The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Karl Henning]

Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 - performance of choice: Maazel/Vienna

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 - performance of choice: Ashkenazy/Philharmonia
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 - performance of choice: Maazel/Vienna
The Oceanides, Op. 73 - performance of choice: Vänskä/Lahti
The Origin of Fire, Op. 32 (Original Version) - performance of choice: Vänskä/Lahti
Lemminkainen Suite, Op. 22 - performance of choice: Franck/Swedish RSO


Sarge

Very nice, Sarge. I'll have to listen to that Franck/Swedish RSO recording. It's in my collection but still sealed.

[jfdrex]

Okay, so I've posted about Symphony No. 3 & 4, The Origin of Fire, The Oceanides, and Lemminkainen Suite. Not many of fellow Sibelians commented on these works. I would love to hear from those who love these particular works like I do and also what your favorite recorded performance is of these works. Thanks!

So many choices...  How do I pick just one recording of each work?  Well, here goes:

Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 - performance of choice: Sanderling/ Berlin SO (Brilliant/ Berlin Classics/ Edel)
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 - performance of choice: Ansermet/ OSR (Decca)
The Oceanides, Op. 73 - performance of choice: Ormandy/ Philadelphia (RCA)
The Origin of Fire, Op. 32 (Original Version) - performance of choice: Yikes! I don't have any recordings of this! How can that be? 
Lemminkainen Suite, Op. 22 - performance of choice: Ormandy/ Philadelphia (RCA)

[Mirror Image]

So many choices...  How do I pick just one recording of each work?  Well, here goes:

Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 - performance of choice: Sanderling/ Berlin SO (Brilliant/ Berlin Classics/ Edel)
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 - performance of choice: Ansermet/ OSR (Decca)
The Oceanides, Op. 73 - performance of choice: Ormandy/ Philadelphia (RCA)
The Origin of Fire, Op. 32 (Original Version) - performance of choice: Yikes! I don't have any recordings of this! How can that be? 
Lemminkainen Suite, Op. 22 - performance of choice: Ormandy/ Philadelphia (RCA)

Nice list, but admittedly I don't know Ansermet's recording of the 4th. This will have to change. As for The Origin of Fire, Op. 32, this shouldn't be too big of a surprise as this work isn't well known, but it's certainly worth your time, jfdrex. Do check it out or better yet listen to the revised version here first and tell us what you think:

https://www.youtube.com/v/4jXgLSYo2Ko

Enjoy my friend!

Edit: Actually, I was wrong (unsurprisingly). I shamefully don't know any of Ormandy's Sibelius recordings. I haven't read about people talking about Ormandy's Sibelius very much but you certainly have me curious as to what he would sound like in this music.

Edit #2: I bought a 3-CD set last night of Ormandy conducting Sibelius that's a Japanese issue. Looking forward to hearing these performances.

[jfdrex]

Nice list, but admittedly I don't know Ansermet's recording of the 4th. This will have to change.

It's available on an Eloquence two-fer, as well as in a large-ish Decca box set of Ansermet recordings.  In the meantime, you can hear it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/v/kei9TpGhDZU

(Each movement is posted in a separate video, but you should be able to find the other three movements easily enough.)

As for The Origin of Fire, Op. 32, this shouldn't be too big of a surprise as this work isn't well known, but it's certainly worth your time, jfdrex. Do check it out or better yet listen to the revised version here first and tell us what you think:

https://www.youtube.com/v/4jXgLSYo2Ko

Enjoy my friend!

Many thanks.  I did enjoy this.  Come to think of it, I'm pretty certain I do have this on a Neeme Jarvi CD, with the Gothenburg SO on BIS, but I haven't listened to it in a long time.  The general tenor (or should I say, bass-baritone?) of the piece puts me in mind of Boris Godunov...   But I also noticed that at around 3:32-3:42, Sibelius uses a melody almost identical to a motif in the second movement of his 2nd symphony. The same motif returns at 4:13-4:23.

Edit: Actually, I was wrong (unsurprisingly). I shamefully don't know any of Ormandy's Sibelius recordings. I haven't read about people talking about Ormandy's Sibelius very much but you certainly have me curious as to what he would sound like in this music.

