Search - Karl Magnus Fredriksson, Jean Sibelius, Colin Davis :: Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies; Finlandia; Kullervo; etc. [Box Set]

A Worthwhile Bargain--But One Can Do Better

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 11/28/2007

(4 out of 5 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."

Simply great Sibelius

m.vuriling | USA | 05/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At less than 20GBP, this set offers a most excellent initiation to the world of Johan Sibelius s'masterly work. A nice collection, that includes the symphonies (1--7) with important compositions such as the ever fascinating Kulervo and myriads of "TonePoems". The L.S.O play together with dedication, the sound and direction by sir Colin Davis increase the impression of greatness in the music. I was a little skeptical of the new Davis Kulervo "live", of which I prefer this one on rca, but been of course amazed by the L.S.O.Live powerful versions of symphonies 3 & 7. Otherwise, I generally love this uniformly excellent set, even more so than the earlier cycle in Boston of which I still like, above all, symphonies 5&6. Here, with this rca set, the "highlights" are to be found in symphonies 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, as well as in a bracing and quite dramatic Kulervo. Among the poems, En Saga and Pohjola really shine along with a wonderful Suite Karelia. Of course everything is not perfection, but who will pretend to be anyway? I recommend highly this important box set, even more than the competitive 5CD Naxos however very good it is. Davis is a master Sibelian, no doubt about that. Kind regards. m.vuriling"

A Generally Flaccid Performance

Cory Schillaci | Berkeley, CA USA | 04/18/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"These were the first recordings I heard of much of Sibelius' music, and they left me with the idea that it was boring and emotionally shallow music. Here, Davis has produced 7 discs of an orchestra sounding like they are bored with repertoire. It took me over a year to hear how incredible most of this work truly is. These recordings are simply a disservice to the music! Listen to it right, get exciting and emotionally invested recordings of this music (Suggestions: Segerstam with the Helsinki PO, Szell with the Concertgebouw for Symphony No. 2)."