Customer Reviews

Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies / Tone Poems [Box Set]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This release couples Berglund's classic Bournemouth recordings of the Kullervo Symphony and a host of tone poems with his most recent cycle of the Symphonies.

The Bournemouth recordings are legendary, especially the Kullervo, which belongs in every classical music library. There is a real warmth to these readings, which charms me into letting the minor flaws in playing pass. The sound is pretty good, though slightly muddy at times (particularly in Tapiola), and the selections have been excellently remastered.

The Symphonies, recorded with the Helsinki Philharmonic in superb digital sound, are a real peak in the discography. Berglund doesn't play his Sibelius lukewarm; his readings are sharp, neo-classical and very powerful. You won't confuse these recordings with those of Colin Davis to be sure. Very comparable to Maazel's earlier readings with the Vienna Philharmonic, but with less over-dramatization. His First, Second, Third, Sixth and Seventh are as good as any, and his reading of the Fourth, while rather bleak for my taste (I like the idea of some kind of softening at the end) is a coherent vision, almost harsh in it's execution.

I really like Maazel's Pittsburgh Fifth, and Berglund's recording in no way comes close to Maazel's splendor or power as a total conception. But, Berglund's middle movement is the best I've heard by far; the obsessively repeated melody seems to weave in and out of the orchestral fabric very seductively. Berglund's knack for architecture is spot on here.

All in all a wonderful set. An easy first choice for newcomers to Sibelius and a necessary addition for confirmed fans.

Jean Sibelius is one of those composers who I feel that even on his off days he did well. While I certainly can't say I enjoy all of his music enough to buy (Sacaramouche for instance), most of his music is highly pleasureful. All of the pieces on this set, conducted by Paavo Berglund, save maybe one or two, are part of the later catagory.

This set consists of most of Sibelius's major orchestral music, with the notible exceptions of Night Ride and Subrise, the first two sections of the Lemmenkainen Suite, and the Violin Concerto. It also contains such rarities as Origin of Fire, Our Own Land, and excepts from Swan White.

Berglund, I believe, was the first to fully record a complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies. The recordings here are not from his first set (which I have not heard), but the second cycle recorded in the mid-80s. The symphonies and two canatas mentioned above are recorded in digital, while the rest is analog. It's all in very good sound, though not perfect. That they wanted to keep the D and A recodings on seperate discs is the only possible reason I can see for why they left out the Violin Concerto (there's plenty of room on disc 4).

Now of course, contents are one thing, but what really matters is performance. And suffice it to say, they for the most part shine. This has easily the finest Symphony 1 I've heard, and the finale of Symphony 5 (truly one of the greatest works of the 20th century) shines with brillance. Symphony 3 makes its mark nicely, and Symphony 2, while perhaps a bit on the fast side, is certainly up to par. The only disappointment is Symphony 7, which falls totally flat compared to Davis/BSO.

The two cantatas are wonderful rarities, but its disc 5 where the choral aspect is full played out -- Kullervo. If you've never heard this piece, it's a 75 minute long programatic symphony (to use to term losely) with many ups and downs. This was the first ever recording, and most say it hasn't been topped.

The final three discs contain shorter works. Especially noteable are the absolutely beautiful Serenade #2 for Violin and Orchestra, the hauntingly lovely Luonnotar, a very rousing version of Lemminkainen's Return, and a passionate Pelleas and Mellsande.

Of course, it's almost impossible to have this big a set without some disapointments. Beyond the aformentioned Symphony 7, there's also not overly convincing Finlandia, and a WAY too slow Karelia Intermezzo. Thankfully, the rest of the set makes up for it. It's a great deal at only about $7 a disc retail, and if you're like me, on you'll keep coming back to.

For me, this has been the year of Sibelius. Previously, I had listened to (and enjoyed) Finlandia. I also had a couple of the symphonies but hadn't listened too them but once or twice. After listening to Finlandia again, I decided to seek out more SIbelius to sample. After some searching through reviews, I settled upon this compilation of works because it offered a large variety of Sibelius and seemed to be well-received. I have been very happy with this purchase! Not only have I spent countless hours listening to each of the 8 disks in this set, the enjoyment of the music has led me to many other wonderful performances of Sibelius by other worthy conductors such as Ashkenazy and Vanska. Still, this boxed set will always be fondly remembered as the one that introduced me to the wonders of so many of these pieces.

