Search - Jean Sibelius, Eduard Tubin, Paavo Jarvi :: Sibelius: Symphony No. 2, Tubin: Symphony No. 5

DAVID HURWITZ IS RIGHT---WOW!!!!!!

Tony L. Engleton CNMT | COLVILLE, WA USA | 01/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"MR. HURWITZ'S REVIEW ON ARKIV.COM GAVE THIS RECORDING HIGH PRAISE, AND DESERVEDLY SO. JARVI AND HIS CINCINNATI PLAYERS ARE MORE THAN UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF THIS DECEPTIVELY DIFFICULT SYMPHONY. THE SIBELIUS #2 DOESN'T SIMPLY "PLAY ITSELF," AS SOME WOULD THINK. THE COMPOSER WAS A MASTER AT MELODY, TRUE, BUT ALSO THE TANTILIZING TREATMENT OF PART-THEMES AND NEAR DEPARTURES. HE ALMOST BORDERS ON MINIMALISM, AND WE WOULD BECOME FRUSTRATED IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE REWARDING SUN-BREAKS AND OPEN VISTAS. OUR PATIENCE IS QUENCHED WITH MUCH BREADTH AND SCOPE. AN EXCELLENT EFFORT BY A VERY PROMISING YOUNG CONDUCTOR. I STILL, HOWEVER, PREFER THE BSO/DAVIS READING FOR SHEER ROMANTICISM AND MORE RELAXED INTERIOR PACING, BUT THIS IS A SMALL QUIBBLE. THE SOUND IS SOMETHING ELSE!! AN ORCHESTRA IN MY OWN LIVING ROOM!! WITH A PAIR OF KLH SPEAKERS (12" WOOFER/MIDRANGE--5" TWEETERS) I HEARD AN EXPERTLY BALANCED ORCHESTRA, AND THE PERFECTLY PLACED MICROPHONES GAVE ME A TRUE SENSE OF SYMPHONIC DEPTH THAT JOGGED MY MEMORY OF THOSE MANY NIGHTS IN ORCHESTRA HALL, CHICAGO. WHAT A SPLENDID JOB DONE BY ALL, AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE AN SACD CD PLAYER-----YET! RUN, DON'T WALK, TO YOUR NEAREST RECORD STORE OR WEB SITE AND BUY THIS RECORD! I'LL LEAVE MY WINDOW OPEN SO I CAN HEAR YOU SHOUT---"WOW!!!!""