The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Conor71]

Quote from: Brian on January 04, 2013, 11:26:49 PM

It's back!!!

>

Yes!! - I've had this one on pre-order for about a month, really looking forward to recieving it! 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

It's back!!!

I brought this news home three months ago!

Finally, the Berglund/Bournemouth cycle appears set to be reissued. So far UK only, apparently.

I have nothing but the 5th from this cycle (along with the violin concerto) but if the rest is as gloriously recorded as this one (which I don't have on the original EMI) I'd say it's almost a must-buy.

But yes, eagerly awaiting myself.

[jlaurson]

A Survey of Sibelius Cycles



Updated, completed, internationalized, and prettified!

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

[Fafner]

Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 1
Lahti Symphony Orchestra, orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor

[asin]B004UJ2KC8[/asin]

I must admit to a terrible black hole in my classical education: this is the first time I have heard anything by Sibelius (Well, except Finlandia) and it seems I have a new favourite composer. It's a whole new world. 

[Sadko]

I must admit to a terrible black hole in my classical education: this is the first time I have heard anything by Sibelius (Well, except Finlandia) and it seems I have a new favourite composer. It's a whole new world. 

That's how black holes work, they suck you in

[Mirror Image]

I must admit to a terrible black hole in my classical education: this is the first time I have heard anything by Sibelius (Well, except Finlandia) and it seems I have a new favourite composer. It's a whole new world. 

What? Wow, seriously? Well, I've certainly heard a lot more surprising things, but I figured for a guy who's into 20th Century music much like yourself that Sibelius would have been unexplored territory for you. Anyway, welcome to the incredibly beautiful world of Sibelius!

[Fafner]

Incidentally, I do own this CD:

[asin]B000025O3A[/asin]

I once grabbed it in a bargain bin with lots of other stuff and I never listened to it in all those years. 

[Brian]

I must admit to a terrible black hole in my classical education: this is the first time I have heard anything by Sibelius (Well, except Finlandia) and it seems I have a new favourite composer. It's a whole new world. 

Oh my gosh! I envy you now. Keep your ears open... it gets better, it gets transcendent! Tell us about it.

[DavidRoss]

Berglund III! That's friggin' awesome stuff. I LOVE that cycle...

That makes two of us, at least. I still shake my head at the lukewarm or even dismissive reviews this cycle received from many critics when issued. But as recent history continues to demonstrate, there is no limit to human stupidity.

[North Star]

I must admit to a terrible black hole in my classical education: this is the first time I have heard anything by Sibelius (Well, except Finlandia) and it seems I have a new favourite composer. It's a whole new world. 

There are awesome things awaiting you - from Lemminkäinen, Luonnotar, Pohjola's daughter, Night Ride & Sunrise, and Tapiola to the rest of the Symphonies and the Violin Concerto.

[Octave]

I am quite psyched to have this Bournemouth set back and so affordable; I heard one comment elsewhere that it's all been newly remastered.  Since EMI seems to have history of worsening some recordings with its remastering---this is true, no?---I would enjoy hearing an account of the sound from those of you who knew these recordings before.

By the way, I am assuming the non-symphonic extras in the new Bournemouth collection are the same performances as were included in the old EMI 'powder blue' 8cd Berglund/Sibelius box (above, right)?  Of course, all of this is academic, because I'm going to buy this new one anyway...

[Conor71]

I am quite psyched to have this Bournemouth set back and so affordable; I heard one comment elsewhere that it's all been newly remastered.  Since EMI seems to have history of worsening some recordings with its remastering---this is true, no?---I would enjoy hearing an account of the sound from those of you who knew these recordings before.

By the way, I am assuming the non-symphonic extras in the new Bournemouth collection are the same performances as were included in the old EMI 'powder blue' 8cd Berglund/Sibelius box (above, right)?  Of course, all of this is academic, because I'm going to buy this new one anyway...

