Customer Reviews

Sibelius: Finlandia / Tone Poems

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow.

Despite a very low price, this is nothing short of a world-class compilation of Sibelius's tone poems.

I guess it shouldn't come as too much of a shock that this disc is the real McCoy; after all, we're dealing with the Philharmonia Orchestra under the seasoned baton of Finland's Paavo Berglund. And the sound...wow again. These are some of the most warm, crystal-clear sonics I think I've ever heard on a Sibelius recording. How can the price be so low for all this good stuff?

While everything here is stupendous, the two pieces that really stand out are THE OCEANIDES and TAPIOLA. In fact, they have become, I think, my favorite recordings of those pieces (and I am a devoted Sibelian).

I have never heard THE OCEANIDES played with such power. And then there's TAPIOLA. Never better has the mystery and terror of Sibelius's northern forests ever been commited to a recording. The orchestral detail is astounding and the crescendos pack a primaeval wallop. It's simply perfect.

At this price, or at any price, this is a Sibelius recording to treasure.

its the last thing to consider in buying music, really but look at how much sellers want for this CD. Then consider the conductor Paavo Berglund, a man with an ear for detail. His almost consistently perfect sense of timing and balance bring you the best tapiola I've heard, compared with Karajan, Davis, Jaarvi, Beecham, et al. phantasmagorical. crank your bass up for the swan (track 2), you'll find the neighborhood flora leaning towards the house in a reverie of past-life deja vu. Its full-on romanticism, no worries about period shmeriod, proper this or that.just SOUND. If passion and tumult are the hallmarks of these craggy pieces, we are incredibly well served by the Philharmonia (mostly here) upon pressing play. modern life has its quirks.

A marvelously performed and warmly recorded compilation of favorite Sibelius tone poems from one of the late 20th Century's foremost conductors of Sibelius...and it's dirt cheap! I can no more adequately describe the Romantic "chilly warmth" of this dramatic music than I could live above the Arctic Circle; there's no other music quite like it. It took me until I lived over twenty years in Northern Michigan to warm up to it, then its appeal became obvious -- go figure.

This is probaly the first real introduction to classical music I've had outside the usual Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Bach. I've fallen in love with the drama that plays through the tracks on this album. The music moves through countless moods. Definately worth your time!

Sibelius is the best classical music. Even those who don't normally
like classical music must admit this is great. I would say it sounds
somber and intriguing or something like that. Anyway it has a lot of class. You should add it to your music collection.

Sibelius: Finlandia/Tone Poems - No Finn in America should be without this. Thanks to Amazon and the seller, it brought me back 50 years ago when I was a child with Mom. The old record she played until it wore out.

This is a dramatic and beautiful CD by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. I ordered it because I had recently attended a concert called "Nordic Landscapes" by the Minnesota Orchestra, which was outstanding. The stories being told in the music were enhanced by having the concert program, informing what the composer was telling in his music. Having that background made this CD much more enjoyable.

I'm glad to have found this CD for an elderly friend of mine. She listens to it often and the sound is crystal clear for her. Amazon's delivery and selection can not be beat!

I purchased this disc knowing the lead track Finlandia well, but also interested in his other symphonic poems. True, of course the cover art is reasonably nice and appropriate, however, upon repeated hearings, I have thought the recording of Finlandia poor: the sound, at times, is "tubby" or boxed in; and this is very disappointing because it is the most important track on the CD. The other pieces, with the exception of #4, Valse Triste, I found fortunately not to suffer from this. I see in the notes, that 2 orchestras were used in this compilation...

But an additional problem is that I thought the selections themselves could have been better; there are some relatively advanced tracks here, not so much suited for the individual interested in just trying out, if you would, Sibelius' music. And though I found Tapiola, the final track, very intriguing; none, besides Finlandia, would I recommend for the Sibelius beginner. This is difficult music! In conclusion, then, the selections, and the recording, could have been better. Therefore, an indifferent CD really, at best... I would recommend trying the 'Finnish national anthem' (Finlandia) on a mixed program with works from other composer's, seeing that this was so distinctive a composition among Sibelius's usually genteel, and subtle, work.

Love the CD! Delivery was smooth and price was fair. I would buy from this seller again and plan on purchasing more CDs like this one.