The Snowshoed Sibelius

[Moonfish]

Sibelius:
Kung Kristian II  Op 27         /Laukka
Kuolema JS 113                    /Laukka/Tiihonnen
Svanevit JS 189                    /Tepponen/Pietiläinen

Lahti SO/Vänskä

I have started to explore some of the more peripheral music composed by Sibelius with the help of BIS' project. I am so impressed with these pieces.
At first I was a bit apprehensive, but the orchestral arrangements in Kung Christian were delightful (especially the strings). Laukka and Tiihonnen's voices were beautiful and seemingly perfectly attuned to the pieces. "Svanevit" in particular was poignant and very beautiful. This recording was engaging throughout and I cannot wait to explore this set further. Overall, this makes me very interested in the BIS SIbelius project. It appears as if much of this music has been neglected (perhaps for good reason?), but my interest and curiosity are growing after encountering these performances. The recording itself is crystal clear in warm sound. I am in awe at the moment! I feel like I just stumbled across a fragment of delicate and fragile beauty from the past.

Here is a review of the first five volumes of the BIS Sibelius project from Music Web.

from Vol 5 of the BIS Sibelius Edition
[asin] B001C58M9I[/asin]

[vandermolen]

OK, so which is the best performance of the Kullervo Symphony?

[Karl Henning]

I've only heard one, so I cannot offer;  but I am curious to hear opinions, too.

[North Star]

I've only heard one, so I cannot offer;  but I am curious to hear opinions, too.

+1. I'd imagine that Vänskä (BIS), Berglund (EMI), Segerstam (Ondine), Segerstam (Chandos), Panula (Naxos, as reviewed by Karl Henning on Amazon), Saraste (Finlandia), and Paavo Järvi (Virgin) are in the running..

[Mirror Image]

OK, so which is the best performance of the Kullervo Symphony?

A toss-up between Vanska and Segerstam (Ondine). Can't go wrong with either performance IMHO.

[Madiel]

I read somewhere just a few days ago that Kullervo is pretty well served on disc, with lots of decent versions.

[vandermolen]

 

A toss-up between Vanska and Segerstam (Ondine). Can't go wrong with either performance IMHO.

Thanks John, Karl, Orfeo and North Star for replies. Vanska and Segerstam are about the only versions that I don't have ( ). I've heard that Segerstam is very good and I do like his Four Legends and Tapiola on a fine Ondine CD. Vanska is invariably excellent - so must look out for those versions. Apart from the versions already mentioned I like the Berglund, Bournemouth version and the later Helsinki one. By the way BBC Music Magazine has a very good Sibelius related issue this month with a CD of Symphony 4 attached.

[Wanderer]

OK, so which is the best performance of the Kullervo Symphony?

I'd imagine that Vänskä (BIS), Berglund (EMI), Segerstam (Ondine), Segerstam (Chandos), Panula (Naxos, as reviewed by Karl Henning on Amazon), Saraste (Finlandia), and Paavo Järvi (Virgin) are in the running..

I have all of the above (except Panula) and several others I can't recall at the moment (I really need to start cataloguing the collection); Vänskä (BIS), Segerstam (Ondine) and Saraste (Finlandia) are my top favourites.

I like the Berglund, Bournemouth version

Another excellent one! I don't think I've heard the Berglund Helsinki PO rendition.

[vandermolen]

I have all of the above (except Panula) and several others I can't recall at the moment (I really need to start cataloguing the collection); Vänskä (BIS), Segerstam (Ondine) and Saraste (Finlandia) are my top favourites.


Another excellent one! I don't think I've heard the Berglund Helsinki PO rendition.

Many thanks Wanderer. I like the Sarastate CD with Symphony 5, Tapiola and En Saga on.

[Madiel]

I'm curious, does anyone have much experience with recordings of the songs?

I've been trying out Anne Sofie von Otter/Bengt Forsberg online, and quite liking it.

[Wanderer]

I'm curious, does anyone have much experience with recordings of the songs?

I've been trying out Anne Sofie von Otter/Bengt Forsberg online, and quite liking it.

I've always found them worthwhile. The 7th volume of the BIS Sibelius Edition is devoted to the songs (von Otter/Forsberg et al. - very good). I also quite like these:

[asin]B00FBG7NNA[/asin][asin]B000FBHSHC[/asin]


Off-topic PS: von Otter/Forsberg have also recorded some quite splendid Korngold songs/lieder for DG.

