# Sibelius symphony cycles... What are your favorites?



## Itullian

What are your favorite Sibelius symphony cycles?
:tiphat:


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## chill782002

Ehrling / Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

Maazel / Wiener Philharmoniker

Barbirolli / Halle Orchestra

Rozhdestvensky / Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra

Berglund / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra


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## D Smith

As far as complete sets Berglund/Bournemouth would be at the top, followed by Davis/Boston. I also like Baribirolli for his quirkiness. Maazel is worth hearing for his clarity. I like Segerstam but haven't heard all 7 of his recordings. I tend to listen to incomplete sets more than any of these by Bernstein, Karajan and others. I do not care for Vanska which puts me in the minority, but I find him uninvolving.


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## MrMeatScience

When I'm in the mood for some Sibelius symphonies, I typically turn to Davis/Boston or Vanska/Minnesota.


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## haydnguy

This is the full set that I have. It's been awhile since I've listened to it.


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## Itullian

^^^That's a great set. I have that one


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## Itullian

I have the Vanska with the Lahti Orch and love it,
and the Barbirolli which I also love.
And the Berglund Helsinki, great DDD sound.

Other recommendations?


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## Merl

Depends what mood I'm in but often it's Berglund Helsinki. My current set in the car is Davis LSO live.


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## joen_cph

Of cycles excluding Kullervo I own

- Rozhdestvensky LP
- Ashkenazy/decca LP
- Bernstein/NYPO LP
- Davis/Boston LP
- DG early cycle Kamu/Karajan CD/LP
- Vänskä/Lahti CD

I skipped Abravanel and Maazel, both on CD.

Rozhdestvensky has some interesting ideas. I believe the Melodiya LPs have a bigger sound than the CDs, such as in the impressive 1st Symphony. The DG early cycle is a classic, with a good 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th in particular, IMO.

BTW, Per Nørgård once bought the Maazel LP set in a record shop where I worked, telling me that the old set of those records had now been worn up by frequent listening.


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## flamencosketches

Berglund/Bournemouth!

I have heard great things about Vänskä/Lahti but have not heard it. I've heard some of his later cycle with the Minnesota Orchestra and it's a little sterile for my tastes.


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## joen_cph

Worth listening to Vänskä before any buying it. Can be somewhat disappointing, to my ears.


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## Manxfeeder

I have a lot of Sibelius cycles and pieces of cycles, but so far, Berglund/Bournemouth is at the top of the heap.


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## CnC Bartok

I too prefer Bournemouth over Helsinki!

I think I have about 15-20 complete cycles, impossible to choose a favourite, but I'd put all of Berglund's, including his oft-slated chamber set, Collins, the old Davis, Kamu, the Jarvi/BIS set for wow sound, up there. But I don't have any I'd call poor. Maybe the newish Storgards set on Chandos? A bit dull, alas.


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## Kiki

This is the set that I listen to the most often recently.










I like all the usual suspects, perhaps slightly less so with Colin Davis' second set (with the LSO on RCA)

Although my soft spot has always been Ashkenazy's bare-bone Sibelius.

If we get out of the box(-set), there are also some rather special recordings around.


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## starthrower

The Berglund/Bournemouth set sounds great to my ears. And several months back I bought the Incidental Music set on Naxos conducted by Segerstam.


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## philoctetes

Bournnemouth > Helsinki

Segerstam has great sound but his rubato is an issue, his #4 and the VC with Kuuisisto stand out. The 6th is too muscular, even heavier than Karajan... not the drink of cool spring snowmelt or whatever Sibelius intended... the same style is good for #1 though.. 2 and 5 get a little weird with the rubato..

Little wrong with Barbirolli except too many jarring edits, supposedly the Halle required them...sounds is kinda grainy... low strings are especially strong in the 3rd, and the 4th is my fave along with Segerstam...

Kamu's recent set won me over to lighter interpretations. He also does something I like, putting 3,6, and 7 on one disc.


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## flamencosketches

philoctetes said:


> Bournnemouth > Helsinki
> 
> Kamu's recent set won me over to lighter interpretations. He also does something I like, putting 3,6, and 7 on one disc.


Vänskä has done that too with his recent Minnesota Orchestra set on BIS. Interesting. The two C major symphonies are wildly different, no? Yet you can hear the progression from one to the next.

I haven't heard the Helsinki, but I am tempted to get that, too. Though it seems the conductor himself favored the earlier cycle.


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## Manxfeeder

flamencosketches said:


> I haven't heard the Helsinki, but I am tempted to get that, too. Though it seems the conductor himself favored the earlier cycle.


I have both, and humbly speaking, and just in my opinion, the conductor is wrong. Of course, we all hear different things. Or maybe a comely flute player was winking at him through the first cycle.


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## flamencosketches

What do you prefer about the Helsinki cycle?


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## Manxfeeder

flamencosketches said:


> What do you prefer about the Helsinki cycle?


Better interpretations.


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## Heck148

joen_cph said:


> Worth listening to Vänskä before any buying it. Can be somewhat disappointing, to my ears.


I'm reluctant to buy into Vanska/Lahti....their Karelia Music was definitely low voltage, lacking in power and color....sounds really wimpy next to Barbirolli and Gibson...

didn't we recently have a long thread about Sibelius symphony cycles??

For me -

*Bernstein/NYPO is top drawer,* a great set....one of the few complete symphony sets that I recommend....


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## starthrower

Manxfeeder said:


> Better interpretations.


On the first page you said Bournemouth was the top of the heap.


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## flamencosketches

Any fans of Barbirolli/Hallé? I listened to the 5th from that cycle yesterday. Really good. A lot thicker and more "romanticized" than the Berglund, reminded me of Karajan's Beethoven. Still good, though.


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## Manxfeeder

starthrower said:


> On the first page you said Bournemouth was the top of the heap.


You're exactly right. I'm wrong. I was referring to Bournemouth.


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## wkasimer

Any thoughts about Maazel's set with the Pittburgh SO on BMG? A Sibelius fan I know prefers it to his Vienna set.


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## CnC Bartok

wkasimer said:


> Any thoughts about Maazel's set with the Pittburgh SO on BMG? A Sibelius fan I know prefers it to his Vienna set.


I've got both sets, and I will have to sit on the fence, sorry! The Vienna set is either OK, or stunningly brilliant (4,7, and a controversial 3 in the latter category), while the later set is overall more consistent and consistently leisurely. Slightly slower tempi, but noticeable. Better recording, an age thing undoubtedly.

I originally hated Maazel in No.3, far too brash and rushed, but then I heard the old Collins set, and realized he had got it right.


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## starthrower

Are either of Neeme Jarvi's cycles worth picking up if I want a modern recording?


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