Edit #2: I bought a 3-CD set last night of Ormandy conducting Sibelius that's a Japanese issue. Looking forward to hearing these performances.

It is fashionable in some quarters to denigrate Ormandy as a mediocre middle-of-the-road conductor who used the great Philadelphia Orchestra to produce splashy, colorful performances of Russian romantic music but who was devoid of subtlety and original interpretive ideas when it came to the classics.  Be that as it may, EO was a long-time devotee of the music of Sibelius; he recorded Sym 1 four times, and all the others at least once (except Nos. 3 & 6, which he said he didn't understand).  Ormandy met Sibelius twice, and wrote a fascinating personal reminiscence of the composer and his music:

http://dustofhue.com/2013/09/those-few-minutes-on-the-porch-sibelius-eugene-ormandy/

Some of EO's Sibelius recordings are reviewed on MusicWeb and on ClassicsToday, among others.  (For what it's worth, Hurwitz is a big fan.)  Richard Kaplan has very high praise for EO's recordings in his "Sibeliusaurus" in Fanfare 30:3 (January/February 2007).

Cheers,
John

[Mirror Image]

It's available on an Eloquence two-fer, as well as in a large-ish Decca box set of Ansermet recordings.  In the meantime, you can hear it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/v/kei9TpGhDZU

(Each movement is posted in a separate video, but you should be able to find the other three movements easily enough.)

Many thanks.  I did enjoy this.  Come to think of it, I'm pretty certain I do have this on a Neeme Jarvi CD, with the Gothenburg SO on BIS, but I haven't listened to it in a long time.  The general tenor (or should I say, bass-baritone?) of the piece puts me in mind of Boris Godunov...   But I also noticed that at around 3:32-3:42, Sibelius uses a melody almost identical to a motif in the second movement of his 2nd symphony. The same motif returns at 4:13-4:23.

It is fashionable in some quarters to denigrate Ormandy as a mediocre middle-of-the-road conductor who used the great Philadelphia Orchestra to produce splashy, colorful performances of Russian romantic music but who was devoid of subtlety and original interpretive ideas when it came to the classics.  Be that as it may, EO was a long-time devotee of the music of Sibelius; he recorded Sym 1 four times, and all the others at least once (except Nos. 3 & 6, which he said he didn't understand).  Ormandy met Sibelius twice, and wrote a fascinating personal reminiscence of the composer and his music:

http://dustofhue.com/2013/09/those-few-minutes-on-the-porch-sibelius-eugene-ormandy/

Some of EO's Sibelius recordings are reviewed on MusicWeb and on ClassicsToday, among others.  (For what it's worth, Hurwitz is a big fan.)  Richard Kaplan has very high praise for EO's recordings in his "Sibeliusaurus" in Fanfare 30:3 (January/February 2007).

Cheers,
John

Cool, thanks John (this is your name as well?). Yeah, it does seem that Ormandy gets degraded among some circles as being a conductor of unsubtle music which have not real interpretative value. I say piss on them. Who gives a rat's ass what a critic thinks? Remember the Sibelius quote? These people are a dime a dozen and get their kicks by constantly talking trash about composers and conductors and what makes it even more interesting is they get paid for it (or at least the professional ones do). Anyway, stepping off my soapbox, I'll have to get around to Ansermet's Sibelius at some point. It's pretty unusual to hear a Swiss conductor in Sibelius. Thanks for the feedback.

[vandermolen]

It's available on an Eloquence two-fer, as well as in a large-ish Decca box set of Ansermet recordings.  In the meantime, you can hear it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/v/kei9TpGhDZU

(Each movement is posted in a separate video, but you should be able to find the other three movements easily enough.)

Many thanks.  I did enjoy this.  Come to think of it, I'm pretty certain I do have this on a Neeme Jarvi CD, with the Gothenburg SO on BIS, but I haven't listened to it in a long time.  The general tenor (or should I say, bass-baritone?) of the piece puts me in mind of Boris Godunov...   But I also noticed that at around 3:32-3:42, Sibelius uses a melody almost identical to a motif in the second movement of his 2nd symphony. The same motif returns at 4:13-4:23.

