Tír Na HiFi

This is the version I'll be using;



The Complete Symphonies of Sibelius
Album Year: 1991
Album Artist: Scottish National Orchestra, recorded at Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow (1990)
Conductor: Alexander Gibson
Composer: Jean Sibelius
Label: Chandos CHAN 6559


So we'll see how it goes....


Fran

I will be very interested to see what impact this music makes on a relative newcomer Fran.

This is a very impressive reading of this great work.

As I mentioned previously, my history with this piece began with HvK's Berliner Philharmoniker recording on DG.



I think I began my Sibelius odyssey with the 1st symphony, Karelia Suite and Finlandia - the Mariss Jansons recordings. Sibelius, to me at the time, sounded so much different to Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner and the other Germanic composers I started to enjoy as a new CM convert. It was an instant attraction....

When I intuitively know I like something (as much as I was sure I liked Sibelius) then I will ration the good stuff - not hurry into listening to it all at once but gradually absord each piece as an individual entity. I did this with Sibelius. So, after a slight hiccup with the initially diappointing 4th symphony (what a fool I was then!) I took out the 5th symphony...

I doubt it all gelled with me straight away, but I remember the first section as being enjoyable. But when the 'swan call' motif hit me then I fell in love with it. I guess sometimes a melody or texture in a piece of music just appeals to you straight away sometimes - this was the case for me here. I don't think I wanted to piece to end, and when it did, building towards the awesome climax, I had to listen to it again and again...

Listening to the Inkinen recording just now I am impressed also at the way the first section builds up momentum into a wonderfully exultant outburst in the brass. Some people have made a point of mentioning the wind section as being central to the symphony - I agree, the strings seems to exist in a predominantly supportive role throughout, rarely 'carrying the tune' for any length of time.

Finally, I have been fortunate enough to hear this symphony performed twice live in concert. The symphony really comes into it's own in these situations - the dynamics are so spellbinding that having the orchestra there with you gives it an extra push. Both times I have left the concert in markedly better spirits that when I came in. If an orchestra within distance plays this symphony I would urge you all to make the extra effort to attend...

bombasticDarren wrote:

This is a very impressive reading of this great work.

Nice post Darren.

I would be interested in your thoughts on the compsrison between this version and the Sakari one.

fergus wrote:

bombasticDarren wrote:

This is a very impressive reading of this great work.

Nice post Darren.

I would be interested in your thoughts on the compsrison between this version and the Sakari one.

I'm not sure I felt the Sakari 5th was as strong as the rest of his cycle. The Inkinen version is much bolder, both in interpretation and sonics. I played it twice back-to-back tonight and felt it dealt with the dynamics especially well. I am beginning to consider the NZSO as an orchestra to look out for....

bombasticDarren wrote:

This is a very impressive reading of this great work.

As I mentioned previously, my history with this piece began with HvK's Berliner Philharmoniker recording on DG.



I think I began my Sibelius odyssey with the 1st symphony, Karelia Suite and Finlandia - the Mariss Jansons recordings. Sibelius, to me at the time, sounded so much different to Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner and the other Germanic composers I started to enjoy as a new CM convert. It was an instant attraction....

When I intuitively know I like something (as much as I was sure I liked Sibelius) then I will ration the good stuff - not hurry into listening to it all at once but gradually absord each piece as an individual entity. I did this with Sibelius. So, after a slight hiccup with the initially diappointing 4th symphony (what a fool I was then!) I took out the 5th symphony...

I doubt it all gelled with me straight away, but I remember the first section as being enjoyable. But when the 'swan call' motif hit me then I fell in love with it. I guess sometimes a melody or texture in a piece of music just appeals to you straight away sometimes - this was the case for me here. I don't think I wanted to piece to end, and when it did, building towards the awesome climax, I had to listen to it again and again...

Listening to the Inkinen recording just now I am impressed also at the way the first section builds up momentum into a wonderfully exultant outburst in the brass. Some people have made a point of mentioning the wind section as being central to the symphony - I agree, the strings seems to exist in a predominantly supportive role throughout, rarely 'carrying the tune' for any length of time.

Finally, I have been fortunate enough to hear this symphony performed twice live in concert. The symphony really comes into it's own in these situations - the dynamics are so spellbinding that having the orchestra there with you gives it an extra push. Both times I have left the concert in markedly better spirits that when I came in. If an orchestra within distance plays this symphony I would urge you all to make the extra effort to attend...

