The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Sergeant Rock]

Just heard Finlandia (Saraste) on the car radio. I have not really listened to it (like 'Freebird', y'know?), but here it just came across as grantitic and melodic Sibelius the way I like it. I shouldn't shy away from it any more,... but, that said, Saraste was good and all, but I'd like some Top Recommendations. I've always been partial to Gibson, but I'm sure the sound could be improved upon.

There was one moment, early on, when it seemed like a certain minor-ish melody popped into relief for a moment,... that classic Sibelius chord that I'm supposing is the one that sends the shivers up everyone's leg like it does for me.

Get Horst Stein (if you want a version without chorus).  He's rather cool emotionally (he doesn't milk the hymn).  The CD has a great En Saga too.  It can be had for 37 cents





My favorites are Segerstam (with chorus) and Vänskä but I don't think Vänskä is available outside of box sets. I couldn't find a single CD anyway.

Sarge

[snyprrr]

I'm one of those listeners who doesn't wear out well-known works and sometimes even purposely avoids them.

yupster!

[Brian]

Driving through the concrete, steel, and glass heart of a major city, at night, alone, with Sibelius' Seventh on your car stereo is a truly humbling spiritual experience.

That said, getting to your place in only fifteen minutes and having to drive around some more waiting for the symphony to end is a little annoying.

[DavidRoss]

Driving through the concrete, steel, and glass heart of a major city, at night, alone, with Sibelius' Seventh on your car stereo is a truly humbling spiritual experience.

That said, getting to your place in only fifteen minutes and having to drive around some more waiting for the symphony to end is a little annoying.

I usually park and just settle back in the car. I've done that parked outside my office at work and even sitting in the driveway at home!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Driving through the concrete, steel, and glass heart of a major city, at night, alone, with Sibelius' Seventh on your car stereo is a truly humbling spiritual experience.

I once listened to it driving through a snowstorm. I think that's more appropriate than a modern city, especially if it's someplace hot like Houston.

[Sadko]

Driving through the concrete, steel, and glass heart of a major city, at night, alone, with Sibelius' Seventh on your car stereo is a truly humbling spiritual experience.
...

Yes, I can imagine that. Somehow your words evoked a beautiful cinematic image in my mind, like setting the atmosphere for an interesting film ...

[Brian]

I once listened to it driving through a snowstorm.

Heh, yes, Dallas, about 75 outside. That sounds like an incredible experience as well (the Seventh would also work while stargazing I think). Do you know what I would love to listen to in a snowstorm? Luonnotar - those first bars, the swirling strings. If the snow gets heavier, Tapiola... when it stops falling, Symphony No 6.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

... when it stops falling, Symphony No 6.

A few years back I was in Karelia (the Russian part, around Lake Onega) for several days in the late summer. I kept hearing the 6th Symphony in my head, especially its 2nd movement. All the flowing water around (rivers, creeks, falls) and the mysterious (but not scary) feeling of the deep woods seemed to be encapsulated in that movement.

[The new erato]

Driving through the concrete, steel, and glass heart of a major city, at night, alone, with Sibelius' Seventh on your car stereo is a truly humbling spiritual experience.

That said, getting to your place in only fifteen minutes and having to drive around some more waiting for the symphony to end is a little annoying.

In my youth I did a stint of photographic darkroom work. Listening to Sibelius in the dark was downright scary.

[Brahmsian]

The great thing about Sibelius' symphonies, is that when I listen to them, I have to listen to all 7!    Hard to pick a favourite, and it changes all the time.

However, lately, my favourite has to be the ethereal 6th! 

[Brian]

That's funny, because very rarely I'll feel that, but most of the time I only really want to listen to one or two. Like, right now, I'm only in a mood to hear the Third. There are also times where I only have ears for the Sixth, or the Second. It's only really on my yearly Sibelius binge that I'll want to hear many of the symphonies in the same time frame.

[not edward]

In my youth I did a stint of photographic darkroom work. Listening to Sibelius in the dark was downright scary.

A long time ago, when I was young and more impulsive and still lived in Scotland, I drove up to a forested part of the Trossachs on a clear, moonlit winter night so as to listen to Tapiola in a truly appropriate location. Sitting in the forest with Sibelius' music was both a humbling experience and a pretty scary one--it didn't take too long for my eyes to keep spotting movement at the edge of my field of vision.

Honestly, it's an experience I'd recommend to everyone, though. Just bring a friend.