I was immediately captured by the haunting clarinet solo that begins the first symphony. All of the symphonies, performed by the Helsinki Orchestra, are recorded in very clear digital sound -- so the solo and the pecussion accompanyment were perfectly captured. I was hooked by the first symphony, but all of the symphonies are presented clearly and with outstanding interpretations. The Helsinki Philharmonic has always had a strong affiliation with Sibelius's music, and Paavo Berglund is a renowned Sibelius conductor who has recorded three separate symphony cycles (once with the Bournemouth Symphony orchestra, the 2nd time with these recordings, and a third time with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe). The commitment felt by the conductor and orchestra comes through in these performances.

In addition to the complete symphony cycle, there are a number of other treasures. A fine version of Finlandia is accompanied by a number of truly delightful tone poems such as Tapiola, the haunting Swan of Tuonela and Lemminkainen's Return (from the Lemminkainen Suite). These tone poems were inspired by the Finnish Kalevala. Other tone poems such as the Oceanides and Spring Song were inspired by Sibelius's love of nature. All receive strong performances by Berglund conducting the Bournemouth Symphony (in analog sound that is still quite good). The violin serenades (especially no. 2) were unexpected delights. The version of Kullervo is magnificent, as is the singing in Luonnotar and Oma maa. This set is a treasure trove of Sibelius treats!

I will preface this review with one single caveat. I love Sibelius. His music is beyond that which was being produced by the average turn of the century composer; and his output was vast, varied and complex; just like the man himself.
Jean Sibelius is, perhaps, one of the most underappreciated compers of all time, but most certainly Finland's finest composer.
The fact that his works are so complex, so layered and so problematic for listeners only serves as a glaring sign of how truly wonderful his life's work has become.
Surprisingly, he remains absent from even the most audacious audiophiles' collections.
Why?
Well, he suffered from depression (perhaps understandable considering the the beautiful country of Finland which remains dark many months out of the year), obsessive compulsive disorder (which seems to be a hallmark of any truly great mind, in my ever so humble, and sympathetic opinion, as I also suffer from such -dis-orders of the mind, not that I consider myself a great mind, but I have my moments; but again, I digress), and a haunting perfectionism (noted perfectly in his statement, "It is strange that something has become of me, because I have done so much in my life quite the opposite of what should have been done"). To think that such a genius should suffer so greatly is proof that we can seek to impress ourselves but even in greatness, fail ourselves miserably
Sibelius struggled to create music that would not only inspire pride in a cold and dark country, but also to draw attention to all that is beautiful about his native land. "Finlandia" of course is his crowning achievment in this venture, followed by tone poems that focus upon characters that littered the landscape of Finland's massive historical value to the world.
"Kullervo", the "Karelia Suite", and "Svanwhite" (Swanwhite) are all a testament to a rich and varied liturgical and spoken tradition that became legend as the stories where passed from Father to Son, Mother to Daugther and so on. Such is the history of the people of the North; the Norsemen; the Vikings (one of my favorite subjects).
Perhaps most telling of Sibelius' depression and darker side is his Symphony No. 4, a dark and ominous piece that some people find too depressing and far too clouded to be appreciated. I, on the other hand, feel every note of this symphony as a teardrop falling from a genius/quasi-madman's pen. His ability to convey emotion is unmatched by many and exceeds most.
In stark contrast, his Fifth Symphony is a bright and airy piece that has a melody that can be described as magical and translucent. The move from the Fourth to the Fifth Symphony is an experience in musical bi-polarisam and it should be celebrated for conveying emotion beyond music, beyond the man, beyond his nationalistic pride; it should be celebrated as an example of how one's life can be clearly displayed in the music that is produced at any given time in a composer's life.
Sibelius often complained that no one could truly understand the darkness with which he lived; this would be best summed up by his statement about his beloved wife, Aino, who did not understand his darker side when he said of her, "This terrible depression - which Aino cannot understand and which I have inherited from my ancestors. Because I'm so thin-skinned or lacking in confidence Aino and the children will never receive proper support in life." What a heavy burden to carry for such a talented and misunderstood giant of composition.
Many people complain that his music is unapproachable. I would argue that anything worth appreciating is worth working toward. Thus, here you have a monstrous collection of Symphonies and Tone Poems that sum up the pride, madness, and genius of a composer that lived a real life; pained, paniced, manic, misunderstood and, tragically, unfulfilling (sound familiar; we've all been there, so I know you can relate).
His symphonies broke new ground in their makeup; from the six punctuated, off tempo closing bursts of his 5th Symphony, to the sheer joy of his favorite and final composition, the Seventh Symphony.

