The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Mirror Image]

I like the earlier Paavo Berglund/Bournemouth SO version on EMI.

I don't believe I've heard this performance, Jeffrey. I do like Berglund's Helsinki remake, though, but it's been years since I've heard it.

[knight66]

I arrived in Finland last night, usually when I am outside the city I hear Sibelius in my head. Nothing Sibelian about the hotel room in Helsinki; but later I am going east to Imatra then south on the huge lake that borders Russia; so the head music will come.

Mike

[Karl Henning]

. . . so the head music will come.

Pään musiikki?

[North Star]

Pään musiikki?

'Päämusiikki' perhaps, or better yet, 'päänsisäinen musiikki'.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks for the corrigendum!  I've never really studied Finnish grammar, and whatever Estonian grammar I imperfectly remember cannot really serve 

[North Star]

Pään musiikki is not exactly wrong, it's just not very idiomatic - think how there's table music, not music of the tables - and music of the spheres, not spheres' music.

[Karl Henning]

Pään musiikki is not exactly wrong, it's just not very idiomatic - think how there's table music, not music of the tables - and music of the spheres, not spheres' music.

I appreciate the clarification, Karlo!

[vandermolen]

I arrived in Finland last night, usually when I am outside the city I hear Sibelius in my head. Nothing Sibelian about the hotel room in Helsinki; but later I am going east to Imatra then south on the huge lake that borders Russia; so the head music will come.

Mike

The opening of Sibelius's Symphony No.2 came into my head and that of my brother's when we arrived at my Finnish friends lake side summer cottage in 2013.

[Ghost Sonata]

The opening of Sibelius's Symphony No.2 came into my head and that of my brother's when we arrived at my Finnish friends lake side summer cottage in 2013.

That made me laugh aloud and recollect an interview for a job in North Carolina I had.  I was doing well enough, I thought, but on a tour of the countryside my prospective boss was giving me he pointed up into the mountains impressed with his own landscape.  I said, "Yes, they remind me a lot of Sibelius' Symphony #2." I had struck a chord and from that point on, I could do no wrong. 

[vandermolen]

That made me laugh aloud and recollect an interview for a job in North Carolina I had.  I was doing well enough, I thought, but on a tour of the countryside my prospective boss was giving me he pointed up into the mountains impressed with his own landscape.  I said, "Yes, they remind me a lot of Sibelius' Symphony #2." I had struck a chord and from that point on, I could do no wrong.

[Brian]

Read Sibelius: The Worst Composer in the World by Rene Leibowitz!

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Read Sibelius: The Worst Composer in the World by Rene Leibowitz!

ha, there is pretty much an entire chapter in 'The Rest is Noise' by Alex Ross which is devoted to Sibelius...Leibowitz and Virgil Thomson are both mentioned.

[Mirror Image]

Read Sibelius: The Worst Composer in the World by Rene Leibowitz!

Certainly I've got better things to do then read a musical nobody like Rene Leibowitz trash one of my favorite composers and a composer who continues to thrive in my heart and mind.

[Ghost Sonata]

Certainly I've got better things to do then read a musical nobody like Rene Leibowitz trash one of my favorite composers and a composer who continues to thrive in my heart and mind.

C'mon, Mirror, join the antibodies who are rushing to our master's open, gaping wound to heal and renew!

[Mirror Image]

C'mon, Mirror, join the antibodies who are rushing to our master's open, gaping wound to heal and renew!

[André]

Leibowitz, like Stravinsky, Boulez and other 20th century luminaries, was very trenchant and often one-sided in his musical opinions. Open-mindedness was tantamount to stupidity in many artistic circles. But he was not a nobody. Ironically, his claim to fame is surely his Beethoven symphonies integral cycle !

[bhodges]

C'mon, Mirror, join the antibodies who are rushing to our master's open, gaping wound to heal and renew!

No commentary intended on Mirror Image, Leibowitz, Sibelius, or anyone else, but this did make me laugh. 

--Bruce

[timh1]

I'm reading The Correspondence of Jean Sibelius and Rosa Newmarch, 1906-1939 Edited by Philip Ross Bullock.

My favourite quote in a letter of the 18 May 1914, Sibelius wrote "I really roared with laughter over criticism of my symphonies."

[Madiel]

I've been sucked into looking at the Sibelius Edition again, in many cases just to confirm that it's not what I want, but the "Voice and Orchestra" volume is the one that keeps holding my interest.

[asin]B000YGIHIW[/asin]

For a lot of this repertoire there isn't a lot of competition anyway, but I thought I would ask about the competition in this way:

1. How does this version of Kullervo (Vanska, Lahti SO) compare? It's one of the few works where there are many other options. I've seen some positive reviews.
2. Similarly how does this Luonnotar compare, and the orchestral songs (largely taken from an album conducted by Panula, where again I've seen a positive review).

3.  Is anyone familiar with the recordings by Paavo Jarvi of various cantatas/choral works and the opera? That really is the only remotely equivalent set of recordings, although not as comprehensive.

[vandermolen]

I was fortunate to turn on the radio this morning as I was cooking my porridge (am sure you wanted to know that) just in time to hear BBC Radio 3's 'Building a Library' on Sibelius's 'Tapiola' which is my favourite work by the composer. If you have access to the BBC Radio 3 'Record Review' website you can read the details there or download the programme in the UK I guess. They liked the Sarasate recording but here is the No.1 choice:
[asin]B00000378L[/asin]