Jean Sibelius: Tone Poems & Incidental Music

Jean Sibelius (Composer), Yoel Levi (Conductor), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Yoel Levi
• Composer: Jean Sibelius
• Audio CD (February 23, 1993)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003CYW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,888 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric and well worth an hour of your time., March 31, 2002

By 

D. Seymour "snadmus" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jean Sibelius: Tone Poems & Incidental Music (Audio CD)

Yoel Levi and the Atlanta Symphony capture five of Sibelius' finest tone poems on this disc. The Karelia Suite is deeply brooding, refined and tunefully beautiful. En Saga has an incessant and turbulent drive to it topped with almost Spanish flourishes (rather like the Russian military does the fandango). It is a great piece. Pohjola's Daughter is as appropriately dissonant as The Swan of Tuonela is touching. Levi's Finlandia is a spectacular fireworks display. What else can you say about Finlandia except that it is a masterful tour de force and I wish it was longer than just 8 minutes. As always, Telarc's sound is crisp and spacious. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra acheives the perfect Arctic chill-in-the-air atmosphere necessary. I cannot help but be moved by the music of Sibelius. This recording is one of my favorites.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular Telarc sound and moving instrumental masterpieces, May 14, 2002

By 

jean couture (Quebec city - Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jean Sibelius: Tone Poems & Incidental Music (Audio CD)

Sibelius: Tone Poems & Incidental Music, Telarc CD-80320, Atlanta S.O./Levi (1993).

When i first heard this cd, i was immediately impressed by the majestic sound and hearty interpretation these beloved classical pieces have received ; only God knows why Levi and the Atlanta Symphony were not looked upon with more attention. I agree with the other reviewer that this orchestra achieves "the perfect Arctic chill-in-the-air atmosphere necessary." Undeniably, this album sounds great and does not "Americanize" the Finnish sonorities of such marvelous music. The exception here, perhaps, is 'Finlandia', a startling orchestral extravaganza--and a well-known piece--which needs fierce energy. Here it receives an urgent, muscular treatment which certainly produces lots of sparks ; however, i still prefer Fennell's powerhouse recording for Mercury--by and large, the finest American interpretation of the work.

I come to disagree with Tom Godell's commentary [...] that the Levi/Telarc renderings are "bloodless performances [ . . . ] without any feeling" : I think Levi's technique is, on the contrary, quite sensible and astute in regards to those compositions from Sibelius. The music--in particular on 'Karelia', 'Swan of Tuonela' and 'En Saga'--has that appropriate coldness, and without sacrificing drive it maintains a right "fringe" on the penetrating Nordic silence that resounds in the distance. In a recording of, say, 'Karelia Suite', if you can't feel the sense of space or if you simply lose track of the requisite effects, then the final result will hardly sound like Finland or Sibelius. Levi and the Atlanta S.O. got it right definitely, from start to "Finnish"...

The Atlanta performers and Yoel Levi brought out a hell of a good record, packaged with some fine Telarc sound. No wonder Stereophile® have included this cd in their ''1994 Records To Die For''. According to reviewer Lewis Lipnick, the recording has "a breath of fresh air. [. . .] The dark, brooding colors and dramatic, dynamic contrasts he injects into Sibelius's rich orchestration are nothing short of breathtaking. [. . .] A recording not to be missed". *****

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational Sibelius, March 29, 2008

By 

Gary D. Warner "Symphoniac" (Saginaw, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jean Sibelius: Tone Poems & Incidental Music (Audio CD)

I heartily concur with the Seymour, Couture and Lipnick reviews of this recording. Ironically, the magic of Sibelius is how he fills that "chill-in-the-air" with his own brand of uniquely fresh originality, warmth and loveliness. How deftly and seamlessly his compositions move from stimulating serenity, to formidable mystery, to shimmering triumph.

Telarc's technology captures Maestro Levi's inspired conducting sumptuously. This is Sibelius done proud! The Karelia Suite's Intermezzo is particularly outstanding. Appropriately, Levi demonstrates he's in no hurry to get through it as he subtly accents the offbeat, thus creating a slightly more jaunty rhythmic feel that makes this music pop; a most refreshing contrast to other seemingly rushed renditions, yet with a delightfully judicious sense of forward sweep.

Moreover, each track delivers exceptional power with trenchant execution, ideal tempos and vividly dynamic color. Music critic, Victor Carr, succinctly assesses this disc as, "...magnificent...an amazingly authentic Sibelius sound." Atlanta's virtuosic brass section, I must say, is stunning: a tightly disciplined crew, sporting a prowess of superbly honed muscle; consistently proving itself a puissant yet balanced asset to the transcendent sound of this premier orchestra.

These then remain my favorite versions of Sibelius' tone poems. Finlandia here is the most potent rendition I have yet heard, beginning with the opening bars conveyed with exceptionally portentous threat by the brass. The wonder of Sibelius' best known work is its brevity. Certainly, its majesty merited development into a full symphony. But alas, may I submit that its efficient perfection as a musical speech, if you will, is comparable to Lincoln's Gettysburg address as the ideal verbal speech. Indeed, Sibelius grabs our hearts and leaves us hungry for more!