The Helskinki Philharmonic, led by conductor Paavo Berglund, perform these pieces with a respect and adoration for Sibelius' genius. The performances are near perfect, with excellent recording and beautfiul arrangement.
I won't move piece through piece (as I have already rambled for quite a while), but suffice it to say that the work presented in this collection of 8 CD's is staggering, breathtaking and well worth every dollar that I spent.
I listen to these discs often and still, after quite a while, find myself in awe of how perfect the orchestra works together to create the emotions of a man who, although struggling with interaction with people ("I haven't heard an orchestra for nearly a year. Nor have I really met a single person...Everything is greyer than grey. - My whole life has been wasted"), obviously did not struggle with the concept of music as a conduit for emotional release.

Here we stand, over 50 years after his death, and we still struggle to understand the genius of a man who was so much like a lot of us, so flawed and self-loathing, so sad and desperate for accomplishment, not recognition; perhaps Sibelius' greatest quote was made about the people that seemed to dog him wherever and whenever he blessed us with his work. When he said of music critics: "Pay no attention to what critics say. No statue has ever been put up to a critic", he acknowledged, at the least, that he saught only personal satisfaction. How true; and now Sibelius has an astounding repetroire of beautiful music that deserves the monument that was erected in his honor.

Suffice it to say that I highly recommend this box set as a must have. And furthermore, I would go so far as to say that if you have not truly listened to Sibelius (highlights would be his Symphony No. 5, The Oceanides, Finlandia, The Karelia Suite, Symphony No. 3, Symphony No. 4, Symphony No. 7 {the piece that he said he could not out-do, resulting in a permanent hiatus from composing for the last 30 years of his life}, and Serenades 1 and 2 {Op. 69a & 69b}), and by listened I mean played the pieces until they speak to you, you are missing out one of life's finest pleasures.

Buy this collection and you will provide yourself with the opportunity to open you mind and ears to an entirely new perspective on life and music; whether or not you suffer from depression, OCD or perfectionism.
Do it; I think that you will be pleasantly surprised and ultimately uplifted by the beauty and grandeur of Sibelius' work.

Truly a wonder for the classical lover that needs something more than the turn of the century impressionsists (which I love, but this is so different) and the run-of-the-mill compositions of conformists.

This box set includes Sibelius' all symphonies, with Kullervo and his almost complete tone poems. The Symphonies are performed by Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Kullervo and tone poems with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. All of them conducted by Paavo Berglund, who always a champion on performer of Sibelius.

Even so there are his incidental musics: Pelleas et Melisande, Swanwhite, Kuolema and King Christian II.
Especially Pelleas and Kuolema (which includes ever famous Valse triste) are the most beautifuls. Pelleas et Melisande is a very impressive music, and the best "Pelleas" music with Debussy's Pelleas (opera).

Kullervo is symphony-cantata for two soloists, men-chorus and orchestra, which be constitued in 5 movements, comparable in artistically with Mahler's 2nd Symphony "Resurrection". Especially the last movement "Kullervo's Death" is very effective, pathetique.

