Maybe there's already a Thread? If not...
I've never felt the need to go beyond Alan Gibson's traversal on Chandos. If you can find me a better 'Luonnator', I'm all ears.
FAVOURITES:
'Luonnator'- find me a better singer than Brun-Julson(?) and I'll bite
'Spring Song'- I've actually written a Pop Song based on this melody
'Andante Festivo'- who doesn't looove this one?
'The Bard'
'The Oceanides'
'Scenes historiques'
...'Cranes'...
'Rakastava'
'Swanwhite'/'King Christian'- Chandos, nice stuff
'Finlandia' - if I don't hear it too often
'4 Legends'
I'm not too big on 'Tapiola' or the 'Night Ride'... I don't know... why don't I like 'Tapoila'? It's supposed to be all this, and I'm like eh... help...
what's left?
Agreed that Finlandia is a blast, so long as it's not "on repeat."
You don't like Tapiola? Hopeless! 8)
Pohjola's Daughter (these make quite a long list, you know), En saga . . . .
Lenny's Luonnotar (with Phyllis Curtin) is lovely.
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Lenny B. is my top Pohjola's Daughter, but for Luonnotar, it's gotta be Soile Isokoski, Leif Segerstam, and the Helsinki PO. Truly a luxurious voice, and a spooky orchestra!
Alexander Gibson's Chandos discs are truly excellent, so you are NOT losing by keeping those!
Do not miss The Wood Nymph.
My favourite Luonnotar is the Dorati version which I find the most magical - it was however the only version I knew for many years. Think you mean Alexander Gibson. Tapiola is my favourite work by Sibelius. I also like those Alexander Gibson versions but also the tone poems conducted by Adrian Boult and Hans Rosbaud.
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My favorites:
EN SAGA Stein/Suisse Romande
LUONNOTAR Berglund/Bournemouth with Valjakka
NIGHT-RIDE AND SUNRISE Rattle/Philharmonia
WOOD-NYMPH Vänskä/Lahti
LEMMINKÄINEN SUITE OP.22 "FOUR LEGENDS" Franck/Swedish RSO
POHJOLA'S DAUGHTER Stein/Suisse Romande
SNÖFRID for Recitation, Chorus and Orch Vänskä/Lahti
TAPIOLA Maazel/Vienna
THE TEMPEST SUITES Sakari/Iceland
FINLANDIA with chorus Segerstam/Helsinki
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on September 02, 2014, 12:13:25 PM
My favorites:
EN SAGA Stein/Suisse Romande
LUONNOTAR Berglund/Bournemouth with Valjakka
NIGHT-RIDE AND SUNRISE Rattle/Philharmonia
WOOD-NYMPH Vänskä/Lahti
LEMMINKÄINEN SUITE OP.22 "FOUR LEGENDS" Franck/Swedish RSO
POHJOLA'S DAUGHTER Stein/Suisse Romande
SNÖFRID for Recitation, Chorus and Orch Vänskä/Lahti
TAPIOLA Maazel/Vienna
THE TEMPEST SUITES Sakari/Iceland
FINLANDIA with chorus Segerstam/Helsinki
Sarge
Nice choices Sarge. The Maazel version of Tapiola with its slower-than-usual storm section is a very powerful performance.
My favourite is Berglund's Tapiola, but with Helsinki Phil. Also Luonnotar (Isokoski), and all the rest (though Finlandia only once a year..)
Glad to see everyone loves 'Luonnator'!
I will have to try some 'Tapiola' again... 'Daughter' and 'Night Ride' are two others I'm not quite there with.
'Alexander' Gibson- check-
BUT WHAT OF THE SMALLER BITS?
Am I the only 'Spring Song'/ 'Andante Festivo' nut here? What of the smaller violin+orchestra works?
Quote from: snyprrr on September 03, 2014, 12:16:58 PM
BUT WHAT OF THE SMALLER BITS?
Am I the only 'Spring Song'/ 'Andante Festivo' nut here? What of the smaller violin+orchestra works?
I love them all. I was obsessed with
Andante Festivo four years ago.
Quote from: North Star on September 03, 2014, 12:30:10 PM
I love them all. I was obsessed with Andante Festivo four years ago.
iT DOES HAVE THAT EFFECT (aye these caps) >:D where do there come from?
I'm scared to go beyond my beloved Jarvi 'Encores!' (Chandos)- love that album! Chabrier, Glinka, Sibelius....
Quote from: snyprrr on September 03, 2014, 12:16:58 PM
Glad to see everyone loves 'Luonnator'!
I will have to try some 'Tapiola' again... 'Daughter' and 'Night Ride' are two others I'm not quite there with.
'Alexander' Gibson- check-
BUT WHAT OF THE SMALLER BITS?
