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Sibelius: The Symphonies [4 CD/Blu-ray Combo]

Maazel/Wiener Philharmoniker (Artist) Format: Audio CD

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

To celebrate Jean Sibelius's 150th birthday, Decca will re-issue conductor Lorin Maazel's symphony cycle with the Vienne Philharmonic which was recorded in the 1960s. Decca and Abbey Road Studios have gone back to the original tapes to make a definitive transfer and present the re-mastered recordings on 4 CDs and a High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray disc - an unprecedented opportunity to hear these legendary recordings in the best possible audio quality.

Review

Still the best all-round version of the complete Sibelius cycle --Penguin Guide

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
Language : English
Product Dimensions : 5.71 x 5.2 x 0.91 inches; 8.89 Ounces
Manufacturer : Decca
Original Release Date : 2015
Date First Available : August 26, 2015
Label : Decca
ASIN : B011WEVXZ8
Number of discs : 6

Best Sellers Rank: #137,680 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #4,243 in Symphonies (CDs & Vinyl)

Customer Reviews:
30 ratings

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5 star		74%
4 star		12%
3 star		9%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		5%

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frankebe

Penguin Guide is Right

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

Yup, "Still the best all-round version of the complete Sibelius cycle". And the sonics are phenomenal. But for me the CDs are just as good as the Blu-ray (included in this set). I did try putting in a CD and the Blu-Ray to compare; and even switching back and forth to hear the same passage immediately... I absolutely cannot hear the difference. Maybe you young-uns can.

Maazel performs Symphony No. 1 as satisfying as anyone, although I still like my recording of Barbirolli, 1957.

Symphony #2: maybe not as spectacular as George Szell or Toscanini, but excellent.

#3: as good as any, although i won't give up my Bernstein, NYP; or Rattle and his City of Birmingham S.O. recording.

#4: Maazel is one of the few who take the scherzo at the proper tempo (it is, after all, marked MOLTO vivace). AND you can actually hear the bells. (Bernstein is the ONLY one who uses tubular bells all the way through. Which means you can ACTUALLY hear ALL the pitches and rhythms AND dynamics every time they come on. I always imagine that recording when I think of this symphony.)

#5: Excellent... although I suppose Ormandy and Karajan make the most of the ending.

#6: As good as anyone.

#7: Also as good it gets. Although again I wouldn't give up the Bernstein/NYP, and his fabulous trombone player.

#8: Eight? Ha—yes, for my money there IS a Symphony no. 8, and Maazel includes it in this set. That is, the 'tone poem' TAPIOLA, which seems to me the true heir to Symphony no. 7. And it's the last major work Sibelius composed...

...Although he did write a short ... wait for it ... violin concerto! It's called, "Suite for violin and orchestra" op. 117. And it's delightful.

So there you have it. If you MUST have a single collection, I do think Maazel with the Wiener Phil is the most overall satisfying. And the Decca/London engineers seem to have been the only ones who ever figured out how to record this orchestra and give the timpani an attractive sound. I guess Deutche Grammaphone never did. (Well—maybe they did... by Karajan's final two recordings, which are with the Wiener, they seemed to have worked it out.)

Of course, there's nothing stopping you from getting this compilation... AND another one. Can you really listen to just *one* interpretation of these endlessly fascinating compositions?

8 people found this helpful

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Hal A. Lingerman

1 Blu-ray disc contains all 7 Sibelius Symphonies. Great sound! Maazel conducts with inspiration.

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

The Maazel set of Sibelius Symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic preceded his later set in Pittsburgh for Sony.
Fine interpretations, especially on No. 2, 4, 6 and 7 (my personal favorites). Maazel was able to relax to a certain
degree and he lets the orchestra play naturally without trying always to control the outcome. He seems here to have
been deeply engaged in the works, and the true Finnish beauty of nature comes forth in mystery and majesty.
Look also on youtube for Maazel's excellent, expansive "live" Sibelius Sym. 5 with a different orchestra.

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Wisconsin Illini

Worthy of Inclusion

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020

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I became familiar with these symphonies (beyond #2) via the Davis set with the BSO on vinyl and an older CD of 3 and 6 by Blomstedt. There’s enough “meat” in these pieces to afford material for any number of interpretations so that ranking them largely becomes a matter of one’s own taste. Bottom line: the performances under Maazel are enjoyable and the fidelity is quite good considering the age of the recordings. Did not disappoint.

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Mark E. Stenroos

The Upgraded Sound on BluRay Audio is a Bit of An Improvement, But Not Earth Shattering

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2015

Let me state right off the bat that I have lived with these Decca recordings for decades, and they have long been favorites. Having said that, were I forced to choose one Maazel Sibelius cycle over the other, I would opt for his digital Sony set Lorin Maazel conducts Sibelius , which features state-of-the-art sound, colorful and characterful playing from the Pittsburgh Symphony and interpretations from Maazel that are far deeper than those on this Decca set. Indeed, Maazel's Sony set easily sits in my Top Three of all recommendable sets, and is a clear Top Choice when one considers the performances, interpretations, sound quality and price point (the 24-bit mastering in that set is really good).

But I'm here to review these Decca recordings, not the Sony set.

As these Decca recordings are very well known - and as people already have their opinions - I will focus this review on the sound quality to be had on the BluRay audio disc, and on the CDs, which use the same new mastering as does the BluRay disc.