[Brian]

It's back!!!

[Karl Henning]

It's back!!!

(* pounds the table *)

[Sergeant Rock]

It's back!!!

And only €13.99 at Amazon DE   

Edit: And even cheaper from Amazon US.

Sarge

[Elgarian]

It's back!!!

And only £9 post free on Amazon.uk. £9? If I wait a bit longer, will they pay me to take one off their hands?

[Mirror Image]

I've got 18 cycles of Sibelius' symphonies, do I really need to add Berglund/Bournemouth?

[jlaurson]

I've got 18 cycles of Sibelius' symphonies, do I really need to add Berglund/Bournemouth?

Of course not. Not need. Wantz! With 18 cycles, you've shown a history of zero ability to resist a temptation... so that's a pretty good indication you'll get this one, too. Which ones do you not have, in any case? 

I've updated for the Berglund below...

Better viewed her: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/05/survey-of-sibelius-cycles.html

- - - -
Survey of Sibelius Symphony Cycles

Time to update: New version of Maazel II, first boxed CD incidence of Davis I.
The spot freed up by the formerly necessary second volume of Davis is taken by Sixtus Ehrling's Stockholm cycle that had not been included previously.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*V. Ashkenazy I, Philharmonia Decca ~$40,- C. Davis I, Boston SO Decca ~$25,- A. Gibson, Royal ScO Chandos (oop) L. Segerstam I, Danish NSO Chandos/Brilliant ~$46,- N. Jaervi I, Gothenburg SO BIS ~$62,- A. Collins, LSO Decca (Japan) ~$44,- *L. Maazel II, Pittsburg SO Sony ~$25,-

*L. Segerstam II, Helsinki PO Ondine ~$54,- S. Ehrling, Royal Stockholm PO Finlandia $50,- (Germany only) H.v. Karajan / Kamu, Berlin Phil DG ~$24,- *L. Bernstein, NY Phil Sony ~$50,- P. Berglund I, Bournemouth SO EMI (back in print!) J.P. Saraste, Finnish RSO Finlandia (oop) ~$60,- G. Rozhdestvensky, Moscow RSO Melodyi. ~$45,-

*O. Vanska, Lahti SO BIS ~$65,- *L. Maazel I, Vienna Phil. Decca ~$24,- *K. Sanderling, Berlin Berlin Cl. ~$33,- *Sir J. Barbirolli, Hallé Orchestra EMI ~$35,- (sale) P. Berglund II, Helsinki PO EMI ~$35,- (sale) *C. Davis III, LSO v.1-v.2-v.3-v.4 LSO live (4 à ~$16,-) S. Oramo, CoBirm.O Erato ~£30,-

*H. Blomstedt, S.F.SO Decca ~$31,- *P. Sakari, Iceland SO Naxos ~$36,- N. Järvi II, Gothenburg SO DG ~$56,- *S. Rattle, Birmingh.SO EMI ~$34,- *P. Berglund III, Chamber OoE Finlandia ~$40,- (Germany only) *C. Davis II, LSO RCA ~$41,- A. Watanabe, Japan PhilO (Japan only) Denon ~$31,-

[Mirror Image]

Of course not. Not need. Wantz! With 18 cycles, you've shown a history of zero ability to resist a temptation... so that's a pretty good indication you'll get this one, too. Which ones do you not have, in any case? 

I've updated for the Berglund below...

Better viewed her: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/05/survey-of-sibelius-cycles.html

- - - -
Survey of Sibelius Symphony Cycles

Time to update: New version of Maazel II, first boxed CD incidence of Davis I.
The spot freed up by the formerly necessary second volume of Davis is taken by Sixtus Ehrling's Stockholm cycle that had not been included previously.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*V. Ashkenazy I, Philharmonia Decca ~$40,- C. Davis I, Boston SO Decca ~$25,- A. Gibson, Royal ScO Chandos (oop) L. Segerstam I, Danish NSO Chandos/Brilliant ~$46,- N. Jaervi I, Gothenburg SO BIS ~$62,- A. Collins, LSO Decca (Japan) ~$44,- *L. Maazel II, Pittsburg SO Sony ~$25,-