Am I the only 'Spring Song'/ 'Andante Festivo' nut here? What of the smaller violin+orchestra works?
I like Andante Festivo, especially with Sibelius himself conducting.
Quote from: snyprrr on September 02, 2014, 08:29:19 AM
I've never felt the need to go beyond Alan Gibson's traversal on Chandos. If you can find me a better 'Luonnator', I'm all ears...find me a better singer than Brun-Julson(?) and I'll bite
Mean Mike and I had a tussle over Luonnotar recordings a few years ago on the old forum, IIRC. He favored Panula/Gothenburg/Häggander and I preferred Berglund/Bournemouth/Valjakka. It was a civil exchange and though neither of us changed the other's mind, I believe we both came away with somewhat greater appreciation of the work and of one another's preferences. That's the sort of thing I value on this and similar sites.
Although I have some of Gibson's Sibelius, I haven't his
Luonnotar -- but Spotify allowed a hearing under tolerable if far from ideal conditions. Bryn-Julson certainly has a lovely voice and uses it well. Hers may be the prettiest
Luonnotar I've heard.
However ... I like my creation myths a bit edgier, my lonely sea goddesses more desperate and forlorn. Valjakka really has the measure of the tale, methinks.
But it's a great piece, amenable to interpretation, and you can hardly go wrong with any recording (though I'm not much fond of Mattila's operatic soaring).
If choosing one disc to represent the tone poems I'd be sunk. There are far too many good ones to fit on one CD. Must have Mikko Franck's fabulous
En Saga and
Lemminkäinen Legends, Bernstein's
Pojohla's Daughter, Vänskä's
Oceanides, Ollilo's
Pelleas & Melisande, Rattie's
Nightride, Segerstam's
Tapiola, Sakari's
Finlandia, etc., etc. ... or I could settle for Berglund/Bournemouth's 2-disc set and listen happily ever after.
I see it's still available at Amazon, and recently remastered to boot! (17 years ago ;) )
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51llyImbZ7L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
The point is, Sibelius's tone poems are splendid; as a body of work they're unequaled in the genre. Listen hard, listen long, listen half-assed, half-crazy, or half-drunk, but listen, man, for God's sake just
listen!
I don't care much about Sibelius' symphonic sound, but these tone poems are different animals. I have been considering some Naxos discs containing this kind of "fairytale Sibelius". I liked 'Night-Ride and Sunrise' quite a lot when I heard it on radio a few years ago.
Quote from: 71 dB on September 06, 2014, 12:21:21 AM
I don't care much about Sibelius' symphonic sound, but these tone poems are different animals. I have been considering some Naxos discs containing this kind of "fairytale Sibelius". I liked 'Night-Ride and Sunrise' quite a lot when I heard it on radio a few years ago.
Yes, that's a fine work. I like the old Horst Stein recording which I had on LP in my youth.
I'm a big fan of the Neeme Jarvi DG Trio set: superb Pohjola's Daughter, though all the recordings are very fine - plus you get the lovely incidental music to King Christian II.
Quote from: akiralx on September 07, 2014, 09:51:42 PM
I'm a big fan of the Neeme Jarvi DG Trio set: superb Pohjola's Daughter, though all the recordings are very fine - plus you get the lovely incidental music to King Christian II.
Jarvi's
4 Legends CD on Bis is very good.
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Beautifully recorded, too.
Quote from: Daverz on September 08, 2014, 02:10:17 PM
Jarvi's 4 Legends CD on Bis is very good.
Beautifully recorded, too.
Don't know that one, I have a few of his BIS Sibelius symphony recordings (including the Third which was BBC Radio 3 Building a Library top choice), though I do have his later DG Four Legends - but my top choice for that work is the Helsinki RSO under Okko Kamu, last seen on a French DG Double called 'Splendeurs du Nord'.
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Quote from: karlhenning on September 02, 2014, 08:39:45 AM
Agreed that Finlandia is a blast, so long as it's not "on repeat."
You don't like Tapiola? Hopeless! 8)
Pohjola's Daughter (these make quite a long list, you know), En saga . . . .
Lenny's Luonnotar (with Phyllis Curtin) is lovely.
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I second Karl's recommendation here. This is a gorgeous disc. Bernstein is definitely one of my favorite Sibelians.
I think I'll be getting the Gibson... it has the 10 Main Works,... and then a separate 'Lemminkainen',... and the 3rd has the 'Scenes Historiques', 'Rakastava', and 'Valse lyrique'.
Otherwise, the Jarvi 3CD has "enough" of everything to keep one happy.
HOWEVER!!- the Berglund 2CD has 'Swanwhite', 'King Christian', and 'Pelleas'...