It is fashionable in some quarters to denigrate Ormandy as a mediocre middle-of-the-road conductor who used the great Philadelphia Orchestra to produce splashy, colorful performances of Russian romantic music but who was devoid of subtlety and original interpretive ideas when it came to the classics.  Be that as it may, EO was a long-time devotee of the music of Sibelius; he recorded Sym 1 four times, and all the others at least once (except Nos. 3 & 6, which he said he didn't understand).  Ormandy met Sibelius twice, and wrote a fascinating personal reminiscence of the composer and his music:

http://dustofhue.com/2013/09/those-few-minutes-on-the-porch-sibelius-eugene-ormandy/

Some of EO's Sibelius recordings are reviewed on MusicWeb and on ClassicsToday, among others.  (For what it's worth, Hurwitz is a big fan.)  Richard Kaplan has very high praise for EO's recordings in his "Sibeliusaurus" in Fanfare 30:3 (January/February 2007).

Cheers,
John

That's a wonderful story about Ormandy and his orchestra meeting Sibelius. I found it very moving and was thrilled to see the house myself when I was in Finland in 2013. Thanks very much for posting it.

I find this rather moving too:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b9pIftsHVHU

[Mirror Image]

Have you heard The Tempest, Op. 109 in it's complete form before, Jeffrey? Check out Vanska's recording (if you haven't already).

[vandermolen]

Have you heard The Tempest, Op. 109 in it's complete form before, Jeffrey? Check out Vanska's recording (if you haven't already).

Coincidentally am listening to that CD now John! (Great minds etc  )

I love track 8: 'Interlude (Prospero)' with its lovely noble theme - I'm sorry that Sibelius did not include it in one of the suites from the Tempest as it deserves to be better known. There is also a fine BIS CD with the two Tempest suites, The Bard and Tapiola conducted by Okko Kamu:
[asin]B0055ISAFE[/asin]
Do you, or anyone else here, know the complete Karelia music? A friend recommended it to me and it was one of my best recent Sibelius discoveries. There is so much great music beyond what is in the famous Karelia Suite. There is a BIS version too but the Ondine is my recommendation  (under £5.00 on UK Amazon). You have to hear it if you don't already know it:
[asin]B000007TR9[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Coincidentally am listening to that CD now John! (Great minds etc  )

I love track 8: 'Interlude (Prospero)' with its lovely noble theme - I'm sorry that Sibelius did not include it in one of the suites from the Tempest as it deserves to be better known. There is also a fine BIS CD with the two Tempest suites, The Bard and Tapiola conducted by Okko Kamu:
[asin]B0055ISAFE[/asin]
Do you, or anyone else here, know the complete Karelia music? A friend recommended it to me and it was one of my best recent Sibelius discoveries. There is so much great music beyond what is in the famous Karelia Suite. There is a BIS version too but the Ondine is my recommendation  (under £5.00 on UK Amazon). You have to hear it if you don't already know it:
[asin]B000007TR9[/asin]

Yep, great minds... That Kamu recording you linked is very good. I think I may have only listened to the recording once, though. Need to revisit it at some point. Yes, I know the complete Karelia pretty well as it was included in the one of the Sibelius Edition sets I bought. I believe it's in the Orchestral Music set. Anyway, it's a great work for sure and completely enchanting like so many of his works.

Do you know the complete Swanwhite or Pelleas and Melisande, Jeffrey? I highly recommend these works.

[vandermolen]

Yep, great minds... That Kamu recording you linked is very good. I think I may have only listened to the recording once, though. Need to revisit it at some point. Yes, I know the complete Karelia pretty well as it was included in the one of the Sibelius Edition sets I bought. I believe it's in the Orchestral Music set. Anyway, it's a great work for sure and completely enchanting like so many of his works.

Do you know the complete Swanwhite or Pelleas and Melisande, Jeffrey? I highly recommend these works.

I do have Swanwhite but will listen again following your recommendation. I know the Pelleas music better as Beecham recorded it. Also, the opening 'At the Castle Gate' was used over here as the theme music for an incredibly long-running (1950s +) astronomy TV programme 'The Sky at Night' presented by a mad but much loved astronomer.