*L. Segerstam II, Helsinki PO Ondine ~$54,- S. Ehrling, Royal Stockholm PO Finlandia $50,- (Germany only) H.v. Karajan / Kamu, Berlin Phil DG ~$24,- *L. Bernstein, NY Phil Sony ~$50,- P. Berglund I, Bournemouth SO EMI (back in print!) J.P. Saraste, Finnish RSO Finlandia (oop) ~$60,- G. Rozhdestvensky, Moscow RSO Melodyi. ~$45,-

*O. Vanska, Lahti SO BIS ~$65,- *L. Maazel I, Vienna Phil. Decca ~$24,- *K. Sanderling, Berlin Berlin Cl. ~$33,- *Sir J. Barbirolli, Hallé Orchestra EMI ~$35,- (sale) P. Berglund II, Helsinki PO EMI ~$35,- (sale) *C. Davis III, LSO v.1-v.2-v.3-v.4 LSO live (4 à ~$16,-) S. Oramo, CoBirm.O Erato ~£30,-

*H. Blomstedt, S.F.SO Decca ~$31,- *P. Sakari, Iceland SO Naxos ~$36,- N. Järvi II, Gothenburg SO DG ~$56,- *S. Rattle, Birmingh.SO EMI ~$34,- *P. Berglund III, Chamber OoE Finlandia ~$40,- (Germany only) *C. Davis II, LSO RCA ~$41,- A. Watanabe, Japan PhilO (Japan only) Denon ~$31,-

There are several from your list that I do not own: Berglund I, Berglund III, Saraste, Jarvi I, Collins, Watanabe, Segerstam I, and Ehrling.

[jlaurson]

I've got 18 cycles of Sibelius' symphonies, do I really need to add Berglund/Bournemouth?

Of course not. Not need. Wantz! With 18 cycles, you've shown a history of zero ability to resist a temptation... so that's a pretty good indication you'll get this one, too. Which ones do you not have, in any case? 

I've updated for the Berglund below...

Better viewed here
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/05/survey-of-sibelius-cycles.html

- - - -
Survey of Sibelius Symphony Cycles

Time to update: New version of Maazel II, first boxed CD incidence of Davis I.
The spot freed up by the formerly necessary second volume of Davis is taken by Sixtus Ehrling's Stockholm cycle that had not been included previously.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*V. Ashkenazy I, Philharmonia Decca ~$40,- C. Davis I, Boston SO Decca ~$25,- A. Gibson, Royal ScO Chandos (oop) L. Segerstam I, Danish NSO Chandos/Brilliant ~$46,- N. Jaervi I, Gothenburg SO BIS ~$62,- A. Collins, LSO Decca (Japan) ~$44,- *L. Maazel II, Pittsburg SO Sony ~$25,-

*L. Segerstam II, Helsinki PO Ondine ~$54,- S. Ehrling, Royal Stockholm PO Finlandia $50,- (Germany only) H.v. Karajan / Kamu, Berlin Phil DG ~$24,- *L. Bernstein, NY Phil Sony ~$50,- P. Berglund I, Bournemouth SO EMI (back in print!) J.P. Saraste, Finnish RSO Finlandia (oop) ~$60,- G. Rozhdestvensky, Moscow RSO Melodyi. ~$45,-

*O. Vanska, Lahti SO BIS ~$65,- *L. Maazel I, Vienna Phil. Decca ~$24,- *K. Sanderling, Berlin Berlin Cl. ~$33,- *Sir J. Barbirolli, Hallé Orchestra EMI ~$35,- (sale) P. Berglund II, Helsinki PO EMI ~$35,- (sale) *C. Davis III, LSO v.1-v.2-v.3-v.4 LSO live (4 à ~$16,-) S. Oramo, CoBirm.O Erato ~£30,-

*H. Blomstedt, S.F.SO Decca ~$31,- *P. Sakari, Iceland SO Naxos ~$36,- N. Järvi II, Gothenburg SO DG ~$56,- *S. Rattle, Birmingh.SO EMI ~$34,- *P. Berglund III, Chamber OoE Finlandia ~$40,- (Germany only) *C. Davis II, LSO RCA ~$41,- A. Watanabe, Japan PhilO (Japan only) Denon ~$31,-

There are several from your list that I do not own: Berglund I, Berglund III, Saraste, Jarvi I, Collins, Watanabe, Segerstam I, and Ehrling.

I'm just getting started on the first half of Collins... Saraste is fine, but not crazy-good. But Berglund III! That's friggin' awesome stuff. I LOVE that cycle... so different from the others I love. Very light, transparent, no emoting... yet profoundly touching.