# Pohjola’s Daughter and other symphonic poems



## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

What do you think of this symphonic poem by Sibelius? 

It might come as no surprise that I consider it one of the most spectacular tone poems ever created. Even in orchestral virtuosity it is able to rival such orchestral geniuses as Strauss, Stravinsky, Mahler or Ravel.

As a symphonic poem it is like a trip into another world. The world of ancient legend really comes alive and I am most thrilled by it. In this aspect, only the Lemminkäinen Legends reach the same level. Nobody creates this kind of music anymore.

What recordings do you enjoy or would suggest? The best ones I have heard so far are Berglund/Bournemouth and Barbirolli/Halle. 


A strong expression of ”another world” should be another topic of this thread, and not limited to Sibelius. In this respect Wagner comes to mind, right? Thinking of Tannhäuser, Lohengrin and Parcifal atm.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Berbstein/NYPO tops the list for this one...Barbirolli/Halle is a very good account, also..


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Truth be told, I don't consider that tone poem as Sibelius at his finest. I've tried several recordings and none has made anything for me. _Tapiola_, _The Wood Nymph_, _The Oceanides_ and _En Saga_ contain more interesting ideas.


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

MusicSybarite said:


> Truth be told, I don't consider that tone poem as Sibelius at his finest. I've tried several recordings and none has made anything for me. _Tapiola_, _The Wood Nymph_, _The Oceanides_ and _En Saga_ contain more interesting ideas.


Heard the Berglund/Bournemouth version? Many conductors are lost with this piece of music. Berglund is not!


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

Waehnen said:


> What do you think of this symphonic poem by Sibelius?


I like it very much, and I see you do too! I don't think it's his best. In my opinion, that would be Tapiola.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

My favorites are *Okeanides* (evidence that Sibelius might have been a totally different quasi-impressionist composer) and *Tapiola*, and, if it counts *Luonnotar* (the most haunting and original one!); admittedly I'd have to refresh my memories of *Pohjola's daughter* but it would probably be next in line. 
The ones I don't much care for are "The bard" and especially the repetitive "Night ride and sunrise".

Otherwise, my favorite tone poem is the thoroughly this-wordly "Don Juan" by R. Strauss


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## ansfelden (Jan 11, 2022)

Finlandia, in its "simplicity", has not been mentioned yet! it was my first encounter with Sibelius and still is a favourite. 

now listening to: Lemminkäinen / Pohjola´s Daughter / The Bard - Davis/LSO


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

I agree with Heck---the Bernstein/New York Philharmonic is superb.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I third the Berglund and Bernstein recordings, and I also think I once heard an Ormandy/Philly that I enjoyed immensely. Tapiola has to be the ultimate Sibelius tone poem, because of its breadth and beauty. My favorite after that is En Saga, but how can we leave off Finlandia?


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Pohjola is terrific especially on a dark and stormy night with the lights off and the fireplace aglow. Bernstein or Bergland are as good as it gets. En Saga and Tapiola are just fantastic, too, and alas for us Americans the only non-symphony orchestral work by Sibelius that gets much playing time in concerts is Finlandia, but even then it's been largely relegated to pops concerts and second rate orchestras.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I love those symphonic poems, I have this as my favourite, excellent sound, good conducting.


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Thanks for the comments!

I consider the Bernstein version way too fast. His Väinämöinen sleigh rushes through the Kalevala’s landscape with such a speed that one is hardly able to spot the Pohjola’s Daughter. 

I’m with Rogerx in considering Vänskä/Lahti version excellent and balanced.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

HenryPenfold said:


> I like it very much, and I see you do too! I don't think it's his best. In my opinion, that would be Tapiola.


I'd echo this sentiment, and it is probably true that Tapiola is the finest of the Sibelius tome poems. But Pohjola's Daughter is my favourite of them all, it really does give me a real thrill every time I hear it. Maybe that is down to the sense of it telling a story more so than the others? Dunno.....

I have confessed this before, my favourite recording is the same Bernstein performance mentioned above by others. I am rarely a fan of Lenny, but here he gets it very very right. Not too fast for me, and if you want a situation where extreme tempos really screw up a work, try Colin Davis' one on RCA, Kalevala on Mogadon......

The other recordings I return to frequently are Alexander Gibson's, that BIS Vanska one Rogerx highlights, Berglund, and Neeme Jarvi's earlier (BIS) version. The appallingly crackly and muffled Koussevitzky recording is worth hearing too, if your ears can adjust to the pre-war sound quality!

I am probably alone in adoring the most overlooked of the tone poems, The Wood Nymph. Such good tunes, and yes it would have been a better piece with some trimming, but I don't care, and I'd probably suggest the same could be said for En Saga.....!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

CnC Bartok said:


> ...
> I am probably alone in adoring the most overlooked of the tone poems, The Wood Nymph. Such good tunes, and yes it would have been a better piece with some trimming, but I don't care, and I'd probably suggest the same could be said for En Saga.....!


Here is something a bit off-the-wall, a performance of _The Wood Nymph_ which continues into _En Saga_ with barely a pause ... interesting and well done performances although I'm not sure of the logic behind it.


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