The Essential Sibelius (15 CDs at a budget price)

The Essential Sibelius (15 CDs at a budget price) cover $165.00 Out of Stock
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SIBELIUS
The Essential Sibelius (15 CDs at a budget price)
Leonidas Kavakos / Anne Sofie von Otter / Monica Groop / Jorma Hynninen / Helsinki University Choir / Lahti Symphony Orch / Gothenburg Symphony Orch

[ BIS / 15 CD ]

Release Date: Wednesday 1 November 2006

This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.

"The Essential Sibelius...will provide hours of pleasure, discovery and rediscovery for not very much money. If this were your only Sibelius you would have his best music. Alongside this you will become acquainted with some pieces which although not the very best are representative and contribute to a fuller and balanced understanding of this great twentieth century composer."
(MusicWeb Bargain of the Month Jan 2007)

As part of the countdown to the 50th anniversary of the death of Sibelius, this box offers a panoramic view of a composer who is all too often thought of as 'only' a great symphonist. The Essential Sibelius attempts to rectify this view by presenting a varied selection of all the genres pursued by the Finnish master: besides the seven symphonies, the box also includes the violin concerto, tone poems and theatre music as well as songs, choral pieces, chamber works and piano music.

Pride of place naturally goes to the orchestral works, however - the first four discs consist of the cycle of symphony recordings that made critics dub Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra 'the pre-eminent Sibelius interpreters of our day' when it was first released. The same performers share the task of presenting the other orchestral works - including Finlandia, Kullervo and the theatre music to 'The Tempest', to name but three - with the Gothenburg SO conducted by Neeme Järvi, in recordings that many consider the finest available of this music.

Participating artists include international soloists such as Leonidas Kavakos, whose performance of the violin concerto won a Gramophone Award, and Anne Sofie von Otter, whose interpretations of the songs set a never-surpassed standard, as well as Jorma Hynninen and Monica Groop, heading a field consisting of some of Finland's finest musicians. Again, universally acclaimed masterpieces such as the string quartet Voces intimae are juxtaposed with less well-known gems - including the world première recording of The Watersprite, a brief 'melodrama' for mezzo-soprano, narrator and piano trio. In fact, of the more than 19 hours of music in this generous collection, a good one and a half consists of recent, previously unreleased recordings. The accompanying 132-page booklet contains an authoritative essay by Andrew Barnett, one of today's leading Sibelius experts, as well as all song texts.

Tracks:

Disc 1 [75'32]
Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op. 39 (1899, rev. 1900)
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 (1911)

Disc 2 [76'10]
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43 (1902)
Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 (1907)

Disc 3 [77'20]
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82 (1915, rev. 1919)
En saga, Op. 9 (1892, rev. 1902)
Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49 (1906)
Valse triste, Op. 44 No. 1 (1903, rev. 1904) from the music to 'Kuolema' by Arvid Järnefelt
Finlandia, Op. 26 (1899, rev. 1900)

Disc 4 [68'16]
Symphony No. 6 (in D minor), Op.104 (1923)
Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op.105 (1924)
Tapiola, Op.112 (1926)

Disc 5 [78'19]
Concerto in D minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op.47 (1903/04, rev. 1905)
(with Leonidas Kavakos violin)
Two Serious Melodies for cello and orchestra, Op. 77 (1914-15)
(with Marko Ylönen cello)
Two Serenades for violin and orchestra, Op. 69 (1912-13)
Six Humoresques for violin and orchestra (1917-18)

Disc 6 [80'46]
Kullervo, Op. 7 (1892)

Disc 7 [71'36]
The Wood-Nymph, Op. 15 (1894/95)
Lemminkäinen Suite, Op. 22 (Four Legends from the Kalevala) (1896, rev. 1900/1939)

Disc 8 [76'27]
Karelia Suite, Op.11 (1893)
Scènes historiques, Set I, Op.25 (1899, rev. 1911)
Athenarnes sång (Song of the Athenians), Op. 31 No. 3 (1899)
Tulen synty (The Origin of Fire), Op. 32 (1902, rev. 1910)
Vapautettu kuningatar (The Captive Queen), Op. 48 (1906) for mixed choir and orchestra
Rakastava for strings, timpani and triangle, Op. 14 (1894, rev. 1912)
Andante festivo, JS 34b (1922, rev. 1938) for strings and timpani

Disc 9 [80'11]
Kung Kristian II (King Christian II), Op. 27 (1898)
Suite from the incidental music to Adolf Paul's play
Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 46 (1905)
Suite from the incidental music to Maurice Mæterlinck's play
The Tempest, Op. 109 (1925, rev. 1927)
Extracts from the incidental music to William Shakespeare's play

Disc 10 [77'02]
Snöfrid for recitation, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 29 (1900)
The Bard, Op. 64 (1913)
The Oceanides, Op. 73 (1914)
Luonnotar for soprano and orchestra, Op. 70 (1913)
(with Helena Juntunen soprano)

Works for male choir a cappella
Sortunut ääni (The Broken Voice), Op. 18 No. 1 (1898)
Venematka (The Boat Journey), Op. 18 No. 3 (1893)
Sydämeni laulu (Song of my Heart), Op. 18 No. 6 (1898)

Works for mixed choir a cappella
Rakastava (The Lover), JS 160a (Op. 14) (1894)
(Soloists: Monica Groop mezzo-soprano · Sauli Tiilikainen baritone)
Isänmaalle (To the Fatherland), JS 98a (1899/1900)
Saarella palaa (Fire on the Island), Op. 18 No. 4 (1895)
Soi kiitokseksi Luojan (We Praise Thee, Our Creator), Op. 23 No. 6a (1897)
Män från slätten och havet (Men from Land and Sea), Op. 65a (1911)

Works for male choir a cappella
Till havs (At Sea), Op. 84 No. 5 (1917)
Fridolins dårskap (Fridolin's Folly), JS 84 (1917)
Jone havsfärd (Jonah's Voyage), JS 100 (1917)

Jääkärien marssi, Op. 91a (1917, orch. 1918)
(March of the Finnish Jäger Battalion) for male choir and orchestra

Finlandia-Hymni (Finlandia Hymn), Op. 26 (1899/1900, arr. 1948)

plus lots more