Wow Darren ! That was quite an interesting post. I totally know what you are talking about as I pretty much experienced the same thing. I agree with you that the Sakari version of the 5th is not the forte of that cycle (which I really like). The 1st, 3rd and 6th are the strong pieces in that cycle (in my opinion). I am now very curious about the Inkinen version and shall give it a listen soon. Never heard the 5th live but the 1st once and I agree that this music is awesome when listened to live.

Matt.

I have continued to read this book on Sibelius' fifth.



I find the book to be too technical and I am afraid that I may not use it as much as I was planning. Some of the things that I read in there caught my attention though.

- Sibelius was disappointed by the reception of his 4th symphony as it was for him one of his best attempt as a modernist.
- He felt more and more out of date while visiting the big central europe musical centres like Paris, Berlin, Vienna and London.
- Composers like Schoenberg, Debussy and so on were getting the attention more than his pieces by that time.
- Sibelius took 11 months in 1912 (or 1913) to seriously think about how he should continue with respect to his compositions.
- Sibelius came to the conclusion that he should stop trying to be a 'modernist' and more think about his own personal music.

- From 1914 to 1919, Sibelius was isolated at his residence in the country at Ainola. Isolated in the sense with not much contact with the exterior musical world.
- It is said that he has been greatly inspired by nature around his residence in the country (for example, the swans)

And here is something that completely blow my mind:

- It is said that it is between that period of time (1914-1919) in isolation that Sibelius came out (or invented) several themes, All the themes from his last few works (5th, 6th, 7th symphonies, Tapiola) came from that period of time (even if it took him 12 years total to compose all these works).

- His 5th Symphony is the first important work of his post 4th symphony where he employed his new ideas and goals.

- Some musicologist even suggested not to listen to anything by Sibelius after his 4th symphony as they consider his last creative period as uninteresting. That last comment got to me a lot because I am a big fan of that period of composition by Sibelius.


And that is about all I will remember from that book.

Matt.

I don't think you can fault the manner in which Davis ratchets up the tension into the climaxes in this recording. Pure drama every time (especially in the finale of the first movement).

Davis's BSO cycle was my first complete collection of Sibelius' symphonies; I prefer it to the RCA LSO set and have yet to sample the LSO Live recordings (I surely must!).

Is Davis a truly great Sibelian?

This post is directed at some of the newcomers to Classical Music who initially just might not be able to get a handle on Symphony No. 5 by Sibelius and who just might not find it too accessible at first. I have chosen two contrasting versions below to start my Sibelius 5 odyssey. They both have a different “feel” to them and one gets a different impression from each version. This is why nerds actually buy different versions; to see what particular interpretation the various conductors bring to the same piece of music and, in the end, which one you personally prefer. As this is a completely different era of music from that of Vivaldi you will experience it in a different way. I would suggest that you listen to it at least twice before you actually form an opinion and then try to see how the music “feels” to you emotionally as well as sonically. What impressions are you coming away with and what in particular is giving you that impression? What do you like/dislike in it?

I look forward to some of the comments from this group in particular.

The opening bars of music are a delight for me. I like the way that Sibelius flitters around with various motifs played on the wind instruments as this movement opens and there is a very nice sense of tension built up in the strings in the early stages. This ultimately leads to the restatement of the opening motif in full glory. In the second half of the first movement the motifs continue to wander and dance around; nothing is really developed in full but gradually everything builds up to a nice conclusion.
Interesting harmonies and pizzicato (plucking of strings instead of bowing) open the second movement. This movement is a set of variations which are based on the opening theme. The strings have a much greater presence in this movement compared with the first movement. The string section of the Philharmonia Orchestra plays beautifully. In contrast, the brass motif towards the end of the second movement is very menacing. The movement ends with more beautiful, lush playing on the strings and fades out with the woodwinds.
The tempo is significantly increased in the first half of the final movement and we then get the beautiful horn theme. The “moto perpetuoso” opening returns and it is developed further; it is also interspersed in various places with the horn theme as a counter melody in various places which is quite clever! The horn theme comes to the fore again and as it is developed it grows in intensity with beautiful strings in the background. It all culminates with those wonderful blows at the conclusion of the movement which must be one of the most wonderful endings to a work and it is a particular favourite of mine.

This particular recording is very well recorded and has great presence. It is recorded in a warm acoustic which is not usually to my taste with the music of Sibelius but this performance is so very bold, positive and assertive and that I really like!