March listening project: Sibelius Symphony no. 5

[Diapason]

Question for all: Would you consider this piece to be relatively quickly accessible or not ?

I'm still trying to find time to REALLY listen, but my first attempt says yes and no:
- Yes because it's easy and pleasant to listen to, there's plenty of variety in tone, mood and orchestration to keep the ear interested, and it's not outrageously long.
- No because a single listen didn't really give me anything to grip on to, I haven't come away humming a melody, nor have I any great conception of what's going on in the work. I enjoyed listening to it, but for my ears it was low on "hooks".

Now all of this is based on one listen to the complete symphony in several broken-up sessions (one movement at a time, basically) and I should also say that I feel this about a lot of symphonic music in early listening.

[Diapason]

Listening again here, really enjoying 2nd and 3rd movements, still can't get a good handle on the first.

[DaveF]

I'm starting to get a grip on this symphony also. I really like the later movements and I'm finding a few "hooks" on repeated playthroughs. This particular months topic has been an interesting one for me as I've always found Sibelius a bit bland in the past.

[Seán]

I'm starting to get a grip on this symphony also. I really like the later movements and I'm finding a few "hooks" on repeated playthroughs. This particular months topic has been an interesting one for me as I've always found Sibelius a bit bland in the past.

I started with his Fifth but rapidly moved on to his First and Third, they have instant appeal, I do like his Fifth though and listen to it regularly.

[ravel30]

Great to read that this thread is helping some people. Sibelius' music is not always the most melodic music and his earlier works are much better at that than his later. In fact, his tone poems are probably better at this than most of his symphonies.

Still, it is great to have an open mind and get pleasure from music than just the melodies. Otherwise, we would all be listening to music up until Dvorak :) .

Totally agree that his 1st, 2nd and 3rd symphony are much more accessible than his fifth. But for a 'modern' work, I think that it is quite accessible after a few repeats. The 2nd and 3rd movement of the 5th a probably more immediately appealing than the 1st, I give you that.

Hope everyone is enjoying the thread so far. Looking forward to hear Jared's point of view.


Matt.

[Claus]

Had an amazing listening experience this evening. It was my second listen to the entire work and all I can say is wow! It is the kind of work that starts out an inner film in my head and just keep on going. I find the first movement a bit harder to get but towards the end it really gets brilliant. I had an image of sami people in my head that was quite vivid. The second movement reminded me of Scandinavian folk music and brought images of mountains and the colours black and yellow for some reason. The final movement produced images of fantasy creatures like dragons etc. Maybe similar music has been used in films or something but again it was quite vivid.

All I can say is thank you everyone and Matt in particular! This is my first really serious listen to Sibelius and I can't wait for the rest of the Blomstedt/SFS set. This is reaffirms exactly why I believe music can do something that no other art form can!

[fergus]

People seem to be finding the first movement to be problematic so it might just be an idea to recall that this first movement was originally designed to be two movements. We therefore essentially have two "blocks" of music which will have different things to say. It might be an aid to your listening if you were to seperate these two blocks apart from each other and tackle them individually. Depending on which performance or recording that you are listening to the first part finishes around the 7:30 or 8:00 minute mark. Just an idea that might help someone.

[Jared]

Hope everyone is enjoying the thread so far. Looking forward to hear Jared's point of view.

Sorry Matt, it is on the 'to do' list... please accept my humble apologies.

[fergus]

Symphony No. 5 from this set....





This opening is beautifully paced and the final section of the first part of this first movement sounds very bleak and dark to me but that horn theme is very uplifting and the whole tone and mood changes albeit temporarily before we return to those dark hued tones; but we gradually progress to very fine, triumphant conclusion to the first movement.
The second movement is beautifully delicate and the lush stings sing out against the angry sounding brass and the nasal woodwinds.
The horn theme in the final movement is wonderfully expressive and one of the better interpretations in my opinion. The middle section of this movement sounds somewhat beautifully plaintive.

The overall performance is beautifully “smooth” if that is a correct description to use in this context. It is not a homogenised sound but yet is still very well blended and balanced. The strings sound lush yet the brass sounds rasping and the woodwinds can sound on the nasal side as I have already mentioned. Throughout the performance I think that Vanska delves deeper than most in interpreting this music. It can be quite emotional but starkly so, I think. I find that this is a gorgeous, expansive performance that gets to the heart of the work and really lets the music breath.

[Seán]

Symphony No. 5 from this set....





This opening is beautifully paced and the final section of the first part of this first movement sounds very bleak and dark to me but that horn theme is very uplifting and the whole tone and mood changes albeit temporarily before we return to those dark hued tones; but we gradually progress to very fine, triumphant conclusion to the first movement.
The second movement is beautifully delicate and the lush stings sing out against the angry sounding brass and the nasal woodwinds.
The horn theme in the final movement is wonderfully expressive and one of the better interpretations in my opinion. The middle section of this movement sounds somewhat beautifully plaintive.

The overall performance is beautifully “smooth” if that is a correct description to use in this context. It is not a homogenised sound but yet is still very well blended and balanced. The strings sound lush yet the brass sounds rasping and the woodwinds can sound on the nasal side as I have already mentioned. Throughout the performance I think that Vanska delves deeper than most in interpreting this music. It can be quite emotional but starkly so, I think. I find that this is a gorgeous, expansive performance that gets to the heart of the work and really lets the music breath.

That's an accurate description of that gorgeous performance Fergus, well done.