I love Sibelius. All the symphonies are glorious, as are his symphonic poems like En Saga, Nightride and Sunrise, Pohjola's Daughter and Tapiola, to name but four.
I hear this whenever I am a bit out at the end of the day. There is a grandeur and a feeling of sheer uplift at the end of the first movement. One has done one's best for the day and one can rest.
To my mind, the trombone solo that serves as the peak of a long noble buildup in his 7th Symph is the pinnacle of uplift. Makes me think of the theme music that should play during some massively transformative moment in human history that raises the lowest common denominator to some sort of tipping point where unnecessary pain and suffering start to rapidly decline to a much lower average on the cosmic pain/time graph! Like a scene from a Star Trek film where the Enterprise slips the beneficial yet provincial restraints of "dry dock" (love how they use seafaring terms for space exploration) to embark on a mission of massive importance for the future of peace and prosperity in the galaxy. I can't help but think that skilled film composer Jerry Goldsmith must have "borrowed" a few ideas from Sibelius, a "friendly" form of theft that all great artists engage in (and often encourage as a means for the propagation and enlivening of their discoveries and creations--- a generous attitude that still gladly informs the sciences to some extent, which has its limits and is not friendly to blatant rip offs of such extent and deliberate theft that would harm revenues and/or the proper giving of credit where credit is due (I'm thinking of you George Lucas .. Kurosawa. Hidden Fortress. Star Wars. (in Lucas' defense he did help produce Ran, so I can forgive him a little for not crediting Kurosawa in the original Star Wars film credits))).
David Floren Any comment that can intelligently tie together Sibelius, Star Trek, George Lucas and Kurosawa is fine by me. Kudos. By the way, Lucas and other filmmakers of his generation have made little secret of their adoration of Kurosawa (also my favorite filmmaker, as Sibelius is perhaps my favorite composer), much the same way British blues rockers like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards championed their black American forebears like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf (now I’ve added to your litany of cultural references).
@@eliecanetti Thanks for the kind words. I myself am a blues fan. Not to be forgotten in Keith Richards' (and Jagger's) short list of artists that shaped their formative years is the very one and the very only ... Chuck Barry, the man who built a new kind of music with threads from the blues and other genres ... a new tapestry of sound that eventually became known as "rock and roll".
I have done a mini review of my Sibelius recordings and Vanska and Sakari are my preferences generally but I do value the Davis as something rather different. I am 77 and have decades of appreciation of my top man, Sibelius. I treasure still Barbirolli!
A shame that in the age of recordings Barbirolli is unknown to many. Not so charismatic as other conductors of his time, he still turned in performances we should cherish.
The mention of Barbirolli brought a smile to my face. A wonderful conductor in Sibelius, Mahler and Elgar, among others. His recording of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius is unmatched, in my experience, though the version conducted by Benjamin Britten (with, of course, Peter Pears) must be heard. So I agree completely about Sir John.
On weekends I love to play while walking beach awaiting for the sun to rise, it's always different and beautiful as to what part within the song will be playing when the sun begins to rise, as always, as the crack of dawn begins to show it's loving self, I watch with excitement, try it sometime ! Blessings to you all! ❤
Isn't wonderful to have such a small luxury like putting a pair of earbuds on and listening to a favorite piece of music as the sunrises over the horizon. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the day to day things, that we sometimes need to be reminded that there are small pleasures in life that can bring much joy. Thank you Kelly for that much needed reminder.
When I need a break from listening to heavy metal, I listen to classical and Sibelius is one of my favorites. Then, when I get tired of listening to classical, I go back to heavy metal.
Same here. I am in the fortunate position of being able to listen to music while I work....so there's metal like Septic Flesh, Obscura, Tool....on one side and then there's Beethoven first of all, and Sibelius, Bach, Bartok and Dvorak for favourites.
THIS - I have such a greater appreciation for both classical AND metal when I spend time with each, in their own right. There's so much they can learn from each other!
