Search - Sibelius, Sanderling, Berlin Symphony Orchestra :: Symphonies 6 & 7

Very good, but not for newbies.

Samuel Stephens | TN, USA | 06/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are the kind of performances that give credence to the composer's remark that his music was "clear [cool] spring water." Kurt Sanderling and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra may not be the most well-known team in this music, but they're music-making stands with the best Sibelius interpreters. They've recorded the complete symphonies and tone poems for BerlinClassics, available for a reasonable price.



If this disc is any indication of that set's virtues (and I admit this is the only disc I've heard so far), then you'll that you'll want to investigate this Sanderling/BSO team more. I certainly plan to. As I said above, these are "clear water" performances: atmospheric, wispy, and langurous. The Sixth symphony benefits the most from tthis. In Sibelius' music, it's the woodwinds that carry the melody, and that fact is forefront here. The Scherzo is magical, flowing along like a cool brook. In other interpretations this symphony can be just as easily imbued with the heart-on-sleeve romanticism that is more evident in symphonies 1-5. But Sibelius' last two symphonies were his least emotional in that respect, and Sanderling undertands that. I'm able to say this because I've compared these performances to Lorin Maazel's, which are most definitely in the heart-on-sleeve tradition.



If you're a new Sibelius listener, I'd have to point you to the more mainstream performances of Herbert von Karajan, Osmo Vanska, and Lorin Maazel. But if you're a Sibelian of many years, you'll find this is a rich discovery and a great addition to your Sibelius collection."