Im not sure about the remasterings but I do think the re-issue BSO set sounds well good. The tone poems from the new box are the same as those in the big blue box for sure so there is some duplication.
I think the BSO set is really good and even think it is a bit better than the HPO versions

[DavidRoss]

I am quite psyched to have this Bournemouth set back and so affordable; I heard one comment elsewhere that it's all been newly remastered.  Since EMI seems to have history of worsening some recordings with its remastering---this is true, no?---I would enjoy hearing an account of the sound from those of you who knew these recordings before.

Newly remastered? Oh, no! Now I just might have to break my vow and buy more CDs after all! (Even though the older edition is no worse than most CDs of the time.)

I have the Disky Royal Classics edition on CD. There's no information in the packaging about the digital conversion, but since the sound doesn't suffer the shrill digital glare so common among CDs of the '80s, I presume it was done in the '90s by someone who more-or-less knew what he was doing.

The sound quality doesn't bother me. It's a bit recessed, almost as if you were hearing the orchestra from a doorway tunnel leading to the back of the orchestra seating section. It's not a good choice to demonstrate the "sound stage" of your hi fi rig.

It's also just a bit muddy or muffled, but I think that's due to the orchestra, which performs well enough for a third-tier band but they're hardly as tight as the BP. They're very soft-edged, even a bit mushy: attacks are more like a kid's soccer team ambling to their positions on the field than a precisely executed cavalry charge.

[radi]

Hint: The upcoming second disc of the new Vänskä cycle with Minnesota Orchestra (symphonies 1 & 4) is currently available to download on eClassical.com, and it's discounted -50% along with all of the Minnesota Orchestra BIS releases. It's only available till this friday and then, as far as I understand, is withdrawn until the actual release date in March.

http://www.eclassical.com/vanska-osmo-1/sibelius-symphonies-nos-1-4.html
http://www.eclassical.com/orchestras/minnesota-orchestra/

[DavidRoss]

Hint: The upcoming second disc of the new Vänskä cycle with Minnesota Orchestra (symphonies 1 & 4) is currently available to download on eClassical.com, and it's discounted -50% along with all of the Minnesota Orchestra BIS releases. It's only available till this friday and then, as far as I understand, is withdrawn until the actual release date in March.

http://www.eclassical.com/vanska-osmo-1/sibelius-symphonies-nos-1-4.html
http://www.eclassical.com/orchestras/minnesota-orchestra/

Good news plus bad: Looking forward to the recording, but I'll have to wait until March, I guess.

[snyprrr]

Good news plus bad: Looking forward to the recording, but I'll have to wait until March, I guess.

Are those MINORS in your avatar?!?!? CPS CPS CPS

[jlaurson]

Are those MINORS in your avatar?!?!? CPS CPS CPS

Surely they were paid-for-models of age (not that it really matters). Perhaps the same models that assisted him (Georges Seurat) paint "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte", which is in the background, and makes this one of the great self-referential ("meta", if you will) paintings. The "8 1/2" of its time.

[DavidRoss]

Are those MINORS in your avatar?!?!? CPS CPS CPS

No, snips -- that's what women looked like before silicone (and Big Macs).

[Karl Henning]

There was a time . . . before Big Macs©?

[Brian]

Hint: The upcoming second disc of the new Vänskä cycle with Minnesota Orchestra (symphonies 1 & 4) is currently available to download on eClassical.com, and it's discounted -50% along with all of the Minnesota Orchestra BIS releases. It's only available till this friday and then, as far as I understand, is withdrawn until the actual release date in March.

http://www.eclassical.com/vanska-osmo-1/sibelius-symphonies-nos-1-4.html
http://www.eclassical.com/orchestras/minnesota-orchestra/

Take note, eClassical's thirty-second sample can be extended if you simply press play again. I listened to about two minutes of Symphony 1, movement 1, and the main allegro is the fastest I've ever heard. The scherzo is also shockingly fast. By contrast, the Fourth sample clips indicated one of the slowest readings I know. An unusual interpretive contrast!