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5.0 out of 5 stars
raw power, Mar 24 2003
The early music of Sibelius possesses a raw emotional power that appeals to some more than others - but with a recording as fresh, spontaneous and exciting as this, I for one surrender!The mythical landscapes of the Lemminkäinen Suite are magically evocative, with fine playing by the Icelanders - and while this is not the absolutely best Swan of Tuonela I have heard, it is still very fine. From the pale, nordic sun of the outer movements to the gloomy depths of Tuonela (land of the dead), this is a recording that totally draws you into a prehistoric world, with triumphs and horrors no less than todays'. Not quite the same care and enthusiasm seems to have been invested in the Karelia-suite and Finlandia - but perhaps it is exactly the slight carelessness of the playing that makes you hear these over-played works almost anew. With excellent sound, this is a sure winner.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Finland, interpreted in Iceland... top rate! ..., Dec 8 2002
This review refers to the Naxos CD recoding
by Petri Sakari and the Iceland Symphony
Orchestra, recorded in University Hall,
Reykjavik from 28th to 31st May and on
November, 1997.
This recording contains: Finlandia, Op. 26,
Karelia Suite, Op. 11 [Intermezzo; Ballade;
Alla marcia]; and the Lemminkainen Suite,
Op. 22 [Lemmikainen and the Maidens of Saari;
The Swan of Tuonela; Lemmikainen's Return].
On the first few listenings, I did not
particularly care for this version of "Finlandia," but it has "grown on" me...or
I have grown with it. The whole recording
now seems to me to be top notch, and at this
price, a real bargain.
"The Swan of Tuonela" has always been a
highly esteemed piece for me, since high
school. I try to get as many different
versions of the piece by different orchestras
and conductors as I can. This version is
definitely top of the line. The playing of
the "Cor Anglais" in the piece by Dao
Kalbeinsson is incredible and inspirational.
All in all, this is a recording of Sibelius
not to be passed up.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Sibelius reaches Iceland, April 22 2000
The climate of Sibelius's music is not far removed from the Icelanders. The rich, dark and brooding colors of this music appeals to most northerners. With an island that has had a consistently low population since the beginning of its history, concerts by the Iceland Symphony have always been major events. The orchestra certainly plays with powerfully devoted dedication on the present recording. Petri Sakari studied in Finland at the Sibelius Academy under the reknowned pedagogue Jorma Panula. So, an understanding of his countryman's music is only natural. In this recording, Sakari brings out certain aspects of the Leminkainen Suite that many other recordings lack. Firstly, this is the only performance on record (to my knowledge) that restores the original order of the middle two movements. This may seem trivial, however, it should be noted that Sibelius had made the change of order later in his life (opposing Sakari's present order). Hearing it in this order may make it clear for some Sibelius enthusiasts, including myself, why the critic Karl Flodin panned the work's premiere in 1896 as "pathological" and "depressing". Sibelius's judgement should probably be taken more seriously, by allowing the famous "Swan of Tuonela" to soothe the listener after the intense mood of the opening movement. But either way, Sakari's choice makes one reminiscent, and in more ways than one. His interprtations of the Suite and the Karelia Suite are highly original, intensely passionate and wholly welcome in the army of recordings of these works now available to the public.
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