The Snowshoed Sibelius

[vandermolen]

The Feb 2015 issue of BBC Music had a focus on Sibelius including a cd with the 4th symphony (BBC Scottish SO/Manze):

I have it and it is a really good issue. I like the CD with Symphony 4 and there is a great photo of a Sibelius taken a few days before he died. I also liked the painting of Sibelius, Kajanus and Gallen Kallela (painter) all clearly intoxicated as young men. Also, the travelogue of locations associated with Sibelius is very poignant for me as I went to Finland in 2013 with my brother, shortly after my much loved sister-in-law passed away unexpectedly. We visited many of the sites associated with Sibelius, including Ainola where Sibelius and his wife are buried. To visit his house was quite wonderful and my brother played the piano in the Sibelius house cafe. Then my wife joined Us for a few days in Helsinki. My Finnish friends were very kind to us although I am not sure that I would want to repeat the 'Finnish Sauna Experience'. 

[Moonfish]

Does anybody know if any major Sibelius compilation will be released this year (150th anniversary of his birth)? Perhaps it is timed for December to be in sync with his actual birth date as well as the Christmas buying frenzy? Regardless, are there any rumors out there...?

[Moonfish]

I have it and it is a really good issue. I like the CD with Symphony 4 and there is a great photo of a Sibelius taken a few days before he died. I also liked the painting of Sibelius, Kajanus and Gallen Kallela (painter) all clearly intoxicated as young men. Also, the travelogue of locations associated with Sibelius is very poignant for me as I went to Finland in 2013 with my brother, shortly after my much loved sister-in-law passed away unexpectedly. We visited many of the sites associated with Sibelius, including Ainola where Sibelius and his wife are buried. To visit his house was quite wonderful and my brother played the piano in the Sibelius house cafe. Then my wife joined Us for a few days in Helsinki. My Finnish friends were very kind to us although I am not sure that I would want to repeat the 'Finnish Sauna Experience'. 

Ha ha! Did you have a "snow cooling" as part of the sauna experience? I actually like saunas, but it has been a while. 

[vandermolen]

Ha ha! Did you have a "snow cooling" as part of the sauna experience? I actually like saunas, but it has been a while. 

Not sure what that is but fortunately my Finnish friend gave us so much to drink beforehand that my brother and I were usually drunk before we went into the sauna. You need to understand that we inhibited Brits find this kind of think difficult although I am sure that there are many health benefits. My dear Finnish friend's father was something like the President of the Finnish Sauna Association so it is a matter of principle to my friend to use the sauna every day ( I usually have a glass of wine when I get back from work). Still, I did like the swimming in the lake by his summer cottage and bringing it back on topic enjoyed seeing Sibelius's sauna at Ainola. Currently enjoying Maurice Abranel's Utah set of the Sibelius symphonies which I picked up second hand for about £5.00 which is amazing value. So far I have liked the versions of symphonies 1 and 4 and read somewhere that that of No.3 is excellent too.

[Moonfish]

Not sure what that is but fortunately my Finnish friend gave us so much to drink beforehand that my brother and I were usually drunk before we went into the sauna. You need to understand that we inhibited Brits find this kind of think difficult although I am sure that there are many health benefits. My dear Finnish friend's father was something like the President of the Finnish Sauna Association so it is a matter of principal to my friend to use the sauna every day ( I usually have a glass of wine when I get back from work). Still, I did like the swimming in the lake by his summer cottage and bringing it back on topic enjoyed seeing Sibelius's sauna at Ainola. Currently enjoying Maurice Abranel's Utah set of the Sibelius symphonies which I picked up second hand for about £5.00 which is amazing value. So far I have liked the versions of symphonies 1 and 4 and read somewhere that that of No.3 is excellent too.

It does sound like you had a great time. Personally I think I would avoid any major alcohol before hitting the sauna as it certainly is hot enough.  The winter saunas are the ones with the crazy roll-in-the-snow cooling sessions...      It seems like you passed through during the serene summer days!

[Moonfish]

Any fans of Sibelius' songs? I just listened to a recording with Flagstad - (Var det en dröm? Op. 37, No.4 [Was it a dream?]). London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Øivin Fjeldstad. The poem by Wecksell is actually very beautiful! 

https://www.youtube.com/v/xUSry-oB7CM

Var det en dröm, att ljuvt en gång
jag var ditt hjärtas vän?
Jag minns det som en tystnad sång,
då strängen darrar än.