Ho ascoltato per la prima volta questa sinfonia nella primavera del 2011, in un momento delicato della mia vita di ventenne. E da allora la musica di Sibelius non ha più perduto il potere di consolarmi e di trasportarmi in una dimensione a sé, lontana dai travagli e dalle delusioni quotidiani. Ma poi... Che compositore geniale! Le prime due sinfonie, più romantiche, sono solo il preludio a un discorso sonoro che parte proprio da questa composizione per evolversi sempre più, fino a cristallizzarsi nella perfetta armonia della sesta e della settima sinfonia.
@Antonio: Ti consiglio - se non le conosci già - le incisioni di Herbert von Karajan, sia le edizioni DG sia quelle EMI. Karajan non ha mai diretto la Terza, probabilmente per una mancanza di congenialità con il materiale sonoro di questa sinfonia, ma nelle altre raggiunge vertici di virtuosismo interpretativo e di raffinatezza sonora, a mio parere, difficilmente eguagliabili e comunque imprescindibili nella storia dell'intepretazione di Jean Sibelius, la sua è una vera compenetrazione simpatetica che raramente affiora tra Autore e interprete.
i played this Symphony on headphones at Hammenlinna (birthplace of Sibelius) and Aionola home of Sibelius and Aino later in life I don't ever remember being happier . recently have heard Pekka Kussitso violin I I love Finland says Diana
I played this symphony via my i-pod and earphones on the train journey from Helsinki to Turku when I visited the Sibelius museum. A perfect preparation for a visit to a museum dedicated to Finnish musical history and achievements which includes a section dedicated to the genius who is Jean Sibelius. The symphony is simply magical and uplifting and perfectly highlights Sibelius' gift for minimalist scoring. Such a shame that it is comparatively ignored.
@@ianglasse809 I love Finland and Sibelius visited his birthplace and home Ainola enjoy your stay look up Pekka Kuisto on u tube fab finnish violinist I was at the proms a few years ago and the audience were crazy with him He is a real character Sibelius would have loved him End of this conversation Just enjoy Diana
@@DAVEDIKIAN Je passe directement à ce moment là, il me rappelle les deux années où je l'écoutais en boucle le soir avant de m'endormir en attendant de pouvoir divorcer ... que de larmes versées tandis que je me laissais bercer par la douceur de la musique !
I know im asking the wrong place but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I somehow lost my account password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me!
I love the middle three symphonies of Sibelius, more than #1, 2, 6 and 7. #3 is very pastoral, #4 is very dark and #5 is very triumphant. It is a shame that #3 is often neglected as it is a lovely piece of music with shades of Mendelssohn in the first movement. The 2nd movement might be too long but it is stil one of my favourite movements in any symphony.
1 & 4 are mostly dark and tragic, with #1 being a Norse tragedy and #4 being a Greek tragedy 3 & 6 are mostly light and pastoral 2 & 5 are mostly heroic 7 is ambiguous and cosmic If Sibelius had given his symphonies subtitles, these might be appropriate: Symphony No.1 "The Bardic" Symphony No. 2 "The Finnish" Symphony No. 3 "The Classical" Symphony No. 4 "The Tragic" Symphony No. 5 "The Heroic" Symphony No. 6 "The Pastoral" Symphony No. 7 "Symphonic Fantasy"
I have great love, admiration and respect for Sir Colin, and the BSO is always superb... but for this symphony, give me Sir John or go home. (Barbirolli)
Without Sibelius , the classical music world would have been very lonely , and I would feel that the classical music world is like the taste of stale beer Sibelius' works invigorate the human spirit , From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun . Which are you watching this from ？
@@LL-bl8hd ありがとう‼️ Arigato ！ ( Japanese thanks ) Thank-you so much to your wonderful Japanese reply ！ How is your country ？ We watch the situations of New York every day on Japanese or abc TV . Japan , especially Tokyo is cruel and hustle and bustle with the Coronavirus infection . Don't be careless Be on the alert for Coronavirus infection . Coronavirus is very dangerous Just talking or touching are infected . Someday please come to Japan of the luscious and transient spring where all Japanese people are making merry and floating under the cherry blossoms in full bloom having gorgeous Bento , delicious foods , treats and drinks while dancing , eating , singing and drinking . Japanese spring banquet under the cherry blossoms in full bloom everywhere is really 「 the Rite of Spring 」 of Stravinsky . Hang in there ！ USA where we Japanese deeply love and respect ！ Good luck ！
@@shin-i-chikozima You're welcome! The US is in a very difficult time. Many people are out of work or unable to run their businesses. We do not have a lot of trust in the national government, although some of our local governments are better. The situation in New York is very sad. It's not so bad where I live, but it's hard to hear about those who have died. Most people are being careful and staying inside. Your description of Japan in the spring is wonderful! I would love to visit someday. I hope you continue to enjoy great classical music while we wait for things to return to normal.
