Search - Sibelius, Bso, Sir Colin Davis :: Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7

Sibelius From A Master Conductor

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 12/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The immense music of Jean Sibelius, while maybe a little too rich for some, has clearly always been a favorite with audiences of big bold 20th century music. Obviously, it has also been a favorite of British conductor Sir Colin Davis, who has recorded the Sibelius symphonic cycle twice, the most recent being as music director of the London Symphony Orchestra.The recordings here of Sibelius' 5th and 7th Symphonies date from Davis' first Sibelius cycle with the Boston Symphony, one of America's finest. Both orchestra and conductor were at their best in these recordings, which date from the winter of 1974-75. They are bold without being bombastic.Philips was right to re-release these two symphonies onto CD in their original LP form, with vastly improved sound. Next to the more recent recordings by Herbert Blomstedt and the San Francisco Symphony, the Davis/BSO recordings are the best available ones of these two 20th century symphonic giants."