Search - Jean Sibelius, Havard Gimse :: Sibelius: PIANO MUSIC Vol. 1

Beautifully restrained Piano Pieces

M. Hartman | East Coast, Etats-Unis | 11/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am by no means a fan of Classical Piano, and I am highly suspicious of solo piano pieces especially. I am, however, quite fond of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. I heard Impromptu #5 from this cd on the radio and was astounded. The gentle beauty and restrained approach of this piece as well as Havard Gimse playing had me spellbound. Upon the piece's conclusion, the announcer informed me that this was a piece by Sibelius, I ran out immediately and picked it up. I began to question my sanity: to purchase a cd of solo piano from a post-Romantic composer? This was not at all like me. The cd is wonderful, but the Impromptu #5 remains the real gem here. Strangely, Sibelius was never terribly comfortable with or enamored of the piano. Perhaps it took a fellow sceptic in Sibelius to bring the beauty of this instrument to my ears. For Sibelius fans, this is essential listening. Gimse aproaches the works with a wonderful sense of cadence. The pieces seem to have a shimmering quality to them. This is an absolute bargain and well worth twice the price."

Wonderful music, wonderful performances

Barry Gruber | Oakton, VA United States | 11/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sibelius: Piano Music Vol. 2

Sibelius: Piano Music, Vol. 3

Sibelius: Piano Miniatures, Vol. 4

Sibelius: Piano Miniatures, Vol. 5

Sibelius: Complete Piano Music



Sibelius' piano music is often ignored or denigrated as merely 'salon' music, something he only wrote for money. Anyone who says this is simply not listening. These piano pieces are simply wonderful, and Havard Gimse has recorded almost all of Sibelius' piano output (not counting transcriptions) on 5 inexpensive disks on the Naxos label.



I'm giving five stars for the whole set, even if the music on disks 2 and 3 is not quite as interesting as on disks 1, 4, and 5. These pieces are not virtuoso pieces like the piano music of Rachmaninoff. And they don't break any new ground in exploring what the piano can do like Debussy. On the other hand, they are Sibelius for piano, and that is saying a lot. Even in some of the simpler passages, the harmony and melodic figures still sound like Sibelius.



Disk 1 contains the largest pieces, including the Sonata in F major (at 17:48), and two other pieces at about 7 minutes each. The Ten Pieces, Op. 24 is the most traditionally romantic, and some of these sound very Lisztian (especially, number 9, Romance). Even though they can be considered "early" Sibelius, the Op. 5 pieces are contemporaneous with Kullervo, and already have the mature Sibelius sound.



The performances are absolutely first rate all across the whole 5 disks. Mr. Gimse understands Sibelius, and plays with a round, pearly tone (even when playing staccato). Each piece is treated with full attention, and he never sounds bored. All the pieces breathe, and the underlying emotional qualities are all brought out. I purchased the scores for some of the pieces, and although Mr. Gimse plays every note as written, he also brings out a lot of the musical qualities that are not notated. The recording quality is first rate, for all disks.



As a comparison, Annette Servadei has also recorded the complete piano works as a single 5 disk set on the Musical Concepts label (for only $25 on Amazon). Sadly, after listening to Gimse, I cannot recommend Servadei's performances. (I give her 3 out of 5 stars.) Where Gimse sounds totally fluid and lets the musical essence emerge from the notes, Servadei often sounds mechanical and will sometimes make some very ugly sounds. (Strong words, but compare Op. 5, No. 6, and you'll see what I mean.) The 34 page booklet with the Servadei recording deserves special praise, however, and gives a very full picture of Sibelius' piano output. This booklet might even be a good enough reason to purchase the Servadei set, since it is so inexpensive.



In sum, I give these performances by Havard Gimse the highest possible recommendation for anyone who cares about Sibelius.

"

Surprisingly fine music, well played

G.D. | Norway | 11/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sibelius' music for piano has not received the best press, and it comes as a surprise to learn how much he actually wrote for the instrument. This release focuses on works from early in the career (but not "early pieces" in the sense of predating his op.1) - and I have to say that it was something of a surprise. As opposed to what is the case in his later works for the medium, these works are clearly penned by the composer of the famous contemporary orchestral works such as En Saga and the first symphonies, and although not on the level of mentioned works, far from negligible.



The impromptus date from 1893 and thus postdate Kullervo and En Saga despite their lower opus number. And I have to say that I have grown extremely fond of them, atmospheric and at times lyrical and solemn pieces clearly cut from the same cloth as Kullervo (although I grudgingly admit not on quite the same level of inspiration, maybe apart from no.4 and 5). The Sonata, written the same year, is a rather dramatic work (although one suspects that Gimse might rush it a little at times), but in the end probably bears the stamp of an apprentice rather than a master - still, it is an enjoyable piece that deserves to be heard. The ten pieces are written around the same time as well, despite having a higher opus number. They are variegated and atmospheric (and do not, as opposed to the impromptus, form a cogent set). Apart from the more famous Kyllikki in volume 2, I'd say this volume presents the most interesting music in Naxos' series of Sibelius' piano music.



This is an enticing disc, and well played by Håvard Gimse. If you do not expect to find anything quite on the level of the orchestral works from the same time, you will most likely find plenty to enjoy here. Sound quality is clear without being exceptional. Recommended."