@@leopoldstotch7076 Thank-you so much to your wonderful reply ！ Our worries about Japan are whether daily lives can be restored to normality , and whether the world situations have improved so that the Olympics can be held next year . Someday please come to Japan of the luscious and mysterious spring where all Japanese people are making merry and floating under the cherry blossoms in full bloom having and eating gorgeous Bento ，delicious foods ， treats and drinks while dancing ， singing ， eating and drinking . In this year's spring festival was forbidden by the self - restraint of the unnecessary and non - sudden outings . However , Japanese spring festival and banquet are really 「the Rite of Spring 」of Stravinsky . Take care of yourself Good luck ！
Sibelius throws simple melodies into a mixer and sculpts them into a single beautiful coherence, The only other symphonist to get close to managing this is Brahms - but, perhaps I am controversial here, only in his third.
@@Emilytea It's the main theme actually. The "Fellowship theme" I think it's called. If you search it in RU-vid you'll find compilations of the different tracks pieces together that have the theme prominently played, although it's recurring subtlety throughout all 3 soundtracks. It's not directly lifted either, it's more an inspiration for the LOTR soundtrack rather than stolen.
This performance, to my ears, sounds lightweight (accentuating its somewhat neoclassical character), but very idiomatic and interesting. But I get more satisfaction from my favorite recording, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (on the label Ondine) conducted by Leif Segerstam.
@@fayskelley Thank you, I will watch out for that now! I picture, intermittently, a fast descending river rushing through a steep valley, animals on the other side being chased by hounds, then as the brass blares out and rises to a crescendo, that sensation of triumph, wonder and relief when the final peak of a long journey is surmounted and suddenly a vast and wondrous landscape opens up ahead, signalling you are at last within sight of home.
And most likely not even put there by the copyright owner, if the "music in this video" remark is supposed to be it. Another video where a not involved party earns money with it...
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-169Pu4L5bDc.html Suomessa on paljon köyhiä. Jatkuvasti pitenevät leipäjonot Siis omat kansalaiset elävät äärimmäisessä köyhyydessä jatkuvasti.
For me this 3rd is the clear highlight of this badly recorded and often sloppily played cycle of Sibelius symphonies by Davis/Boston SO. For the life of me I cannot understand why this cycle as a whole is so highly rated.
Well I did describe it as "the clear highlight" of the Colin Davis/BSO Sibelius recordings. Though actually the real highlight, now I come to think about it, is their version of Tapiola - even if it does sound like the orchestra are playing under a blanket. Seriously, this cycle is known for its murky recording quality (Gramophone and the Penguin Guide, among others, have grumbled at length about it) and poorly balanced orchestral sound. And check out the brass playing in their recording of the 7th. It sounds like they borrowed the Portsmouth Sinfonia's brass section.
I thought it was my old computer that was responsible for the muddy sound quality of this recording. The sound is indeed poorly balanced too. Now as for your comparison to the Portsmouth Sinfonia, that's pretty harsh, but quite funny. OMG!!!!!!
I wish the old Koussevitsky Boston Symphony Sibelius recordings were still available. He pioneered interest, though many fine performances are now available.
i was not a big listener of Sibelius's work, but i have to recognize that the musical theme of this symphony is very elegant, sweet but little bit sad. i will listen more of this composer from Finland.
His music is very romantic in his own cold way, detached from humanity and more belonging to the mystic realm of nature and the stars. You are alone but not lonely there.