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF the Sakari/Chandos dics of the above three pieces? I used to have it, ... something to just put on and relax?
Quote from: snyprrr on September 10, 2014, 09:37:06 AM
I think I'll be getting the Gibson... it has the 10 Main Works,... and then a separate 'Lemminkainen',... and the 3rd has the 'Scenes Historiques', 'Rakastava', and 'Valse lyrique'.
Otherwise, the Jarvi 3CD has "enough" of everything to keep one happy.
HOWEVER!!- the Berglund 2CD has 'Swanwhite', 'King Christian', and 'Pelleas'...
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF the Sakari/Chandos dics of the above three pieces? I used to have it, ... something to just put on and relax?
My Sibelians of choice: Vanska, Bernstein, Berglund, and Segerstam. The end. 8)
I've played Finlandia several times, and Pohjola's Daughter once. Sibelius is always fun to play!
One of my favorites that hasn't been mentioned yet is The Bard. It may not have been recorded very often, but there's a Berglund/Bournemouth recording from the '70s that's nice.
For Lemminkainen, there is a truly amazing Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia recording from the late 1970s. Most of Ormandy's later recordings, although beautiful, are lacking in "interpretive" qualities, but this one has all the old magic and is splendidly recorded by EMI. ;D
Quote from: jochanaan on September 11, 2014, 09:32:08 AM
For Lemminkainen, there is a truly amazing Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia recording from the late 1970s. Most of Ormandy's later recordings, although beautiful, are lacking in "interpretive" qualities, but this one has all the old magic and is splendidly recorded by EMI. ;D
Listening to it now. I don't mean to damn with faint praise if I say that the Ormandy is ideal for night listening. i'd never get away with the scary deep bass of Jarvi's Bis recording this late at night.
Quote from: Daverz on September 11, 2014, 09:03:14 PM
Listening to it now. I don't mean to damn with faint praise if I say that the Ormandy is ideal for night listening. i'd never get away with the scary deep bass of Jarvi's Bis recording this late at night.
how's the singer in Jarvi?BIS?
Quote from: snyprrr on September 12, 2014, 08:21:15 AM
yes please
Assuming it's the same as in the DG box, the glorious
Soile Isokoski.
Sir Alexander Gibson/ Sibelius: The Complete Tone Poems (Chandos)
1) Are the levels a bit low here? Seems I have to turn it up, but there IS a bloom to it...
2) Sibelius reminds me of christmas...errr,,... sounds like... (nevermind)...
3) Only Vanska also programmes 'The Bard, 'The Dryad', and 'The Oceanides',... these three were Must Haves and trump many other considerations for me.
4) I like 'Spring Song' but it's about as "low" as I want to go with Sibelius. Can you NOT recommend works like the 'Champetere(?)' suites of trifles and such? The Sibelius I like seems to eschew the typical Viennese overtones, but he does have a lot of "minor minor minor" works that can't be of much interest?
What do you think of:
Scenes historiques I et II
Rakastava
I seem to recall that particular Gibson disc was a cut above?
Quote from: snyprrr on September 22, 2014, 05:52:42 PM
Sir Alexander Gibson/ Sibelius: The Complete Tone Poems (Chandos)
1) Are the levels a bit low here? Seems I have to turn it up, but there IS a bloom to it...
2) Sibelius reminds me of christmas...errr,,... sounds like... (nevermind)...
3) Only Vanska also programmes 'The Bard, 'The Dryad', and 'The Oceanides',... these three were Must Haves and trump many other considerations for me.
4) I like 'Spring Song' but it's about as "low" as I want to go with Sibelius. Can you NOT recommend works like the 'Champetere(?)' suites of trifles and such? The Sibelius I like seems to eschew the typical Viennese overtones, but he does have a lot of "minor minor minor" works that can't be of much interest?
What do you think of:
Scenes historiques I et II
Rakastava
I seem to recall that particular Gibson disc was a cut above?
Listened to 'The Bard', 'The Dryad', 'The Oceanides', and 'Luonnotar'- now thaaat's entertainment!! Sibelius-style
'Tapioca'... err.... I mean 'Tapiola'
Gibson's reading is pretty good- I was trying to picture the 'Kraken' scene from 'Clash of the Titans' but the music just wasn't taking me there. Gibson clocks in at 15:34, which I believe is pretty fast, no?
I CAN hear the 'monster music', but I just wasn't totally enthralled, which, judging by everyone's love of it, I should have been. In a way, I wonder if this music is supposed to be somewhat thematically linked with von Trier's 'Antikrist'- that whole 'wrathful nature' thing?