Here's my impressions of the BluRay audio compared to the 1991 3-CD box set. I did a thorough, in-depth listening comparison of IV:i in both sets, and then hopped around and did spot checks on the rest of the cycle:

First off, the 1991 set sounds pretty darn good. I was expecting to hear more tape hiss, but it's hardly there at all. I think that for most people this set will continue to foot the bill.

That said, the BluRay audio does have advantages. The easiest way for me to describe it is that were you to hear this recording blind, you'd think it was a digital recording. Instrumental colors are a bit more realistic than in the earlier set. There's no audio huskiness around the celli and violas when they crescendo. The oboe sounds less reedy than in the old set. The clarinet is less edgy. The background is absolutely quiet.

In the third movement of the Fourth, there's still a bit of congestion when the violins soar into their highest register. Compare this to the sound on Maazel's digital Sony set and you'll see what I mean.

In the 4th's finale, the glockenspiel sounds are as realistic as anything you'd hear on a digital recording. You can make a clear distinction of the string sections in the motor rhythms. Instrumental colors are very true and balances are excellent.

At first, the 1991 set seems to have more depth in the sound stage than the new set. But going back and forth between the two, said depth on the 1991 set began to sound artificial when compared to the new issue. It's possible that there's actually less manipulation on the new set. Or, perhaps advances in noise reduction technologies in the past 24 years have enabled the process to be more nuanced. The ridiculously spotlit harp glissandi in VI:iii sounds more artificial than ever in this new mastering (this is the least-successful Symphony in the cycle - it's simply too fast).

For me, there's enough of a difference to justify the purchase, but this is definitely NOT the kind of difference one hears in, say, Karajan's digital recordings that were refurbished in that " Karajan 80s" box. The differences here are much more subtle.

In the end, the biggest gain is in the instruments sounding a bit more realistic, and in the sound stage being slightly more open. That, and the packaging is really, really gorgeous.

Recommended, especially for those who don't mind splitting hairs when it comes to differences in the overall sound of a recording. For others, I'd say to get Maazel's Sony version (for around $15), or if you want the Decca cycle, the 1991 issue at budget price is probably just fine.

29 people found this helpful

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I. Giles

This audio-only BD set marks a clear sonic improvement which deepens an interpretive appreciation of these readings.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is an obviously attractive collection a much-respected series dating from 1963 (1 & Karelia), 1964 (2), 1966 (5 & 7) and 1968 (all the rest). Among these are universally agreed outstanding and likely leading choices for collectors of symphonies 1, 4 and 7 plus Tapiola even when considered within a hotly contested current field of options.

The question likely to be paramount importance to collectors therefore will centre on whether the new audio only BD, remastered in 2015 from the original analogue masters at 24/96, really makes an audio advance sufficient to justify further investment. For this collector the answer is a clear affirmative and has brought new and enhanced respect for those recordings within the set which seemed less satisfactory.

The audio gains are really very striking with a far greater sense of immediacy, clarity and consequent listener involvement. This is apparent with the earliest recording of the first symphony revealing clarity but perhaps lacking a little in compensating weight but a fine performance of grip throughout. That slight caveat certainly does not apply to symphonies 3-7 and Tapiola where the mid to late 1960’s sound entered an altogether exalted level of fidelity and range for which Decca was justly and internationally renowned.

Musically the symphonies 4 and 7 and Tapiola, previously singled out for a 24/96 ‘Legends’ CD issue, easily remain at the top of recommendations and the new format is a further advance on that presentation. More significantly symphonies 3, 5 and 6 have far greater impact than previously and are now stronger contenders for collectors than before.

Maazel’s tendency for climatic rapid tempi in these three symphonies is at clear variance with the steadier and more powerful views of 4 and 7 especially. However the previous sense of haste towards climatic points is now replaced with a compensating sense of dramatic urgency and a more satisfying interpretive direction is made apparent. As the recordings are obviously from the same sessions these differences of effect can only be the result of this 2015 remastering allied to the new audio-only BD format.

In conclusion, this audio-only BD set marks a clear sonic improvement which deepens an interpretive appreciation of these readings. This set is a strong contender for collectors therefore.

4 people found this helpful

Green Man

A very fine cycle

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

About my fifth set of the complete symphonies - and very enjoyable these are. I especially enjoyed the 4th and 6th, my favourites in the cycle. Maazel doesn't hang around and there is a pleasing freshness and lightness to much of this cycle, without any trivialising of these glorious works.

One person found this helpful

Gordon Lilley

Sound brand-new

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

Wonderful to have these classic 60s recordings in high-res sound. They sound new-minted

One person found this helpful

I. Judge

Superb

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

Superb transfers of favourite recordings. Tchaikovsky next please!

One person found this helpful

Lorenzo965

Meraviglioso

Reviewed in Italy on December 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

Che dire, un'ottima operazione commerciale,
una meravigliosa rimasterizzazione apprezzata già con l'ascolto del CD
Meraviglioso con il BluRay
Spero che non sia un caso sporadico ma una normale usanza di pubblicazione soprattutto dell'enorme catalogo Universal
Non conoscevo il compositore che ho apprezzato immediatamente soprattutto per l'eccezionale direttore d'orchestra che ha eseguito nella completezza il ciclo sinfonico...
Stiamo parlando degli anni sessanta, forse un periodo d'oro per le incisioni DECCA
Grazie ad Amazon per la celerità di spedizione.

One person found this helpful

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