Search - Sibelius, Davis, Lso :: Symphony 2 & 6

A very good sixth and a less than satisfying second

G.D. | Norway | 06/02/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Colin Davis's first cycle of Sibelius symphonies was once highly acclaimed, but this second one received far more mixed reviews. And to be honest, no one coming to these masterpieces for the first time should start with these slightly idiosyncratic accounts - go for Vänskä or even Karajan or Bernstein. The second symphony starts auspiciously, however, with a rather broad view of the first movement, more concerned with the overall structure rather than particular details, but in the end very satisfying. The other movements do not fare as well - true, Davis has a firm grasp of the form and structure, and he paces the climaxes with a sure hand, but the romantic last movement, for instance, ends up sounding hollow and uninspired. Davis plays up the classical elements of the work, but at the expense of color, atmosphere and energy, and overall the music ends up sounding like a slightly anemic shadow of itself.



The sixth fares much better overall, and here Davis deep understanding of the works pay real dividends - eloquently shaped and paced, spirited and with an appropriate, slightly other-worldly sense of urgency. Indeed, this is one of the most satisfying versions around, and as such strongly recommended. RCA's recording is spacious, but slightly unbalanced it seems (without me being able to point out exactly how when listening to it). A mixed bag, then, but the version of the sixth here is really worthwhile."