And one more a vocal work, a tone poem for soprano and orchestra: Lounnutar. This is based on Kalevala again, and Luonnotar is creator of nature in this poem. It is a very radical work, like his darkful 4th Symphony and The Bard. I think, The Bard is one of the best works of the composer, with it's harmonis, dark colours, contemplative mood. Still, this was written in tragic E-flat minor. It is based on a mythologic creature which plays an harp, like lyre in Greek mythology. And in the last minutes there is a dramatic climax and then music slowly fades out.

And there is the best Tapiola recording, I've ever heard (with Petri Sakari's version at Naxos). This is based on Kalevala, again. Tapio is the name of the forest god, according story. There are very impressive contrasts between hypnotic, a little hesitated, light colours and dramatic darkful colours. The orchestration is marvellous again. Especially, in last minutes there is a terrific storm scene and it's very spine chilling. Climaxes (which played by brass) are very powerful...

This is a very good addition to collectors of Sibelius fans and any classical music lovers. Highly recommended.

This set of Sibelius' orchestral output (missing only the Violin Concerto, the first 2 parts of the Lemminkainen Suite, and Nightride & Sunrise) is one of the great bargains out there. Berglund submits idiomatic, classical readings of these works, notable for their incisiveness and lack of over-emphasis during the crescendos. Sibelius' music is sufficiently heartfelt and emotive, and requires no additional drama/assistance from the conductor or ensemble. Listen, for example, to the finale of Symphony No. 2, which under many conductors sounds like some scmaltzy Rachmaninov piece. Here, Berglund strips away decades of interpretive goo and reveals beautiful music, unmuddied by needless lingering sentimentality, showing that the music can stand on its own without added artificial sweeteners. Compare it to the cloying interpretation of Maazel/VPO and you can see what I mean.

Berglund's efforts are aided by the strong orchestral forces of the Helsinki PO in the symphonies, and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta in the tone-poems. The Helsinki ensemble can play Sibelius in their sleep; in fact, they show up in numerous Sibelius recordings under the helm of many different conductors (Kamu, Segerstam, and others). This is for a very good reason. The brass is very solid here; which is a must for Sibelius, and one of the areas in which Colin Davis' BSO cycle falls short. And while the strings may not have the overall warmth of the VPO or LSO, they are hardly lacking in tone or volume. In many ways, I find their somewhat thinner sound quite conducive to the music of Sibelius. The Bournemouth ensemble is not quite as strong in this idiom; however the relatively minor technical problems are of little consequence when counterbalanced by Berglund's largely successful conception of how these pieces should sound, and how they should be structured.

Liner notes are very good, well-detailed and informative. The sound is excellent, in my opinion. I never struggle to hear anything, and balances are well-thought out although some of this should be credited to Berglund, who clearly has a great ear for spacing and detail.

This is a great set, and one I recommend wholeheartedly. You may find the odd one-off recording of a symphony here or there which eclipses some of the performances in this set (Segerstam has some good ones), but that's to be expected in box sets; and as a whole, this set remains unsurpassed. Jarvi's recent set on DG offers some competition, but it's not as entirely successful across the board and comes with a substantially steeper price tag. Considering the super-budget price (8 discs, and a small sum per disc), this set is a great way to become familiar with a very talented composer - indeed one of the very best - whose star waned in the second half of the 20th century for no good reason.

Paavo Berglund:

Born in Helsinki in 1929, Berglund studied the violin as a child, and played an instrument made by his grandfather. At 15, he had decided on music as his career, and in 1949 at age 20 he joined the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Finnish RSO). His presence here was unique among the instrumentalists in being accommodated for seating to account for the fact that he is left-handed.

Berglund's conducting career began in 1949, when he founded his own chamber orchestra. In 1952, Berglund co-founded the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra. In 1956, he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Finnish RSO, and served as chief conductor of the Finnish RSO from 1962 to 1972. Berglund became music director of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in 1975 and held the post for 4 seasons. Berglund attained notoriety as a conducting "dictator" due to his ruthless rehearsals and dedication to musical perfection. In the UK, Berglund led Sibelius centenary concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1965, and became their principal conductor in 1972, concluding his tenure in Bournemouth in 1979.