Jag minns en törnros av dig skänkt,
en blick så blyg och öm;
jag minns en avskedstår, som blänkt.
Var allt, var allt en dröm?

En dröm lik sippans liv så kort
uti en vårgrön ängd,
vars fägring hastigt vissnar bort
för nya blommors mängd.

Men mången natt jag hör en röst
vid bittra tårars ström:
göm djupt dess minne i ditt bröst,
det var din bästa dröm!


translated: [although I disagree with quite a bit of it]
Was it a dream that once, in a wonderful time,
I was your heart's true love?
I remember it as a song fallen silent,
of which the strains still echo.

I remember a rose you tossed,
a glance so shy and tender;
I remember a sparkling tear when we parted.
Was it all, all a dream?

A dream as brief as the life of a cowslip
in a green meadow in springtime,
whose beauty soon withers away
before a crowd of new flowers.

But many a night I hear a voice
through the flood of my bitter tears:
hide this memory deep in your heart,
it was your best dream!

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I am of Tawastjerna's opinion that Sibelius's best songs often are those with the best lyrics, such as those set to Runeberg's words. Hadn't heard that one you mentioned, though.

[jlaurson]

Updated


A Survey of Sibelius Cycles

[Madiel]

I just heard the song Teodora, op.35/2.  Absolutely amazing. The music is basically this series of low rumblings for 4 minutes.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I just heard the song Teodora, op.35/2.  Absolutely amazing. The music is basically this series of low rumblings for 4 minutes.

That's exactly the thing I love about Sibelius. He can exist on a slow simmer like nobody I know. What might be an exercise in futility for others is a strength for Sibelius.

[Brian]

I'm listening to the Robert Kajanus recordings for the first time, to see how Sibelius' alleged favorite fares in the symphonies.



No. 3 is a pretty good performance by the London Symphony. The slow movement is the most unusual interpretation: over 11 minutes long, but it works, or at least it's pretty interesting. My listening to the disc was inspired by a recent GMG debate over the proper tempo for this movement; a couple people said Kajanus is similar to Sibelius' own preference. It's definitely not wrong.

Speaking of wrong, the first movement of the Fifth descends into dreadful wrongness halfway through. The big lurching transition from slow passage to scherzo is completely botched, and very messily played, and then the last few chords are so badly played that different sections of the orchestra are literally seconds apart. It might be the worst "professional" playing I've heard on record.

Right now my ears are in the slow movement, which is going just fine. Maybe a teensy bit fast.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

For years I eschewed his sixth symphony, then became intoxicated with it (Britten thought that Sibelius must have been drunk when he wrote it) and it became my favorite of them all.  Still, it's enigmatic to me, peculiar, troubling, even.  I'm not alone : see Tom Service's interesting article in the Guardian from a year and a half ago:   http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2013/nov/26/symphony-guide-sibelius-sixth-tom-service    I think Service exaggerates the "self-effacing" nature of the work, but he has some insights.

[Karl Henning]

Half the time, the Sixth is my favorite Sibelius symphony.  (Wish I didn't know Britten had said that;  what an ass.)

[Mirror Image]

Even though the 4th is my favorite of the cycle, the 6th really is something else. Certainly an amazing work.

A quick sidebar: I find it quite strange that the 6th gets no mention in this documentary:

[asin]B000M2EBWO[/asin]

[vandermolen]

Half the time, the Sixth is my favorite Sibelius symphony.  (Wish I didn't know Britten had said that;  what an ass.)

Yes, that's a comment on Britten and not on Sibelius. Vaughan Williams rated Sibelius's 6th Symphony as one of his very greatest works. It is a wonderful score.

[calyptorhynchus]

The 6th was Robert Simpson's favourite Sibelius symphony.

[North Star]

Half the time, the Sixth is my favorite Sibelius symphony.  (Wish I didn't know Britten had said that;  what an ass.)

Ditto.
Of course, Britten disliked a lot of good music, vocally.

[Karl Henning]

Ditto.
Of course, Britten disliked a lot of good music, vocally.

Well, and of course, one allows an artist his dislikes.  Not that one need applaud him in those 

[North Star]

Well, and of course, one allows an artist his dislikes.  Not that one need applaud him in those 

Indeed.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

thanks VdM and Cockatoo!: all news to me and must say VW and Simpson's and Meister Henning's views carry some weight with me.