Sibelius Festival 2015 Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82 Encore: Scene with Cranes Lahti Symphony Orchestra - Sibelius Hall, Lahti Conductor: Jukka-Pekka Saraste
This symphony IS FINLAND !! It's it's climate and seasons, it's nature, it's lakes and swans, it's winds and cloudy sky, it's birds and wild life, that's why I can see Finland without never been there in my life. And this symphony is one of the greatest classical music achievements, and it will live forever.
Wow! That is the real deal! Finnish through and through. There is a quality about Sibelius' music which is atavistic - as if coming from a primeval source. Even though one may never have heard it before, one somehow knows it from deep inside. Never fails to bring me to tears. The direction here is superb. Perfectly paced, surely channelling the composer himself. A joy to see, feel and hear. Thank you so much. 💖
Heard the 5th by Saraste yesterday in Rotterdam, with the Rotterdam Phil. Masterly, almost serene interpretation. Conducting in a very economic way. No superfluous movements, and extremely clear. Conducting more the intentional affects of the moment, rather than exhausting the orchestra with beating tempi. Can sometimes even withdraw from beating until he is needed again.
Karajan and Berliner Phil. did it also in a superb fashion but this one....my God", maybe because it sounds more "Finnish" I grant it with a higher fly, an absolute outstanding overall "crescendo" in total freedom....Thank you, thank you.
That symphony... It's so quiet, almost untouchable. Intresting if you consider most of the european romantic music. There is trurely something very Finnish in that one
+cesteres Yes very good orchestra, they have made many recordings of works by Sibelius. The sound is also helped by the great acoustics of Sibelius Hall where Artec were the consultants and they are probably the best in their field.
I love to hear the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. In a way, a pity this was not a recording with the Oslo-Filharmonien in the same year, as I was present there!
Kind of off-topic, but I'm curious : some members in the winds have a kind of head-rest device behind their head (I see the 2dn bassoon and the 2nd oboe, maybe others). Does anyone know what it is for ? It seems very flimsy for a head-rest, maybe a partial sound-isolation device for when the brass are in full throttle ?
A difficult symphony to get right. There is always that danger of finding the tempo of floundering, rather than toiling, in that finale. (IMO) -not sure JPS escaped it here. Although, if Sib meant to flounder before clambering out upon the final climax to swing that hammer, then spot on.
