonies:


Apologies for this RVW comment on the Sibelius page - the Rozhdestventsky RVW cycle features possibly the worst mangling of a language ever in the Sea Symphony!  Check out this disc though which is very fine.....



Getting back on thread - a brief anecdote about the Ashkenazy cycle.  These were some of Ashkenazy's very first recordings as a conductor.  To that end he came into the Guildhall School to basically "practice" with a Symphony Orchestra before going in front of the Philharmonia.  The funny thing is he never got much better technically as a conductor - great musician, lovely man just plain scary trying to follow on the stick!

vandermolen

Quote from: Roasted Swan on October 04, 2021, 06:56:36 AM
Apologies for this RVW comment on the Sibelius page - the Rozhdestventsky RVW cycle features possibly the worst mangling of a language ever in the Sea Symphony!  Check out this disc though which is very fine.....



Getting back on thread - a brief anecdote about the Ashkenazy cycle.  These were some of Ashkenazy's very first recordings as a conductor.  To that end he came into the Guildhall School to basically "practice" with a Symphony Orchestra before going in front of the Philharmonia.  The funny thing is he never got much better technically as a conductor - great musician, lovely man just plain scary trying to follow on the stick!
Interesting Ashkenazy anecdote - that BBC Radio Classics VW CD is indeed excellent.
"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).