Genius composing by The Master, but listen carefully to the climaxes at 8mins 54secs and 9mins 49secs and you'll hear the exact same melody as sung by Dave Davies (of The Kinks) "let's all drink to the death of a clown."
I think the boomer Brits must have had a far better education in the classics than their American counterparts. Pete Townshend of the Who said he was influenced by Henry Purcell, and it may be that a few of the melodies in "Tommy" provide some evidence to back him up.
For that, you'll probably have to buy it. prestomusic.com sells sometimes sells lossless music downloads, but I might also recommend buying a good version of this piece on SACD. If you have an SACD player, you'll be opened up to an extra layer of sound beyond what CDs can hold.
I have had the 2nd cycle of recordings of 1, 2,4, 5, and 7. by Karajan, on LPS, and later 3, 4 on CDs. They were my staple when I was young. I truly loved them. I had Kullervo Symphony by Berglund, which was excellent. Heard it live in Toronto by a Finnish Orchestra and Choir at Roy Thompson Hall (sound there is terrible even after the renovation---blame goes to architect Arthur Erickson). And have become familiar with other recordings, Davis (BSO, LSO), Vanska (Lahti), Salonen (his version of 5 is magnificent). I don't think there will ever be a perfect or best cycle. Each has their faults, certain flaws, here and there, what is good, or what is truly great about them, and they are somewhat different from each other in very different interpretations, really. And so, it is very subjective, really, and intensely personal. Not clean cut like choosing Gould and Hewitt for Bach (piano), John Eliot Gardiner (Bach Cantatas), or, Toscanini for Beethoven, etc...for example. Sibelius is so different, special, so uniquely Finnish, just like the Nature there: the lakes, the sky, forests---winters, summers, spring, fall...and like the people, there: dour, serious, wry, witty, untalkative, reticent, rustic, humourous, morose, silent, mordant, tough, courageous, brave, pure, humble, poetic, spiritual, brotherly, nationalistic.....I served in the Finnish Army in Lapland. You hear it all---the mystic, beautiful, haunting, Nature---in the tone poem, Tapiola, clean, pure, in the 6th, spiritual, sweeping 7th, and the romantic, nostalgic, En Saga, etc. You really must be a Finn like Sibelius to feel it, see it. He saw notes as colours. Impossible to interpret. So just choose what you like, and what feels right for YOU. The best? Generally: Davis, Vanska, Salonen, Barbirolli (warm, romantic, slow), Karajan (Sibelius approved of them, along with Thomas Beecham's), Berglund, so many. Pick and choose your own favourites if must have a favourite. My favourites? I still have my old Karajans. But I have heard by Andrew Davis (conductor), a very good version of 2 Symphony, with TSO. (You will never find it.) I love it. I love Robert Kajanus' version of 6th. just because it was just after Sibelius composed it (contemporary at the time). Interesting. One must not get too intellectual or abstract with Sibelius, nor too modern, inventive. I can understand why many enjoy the old recordings. They are simple, humble, purely felt, and deeply loved. Like Sibelius. I am no expert. I am just a Finn and this is my own opinion. We Finns like to think know our Sibelius. What cannot be helped is a bad recording and poor sound quality. That is another story. I hope this helps someone. Trust in yourself. You are your own best judge of what you like. Terve.
'Vinegar' is something you can download for a small one-off payment in order to be able to play RU-vid without ads. I've got it and it works fine. (And I don't work for them, honest 😊)
@@tarquinmidwinter2056 Oh, I didn't know that. I thought you were trying to equate the smell of vinegar with my attitude toward ads. LOL. Anyway, I don't mind ads at the beginning and end of music, like when concert sponsors are mentioned before and after a live performance. It's when the ads pop up while the music is playing or in between movements that bugs me, especially since I often listen when I mow the lawn (with ear muffs) and I have to stop mowing to deal with the ads.
He's definitely come more into his own by the time he wrote his third. I still hear a lot of tchaikovsky and other late 19th century composers in the 2nd. Still, I love #2.