Finlandia
The Oceanides
The Bard
The Dryad
Luonnotar
Lemminkainen and the Maidens of Saari
The Swan of Tuonela
Lemminkainen in Tuonela
Lemminkainen's Homeward Journey
Scenes Historiques I
Scenes Historiques II
Spring Song
Rakastava
Andante Festivo
Tapiola
En Saga
Pohjola's Daughter
Night-Ride and Sunrise
Valse Lyrique
Music from 'Kuolema'
Pelleas and Melisande
King Christian
Swanwhite
I don't think anyone has mentioned Tulen synty yet? Excellent work, along with Luonnotar, Snöfrid, Kullervo and Maiden in tower it is one of Sibbe's most impressive works for human voice.
Of course, you can argue it is more of a cantata, like Snöfrid. I think they can both be considered tone poems, though.
...didn't anyone even mention Kullervo? Or don't you consider it tone poem either? Or don't you like it? To quote Karl: Hopeless! 8)
...and what about Pan and echo?
Quote from: Alberich on December 05, 2014, 08:30:08 AM
...didn't anyone even mention Kullervo? Or don't you consider it tone poem either?
Kullervo is more often considered a symphony, as far as I know.
The Sibelius Edition set of the tone poems should be sufficient enough to feed your hunger for these works, snyprrr. Enthusiastically recommended.
What's your favourite tone poem other than Tapiola. Mine would probably be the Oceanides or The Bard.
Pohjola's Daughter or Oceanides, I think. Rather fond of The Bard, En saga, Wood-nymph too.
Pohjola's daughter, no question.
Quote from: Alberich on May 31, 2015, 10:36:50 AM
Pohjola's daughter, no question.
Yes, I nearly chose this too. Which recording is your favourite?
Vassily Sinaisky gives a pretty good performance in his recording of complete symphonic poems by Sibelius. His Nightride and sunrise is also one of the best I've ever heard.
Quote from: vandermolen on May 31, 2015, 09:35:36 AM
What's your favourite tone poem other than Tapiola.
En saga...and Wood-Nymph.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on May 31, 2015, 11:10:07 AM
En saga...and Wood-Nymph.
Sarge
Yay, yet another vote for the
Skogsrået. 8)
Favorite Sibelius tone poems (in no particular order): Tapiola, The Oceanides, Night Ride and Sunrise, En Saga, and Pohjola's Daughter.
Robert Kajanus / London Symphony Orchestra 1932
Pohjola's Daughter: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence02.mp3
Tapiola: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence03.mp3
Quote from: bigshot on June 01, 2015, 08:31:39 AM
Robert Kajanus / London Symphony Orchestra 1932
Pohjola's Daughter: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence02.mp3
Tapiola: http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence03.mp3
These are great performances.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 01, 2015, 07:06:40 AM
Favorite Sibelius tone poems (in no particular order): Tapiola, The Oceanides, Night Ride and Sunrise, En Saga, and Pohjola's Daughter.
In a category for which there is no bad answer, these make a superb Gang of Five 8)
Quote from: karlhenning on June 05, 2015, 03:15:23 AM
In a category for which there is no bad answer, these make a superb Gang of Five 8)
They certainly do, Karl. 8)
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 01, 2015, 07:06:40 AM
Favorite Sibelius tone poems (in no particular order): Tapiola, The Oceanides, Night Ride and Sunrise, En Saga, and Pohjola's Daughter.
Quote from: karlhenning on June 05, 2015, 03:15:23 AM
In a category for which there is no bad answer, these make a superb Gang of Five 8)
Indeed, you can't make an inferior list of five. All the tone poems superb (including Finlandia). Still, if I had to choose five (considering Kullervo as a symphony):
Tapiola, En saga, The Wood-Nymph, Luonnotar, The Swan of Tuonela
Sarge
Sarge, what's your opinion on this Burning Philosophical Question—Is the Valse triste a short tone-poem, or is it simply a characteristic dance?
8)
Quote from: karlhenning on June 05, 2015, 06:44:27 AM
Sarge, what's your opinion on this Burning Philosophical Question—Is the Valse triste a short tone-poem, or is it simply a characteristic dance?
8)
I tend towards the latter. Too short for a tone poem? (But then Bantock's
The Sea Reivers is even shorter, so there goes my argument.) Since it was originally part of the incidental music to a play I suppose that disqualifies it from being labeled a tone poem. Whatever it is, I love it. Never tire of hearing it (unlike so many other popular, overplayed pieces).
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on June 05, 2015, 06:55:00 AM
I tend towards the latter. Too short for a tone poem? (But then Bantock's The Sea Reivers is even shorter, so there goes my argument.) Since it was originally part of the incidental music to a play I suppose that disqualifies it from being labeled a tone poem. Whatever it is, I love it. Never tire of hearing it (unlike so many other popular, overplayed pieces).
Sarge
It is a masterly gem.