Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies; Finlandia; Kullervo; etc. [Box Set]
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CD Details
Performer: Karl Magnus FredrikssonComposer: Jean Sibelius
Conductor: Colin Davis
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
Performer: Hillevi Martinpelto
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 2004-03-09
Music Label: RCA
Music reviews of Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies; Finlandia; Kullervo; etc. [Box Set]
Music Review: A Worthwhile Bargain--But One Can Do Better
Rating: 4 Stars
I generally agree with the other reviewers that Davis's second Sibelius cycle makes a fine choice for those on a limited budget who want a reliable survey of Sibelius's most important orchestral music. The LSO play well for Davis, and many listeners may like their rather lean tone better than I do. Arguably one does not need a plush sonority for music inspired by bleak nordic landscapes; but after hearing Karajan and the BPO, Ormandy's Philadelphians, or Davis's earlier cycle with the BSO, one senses that something is missing with the LSO. The brass, in particular, play with a distractingly nasal timbre--at least to my ears. Now these defects (if they are defects) may well be due to the engineers not the players; nevertheless, for listeners who crave more color in Sibelius the rather grey wash provided by the LSO under Davis doesn't quite satisfy.
That having been said, I must note that the Third, Sixth and Seventh symphonies all receive superior interpretations here (as they did in Davis's BSO Sibelius cycle), and many of the Tone Poems are quite good, even if they don't efface memories of Beecham, Boult and (much more recently) Järvi with the Gothenberg orchestra (now housed in a generous and very inexpensive "Trio" from DG). I'm ambivalent about Davis's "Kullervo" Symphony. Taken on its own, this performance is quite haunting; but when compared with the truly great interpretations of this still-underrated score (Berglund, Vänskä to name two), Davis seems a wee bit tepid. Indeed, boldness is precisely what I miss in Davis's latterday Sibelius performances: There's plenty of nuance, and much atmosphere, but little of the heroism I associate with the Finnish lore that inspired the composer.
So even though you will probably not regret purchasing this box, I would urge you to consider some alternatives, such as Davis's earlier set (a greater sense of heroism there plus the refulgent playing of the BSO), Berglund/EMI, Barbirolli/EMI (despite some untidy playing and inconsistent sonics); or, better yet, avoid a single-conductor-led symphony cycle and try one or more of the following: Ormandy in 2 & 7 (Sony); Bernstein in 5 (Sony); Karajan in 4-7 (DG or EMI); Maazel in 1, 4, 7 (Decca); Kamu in 3 (if you can find it); Sakari in 3; Koussevitsky in 2, 5, 7 (historic, from 78 rpm era, on various labels); Beecham in 6 & 7 (also historic, but more modern sonics). Mix and match these and then add on Järvi's three-CD box of Tone Poems and miscellaneous orchestral pieces, and you will have a satisfying basic Sibelius collection.
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