Search - Jean Sibelius, Sir Charles Groves, oyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra :: Sibelius: Lemminkainen Legends, The Tempest: Suites, Tone Poems; Sir Charles Groves

Surprisingly; the best

ensign | UK | 05/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were thinking of adding Sibelius's 'Lemminkainen Legends' to your collection and were scanning the many versions currently available then you might understandably pass by a version by a British provincial orchestra under a conductor of no special reputation. This would be a great pity because this is (to my ears at least) the best version of them all. I've heard all the other available offerings and time and again have been frustrated and disappointed by indifferent performances.

Most suffer from a certain 'political correctness', trying to prettify and smooth out Sibelius's score to the point of total blandness, sounding too refined and more 'Finnoise' than Finnish, if you catch my drift. Groves's approach is bold and direct, pointing up the edgy, rustic elements which are essential to bring this ancient Finnish saga to life. Although a somewhat literal presentation of the 'once upon a time' introduction of the first section 'Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the Island' had me wondering if this was going to be a lacklustre effort, Groves and his orchestra give the rest of the movement exciting propulsive energy and the great Tristan and Isolde - like climax a grinding tension that is almost unbearable, and now, even after a week or so of last hearing it, I can't get it out of my ears! 'The Swan of Tuonela' is given I think the most appropriate interpretation I've ever heard; this is a bird with a sinister streak and Groves certainly portrays it this way. Groves completely avoids the totally misplaced usual beautification treatment and never forgets that this swan swims in Hades, not Hyde Park.

The weird 'hollow' string effects towards the latter pages of 'Lemminkainen in Tuonela' are really effective and spine-chilling and the climactic eruptions throughout are magnificently done. 'Lemminkainen's Return' is a little on the slow side and is the least satisfactory of Groves' readings here, but at least iit doesn't drag in the way that it's 7 minute timing seems to suggest and doesn't disappoint in the way that many (faster, but soggier) interpretations do. The recording (mid-1970s) quality is a bit on the cloudy side but it isn't distracting in the way that many modern crystal-clear but clinical digital recordings can be (Segerstam's otherwise very good version being a good example). The other items on these two well-filled discs are mostly some of Sibelius's less inspired compositions (some of it decidedly tacky) but listen to 'In memoriam'; I've never known it sound like something out of Mahler's 'Wunderhorn' as it does here. 'Spring Song' is given a somewhat heavy-handed treatment which doesn't really suit and Berglund, for example, on his superb Bournemouth SO collection does it far better. It's for Lemminkainen though that most people will want this, and I don't think they'll be disappointed."