[Madiel]

I also quite like these:

[asin]B000FBHSHC[/asin]

Yes, I have read (somewhere!) some quite positive things about this one, with the orchestral arrangements as well as the couple of original orchestral songs.

I'm not inclined to the Sibelius edition, would rather get the individual discs I think. The songs box is not as bad as some of the others, but again there's this desire to record every possible arrangement and version - do I really need to hear songs labelled as "early draft copies" alongside the finished product? I'm not a musicologist.

Sorry, I know I keep commenting on it, but it just seems to me that BIS has intentionally organised the boxes, and indeed some of the individual discs that preceded them, with 'filler' that hardly anyone is likely to want to listen to.

[Sergeant Rock]

OK, so which is the best performance of the Kullervo Symphony?

The one no one has mentioned yet: Davis/LSO. Actually there are two: one studio (RCA), one live on the LSO Live label. I prefer the RCA for its massive first movement (yeah, Sibelius Brucknerized but I think it works).

But as noted already, there are few Kullervos that aren't good. Of the eleven versions I own, the only disappointing performances are P. Järvi (contrary to Davis' slow first movement, Paavo's slow last movement just doesn't work, robbing the music of a satisfying conclusion) and Rasilainen with my hometown band (let down by a poor mezzo and a reading that lacks excitement in the first movement).

Davis (RCA)                            16:18   15:58  26:01  10:27  11:53                         
Davis (LSO Live)                      14:22   14:04  23:22  10:18   9:46
Segerstam (Ondine)                 14:16   16:32  24:38    9:46  12:40 
Rasilainen                               13:59   14:43  24:52  10:01    9:15
Järvi, Paavo                             14:00   15:56  24:19    9:38  14:32
Berglund (Bournemouth)           13:55   14:02  24:55    8:52  10:00
Vänskä                                    12:57   19:23  25:38  10:13  12:32 
Berglund (Helsinki)                   12:45   14:08  25:06  10:03   9:46
Saraste                                    12:45   14:18  23:42    9:24   9:48
Salonen                                   12:43   15:02  22:55    9:38   9:53
Järvi, Neeme                            11:50   13:50  23:11   10:16   9:39


Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Sarge comes through! 

[North Star]

Vänskä                                    12:57   19:23  25:38  10:13  12:32 

Vänskä's second movement sure stands out from the crowd!

[Sergeant Rock]

Vänskä's second movement sure stands out from the crowd!

Here's what the Hurwitzer has to say about that second movement tempo:

"When Vänskä's version was released more than a decade ago, it struck me as so different from the other available performances as to be slightly disconcerting in spots, particularly the second movement ("Kullervo's Youth"), with its drastically slow tempo as compared to Berglund (and everyone else). The two sound samples below allow you to make the comparison yourself. Now that the discography for the symphony is significantly larger, and having lived with this performance for a good ten years, it strikes me that any reservations I expressed on account of Vänskä's interpretive choices were unfounded. The performance has grown in stature as its distinctive qualities have separated it from the pack. Accordingly, I have bumped up the rating to a "10" and am comfortable listing this version as a reference recording alongside Berglund's Bournemouth outing, or any of the other highly recommendable performances that have appeared over the past few years." See more at: http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-6008/?search=1#sthash.1hbIeYtl.dpuf

[North Star]

Here's what the Hurwitzer has to say about that second movement tempo:

Thanks, Sarge.

[Moonfish]

Sibelius: Piano Music Vol 2
Six Finnish Folk Songs 
Ten Bagatelles Op 34
Pensees lyriques Op 40
Kyllikki  Op 41

Håvard Gimse

I am venturing into Sibelius' piano pieces and it turns out that the experience is delightful. The general consensus seems to be that these works are forgettable, but I have to disagree. Obviously these works are very different compared to the symphonies and tone poems. They are light pieces for the solo piano, but they provide a poetic and graceful listening experience. At this point I am eager to explore additional compositions for the piano in Sibelius' soundscape.

[Moonfish]

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

[Mirror Image]

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

I'm definitely going to pick this magazine up once it becomes a 'back issue' which won't be too long from now.