Berglund is particularly associated with the music of Sibelius, and has recorded the complete Sibelius symphonies three times. During the mid 1950s, Sibelius heard Berglund conduct some of the symphonies and the Suite Rakastava, and told Berglund how much he had enjoyed the performances. Berglund made the first recording of the Kullervo Symphony. Berglund's source-critical research on the Sibelius Seventh Symphony began in 1957, when he conducted the Seventh with the Helsinki Philharmonic, and noticed that they played from parts that Sibelius had corrected. He noted that the printed parts had numerous errors. His subsequent research led to the publication of a new edition of the symphony by Hansen in 1980. He has now recorded the work four times.

In 1998, Berglund spoke of his interpretative ideas on the music of Sibelius: "Sibelius's music is often ruined because it's too strictly accurate. Sibelius himself said that `instead of strict interpretation one should simply swim in the gravy.'"

A good many conductors highly regard Berglund as an authority on Sibelius, such as Sir Simon Rattle.

Berglund has also recorded many of the works of Aulis Sallinen. He has also collaborated with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in recordings of the complete symphonies of Jean Sibelius (generally considered inferior to his EMI set reviewed herewith) and Johannes Brahms.

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The Recordings:

This eight-disc set contains the best of Paavo Berglund's EMI Sibelius recordings. His symphony cycle with the Helsinki Philharmonic roundly surpasses his earlier one made in Bournemouth. These are cool, emotionally reserved performances, never lacking in tension or character (listen to his daringly deliberate tempo for the finale of the Sixth). Generally speaking, Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 come off especially well. EMI has wisely included Berglund's Bournemouth premiere recording of Kullervo, which has a rugged intensity missing from his digital Helsinki recording.

His run-through of the incidental music and tone poems are all splendid. Indeed, Oceanides, Pohjola's Daughter, and Luonnotar never have been done better, and the two cantatas Our Own Home and The Origin of Fire are included here as well. Loving the Violin Concerto as I do, it saddens me that it was not included in this set, and if I am not mistaken, disc 4 has room enough to have accommodated it. That caveat aside, this box offers the essential Sibelius and in performances and sound of uniformly high quality...Berglund is, indeed, the finest interpreter of this Great Finnish Master's works and has recorded the Symphony Cycle on three occasions--this set clearly his finest effort of the three, and considered by many to be the finest set ever set to disc. The remastering of these great recordings is truly first rate and sound as fresh and clear as they did in their LP releases.

Difficult these days to obtain as the boxed set, I heartily recommend that one make the effort of locate a copy. Used copies routinely show up here on Amazon, also on Amazon UK, Germany, France, Canada, and of course also the "big E" auction site. These recordings are truly benchmark, authoritative editions, and I urge all serious Sibelius lovers to add them to your collections...you'll never be sorry that you made the effort to do so!
They will become your favorite recordings of these works.

~operabruin
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I bought this set on these recommendation reviews but found it to similar to the Askanzi's set which are excellent . So to me they are excellent but lack distinction or personality .I'm listening to Colin Davis on Amazon and they might be what I'm after ....

with the Helsinki
3 Stars for the Bourgemouth on the poems.
But truth be told, no matter how EMPHATIC statements that his syms are not programmatic, that is fall into a logical step by step order, they are just that, very predictible.
I've given these syms 30 yrs, and lately I've lost interest.
While Schonberg, Berg, Webern, Varese were scoring creative new atonal/poloytonal works of new genius, here was Sibelius struggling with old forms, that fail to deliver anything really new. And he knew it, and bothered him to no end.
I feel there is way too much Beethoven/Bruckner(I like neither) influence in the syms for me to become a fan of the syms. I like the 1st sym "somewhat" that is I never listen to it, and small parts of the 4-7 syms. But I'm afraid I only like Sibelius pre 1905, the Kullervo, VC, tone poems. Here is where the genius of Sibelius truly lies.
The syms long ago held some interest, but lately i've moved on to Schnittke and Pettersson.
I also much prefer Vaughan Wialliams syms to all of Sibelius.
Sibelius was a genius in his element, that of representing the folk ideas of his land. His syms are like a string of ideas that lack the connective passages. IOW the whole is less than the few interesting parts.