Sibelius, Jean

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 (November 26, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003CWW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #386,327 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars just right!, March 11, 2003

By 

ole skipper (Aarhus, Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sibelius, Jean (Audio CD)

Sibelius' 5th symphony is not easy to bring off, with its huge contrasts of darkness and light, hushed mystery and blazing triumph. To my ears Yoel Levi does just about everything right and shows a fine understanding of this technically and emotionally complex music, and with superlative sound, this is the most enjoyable 5 I have yet heard. The symphony comes off extremely differently in the hands of some other conductors - compare with Karajan's famous 60s version, for example - but those who like their Sibelius dark, yet glowing, with crystalline air and granite underfoot will enjoy this disc.

The 1st symphony has never stirred me in the quite the same way, but I find it difficult to imagine a finer performance than this.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Virtuosic performance. Luscious sound quality., January 6, 2005

By 

Adam Bigham (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sibelius, Jean (Audio CD)

This disc won a Special Award -- Choc du Monde de la Musique (France). Symptomatic of the deserved-prestige gained by the Atlanta Symphony and its music director Yoel Levi (1988-2000, now Music Director Emeritus), this recording is not to be overlooked among fine recordings of these Sibelius Symphonies nos. 1 & 5.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cool Customer, January 17, 2002

By 

D. Seymour "snadmus" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sibelius, Jean (Audio CD)

True, this may not be as ardent as Levi's reading of Sibelius' 2nd Symphony, but lost cause it's not. On the 1st Symphony, Levi stands back giving the orchestra the room to ruminate over the opening movement; a tour-de-force opening. The scherzo is animated with a lightly unbalanced, wandering feel. I will fault Levi during the slower, quiet passages. His back-seat-driver technique sounds at times as if he's nodding off. He regains consciousness for the 5th, but both symphonies do suffer from a dreamy, highly romanticized rendering. The sonics, however, are top notch and the disc can be recommended based on the opening movement of the 1st Symphony alone.