This extract from the Ondine recording of the complete Karelia Music is one of the most unusual pieces of Sibelius I have heard. The central section with the singing sounds a bit like a folk-based pop song; maybe Finland's next entry for Eurovision. :

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZuxG5B_XBU

[vandermolen]

Interestingly (well, I find it interesting) I have just received this nice two CD set which was inexpensive. I haven't listened to the music yet but the reason I ordered it is because my version, on the front cover says 'Orchestral Favourites with Photo Album' and it does indeed include a super 51 page booklet containing many previously unpublished photos of Sibelius and his family. Maybe it's a limited edition of some kind but it's worth looking out for. It has an added appeal to me as I was lucky that my Finnish friends took me to see Sibelius's house two years ago.
[asin]B00NWZIR32[/asin]

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Damn it, I can't find my favorite Sibelius quote in english anywhere. IIRC, it was about performance of his violin concerto (no idea where) and he said that the concerto is going to be butchered by critics, or, even worse, mentioned with pity.

[North Star]

Damn it, I can't find my favorite Sibelius quote in english anywhere. IIRC, it was about performance of his violin concerto (no idea where) and he said that the concerto is going to be butchered by critics, or, even worse, mentioned with pity.

Well where is it in Finnish?

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Well where is it in Finnish?

I read it in Tawastierna's biography, possibly part 2 or 3. Unfortunately, I don't have an english copy and at the moment not even the finnish one.

[North Star]

I read it in Tawastierna's biography, possibly part 2 or 3. Unfortunately, I don't have an english copy and at the moment not even the finnish one.

Alright. I might see during the summer if it's in the shorter edition by Erik T. Tawastjerna. You don't have the gist of the Finnish original either, then?

[Mirror Image]

I do have Swanwhite but will listen again following your recommendation. I know the Pelleas music better as Beecham recorded it. Also, the opening 'At the Castle Gate' was used over here as the theme music for an incredibly long-running (1950s +) astronomy TV programme 'The Sky at Night' presented by a mad but much loved astronomer.

This extract from the Ondine recording of the complete Karelia Music is one of the most unusual pieces of Sibelius I have heard. The central section with the singing sounds a bit like a folk-based pop song; maybe Finland's next entry for Eurovision. :

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZuxG5B_XBU

Sorry for the late reply, Jeffrey (so many posts to look through these past couple of days). Swanwhite has to be one of Sibelius' most luscious works. Just one gorgeous moment after another. Almost sugary sweet, but there still a chance of frostbite even in this music. Karelia is a fun work. I listened to it several nights ago. Very enjoyable. Will have to make a mental of note of your observations next time I listen to it.

[Mirror Image]

Interestingly (well, I find it interesting) I have just received this nice two CD set which was inexpensive. I haven't listened to the music yet but the reason I ordered it is because my version, on the front cover says 'Orchestral Favourites with Photo Album' and it does indeed include a super 51 page booklet containing many previously unpublished photos of Sibelius and his family. Maybe it's a limited edition of some kind but it's worth looking out for. It has an added appeal to me as I was lucky that my Finnish friends took me to see Sibelius's house two years ago.
[asin]B00NWZIR32[/asin]

That's a beautiful set, Jeffrey. I bought just for that booklet and the idea that this could very be a collector's item at some point. I already had the Segerstam performances on other recordings.

[vandermolen]

Sorry for the late reply, Jeffrey (so many posts to look through these past couple of days). Swanwhite has to be one of Sibelius' most luscious works. Just one gorgeous moment after another. Almost sugary sweet, but there still a chance of frostbite even in this music. Karelia is a fun work. I listened to it several nights ago. Very enjoyable. Will have to make a mental of note of your observations next time I listen to it.

Thanks John, I will look out Swanwhite as I certainly have not heard it recently. Yes, the Sibelius booklet on Ondine is great.
I have Swanwhite on this CD of Sibelius's 90th birthday concert from London in 1955. It is a great CD with Tapiola, Pelleas and Melisande and Symphony 4 and 7. It also includes an entertaining talk by Beecham on his visit to see Sibelius in Finland. Apparently Sibelius had his music on so loudly on his gramophone that his daughters had to rush out the house into the garden with their hands covering their ears:
[asin]B000042NZB[/asin]