# Sibelius Swan of Tuonela (suite)



## Judith

Just recently familiarised myself with this lovely 1895 tone poem. Such a beautiful piece of music. 

It is part of the Lemminkainen Suite (Four legends from the Kalevala) opus 22 based on Finnish mythology in which "Tuonela" is the kingdom of death.

There is a lovely You Tube video (performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan)where the swan glides along the black water and quite sad to watch as it looked as though he didn't know what was going to happen to him.

Saw this wonderful suite performed live recently by local orchestra "Sinfonia of Leeds".


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## Josquin13

Years ago, I recall listening to all the recordings of Sibelius' "The Swan of Tuonela" in my collection, in order to decide which I liked best--out of curiosity, and to get a better handle on who were my favorite Sibelius conductors. After listening to somewhere between 10-15 versions (yes, I'm a Sibelius nut), I found that there was one recording that stood out from the pack (which is rare for me, as I generally don't believe in 'definitive' recordings): it was Paavo Berglund's 1983 Philharmonia recording for EMI (an early digital recording).

What makes Berglund's approach to Sibelius so distinctive is that he preferred a hardness and vitality to his orchestral sound. He insisted that his horns play more softly and translucently, and didn't allow for much vibrato in his strings, opting for a less lustrous, more transparent string sound (than what is heard from the thicker, more velvety Berlin Philharmonic strings, for instance). The result being that Sibelius' highly complex, more detailed, almost 'Baroque-like' scores become more clearly defined and evenly balanced. One actually hears the whole score. For listeners used to a thicker, more blurry 'impressionist' approach to Sibelius, such as with Sir Colin Davis, for example, Berglund's approach can be a revelation. Sibelius himself said that he wanted the details in his scores to "swim in the sauce". In other words, he didn't want all those important details (& juxtapositions) to become blurred or lost within an overly thickened string sound. His music isn't a porridge. As Berglund once remarked, "I think this way is better. It is nice to hear details. I think we have already had our fill of mushy recordings."*

One of the great pay offs of this leaner, more transparent sound--that is, of hearing the whole score--is that Berglund was able to the build the dramatic climaxes in Sibelius' Symphonies in a more exciting, dynamic way: which is what I believe Sibelius intended. These qualities can be heard to great advantage in Berglund's final 'live' recordings of the 5th & 7th Symphonies with the London Philharmonic at the Barbican in London, which are among the finest & most exciting Sibelius on record, IMO.

Yet, this harder, more vital Finnish approach to Sibelius--of softer, more beautifully translucent horns and less vibrato in the strings--also works wonders in "The Swan of Tuonela" (which, alas, makes me wish that Berglund had recorded the whole of the Lemminkäinen Suite). In hindsight, it also partly explains why Berglund's Philharmonia account stood out to me many years ago; although when I decided it was my favorite recording that day, I couldn't have yet articulated what it was that set it apart or made it so unique. I would have just said that Berglund's account for some reason sounded more mysterious and poignant than other versions.






* https://fmq.fi/


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## chill782002

Josquin13 said:


> I found that there was one recording that stood out from the pack (which is rare for me, as I generally don't believe in 'definitive' recordings): it was Paavo Berglund's 1983 Philharmonia recording for EMI (an early digital recording).


That is a very special recording. The "Tapiola" on there is superb as well, Berglund's best performance of that work in my opinion.


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## chill782002

Judith said:


> It is part of the Lemminkainen Suite (Four legends from the Kalevala) opus 22 based on Finnish mythology in which "Tuonela" is the kingdom of death.


"Lemminkainen in Tuonela" is a great piece as well, although the "Swan of Tuonela" is by far the best known piece from the suite.


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## Merl

I like Vanska (BIS) and Berglund (EMI).


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## Heck148

chill782002 said:


> "Lemminkainen in Tuonela" is a great piece as well, although the "Swan of Tuonela" is by far the best known piece from the suite.


Lemminkainen's Return is well-known also....for this rouser, Barbirolli/Halle, and Toscanini/NBC '40 are tops....both have great vitality and drive....Barbirolli has better recorded sound, but AT is indeed exciting.


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## jim prideaux

Josquin 13.....I had decided that I had all the Sibelius one man could need....Berglund, Vanska, Rattle, HvK......had heard the 5th 6th and 7th performed at the Proms etc....however you (along with a number of others) have alerted my attention to the last recordings by Berglund and every time I read about them I feel I might be missing out.......so having read your post this morning have ordered the LPO recording of the 5th and 6th!

heard the Swan of Tuonela performed recently by Myrga and the CBSO....mighty fine opening to a great concert!


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## CnC Bartok

Jim - I can echo Josquin's advocacy of those late Berglund/London recordings. They are magic!

The Swan may be a beautiful piece, with the story I am surprised it's not more creepy, though - the swan on a lake in the land of the Dead. Lemminkainen is meant to kill said swan, but is himself shot, and then brought back to life (apologies for my half-baked attempt at recapping a whole swathe of the Kalevala, any Finns present please do not be offended!)

For me the whole suite is not among my favourite Sibelius - it has its longeurs, shall we say - but its effective as a symphonic (?) suite, while the individual parts do survive well on their own. One recording to hear has to be Beecham's of Lemminkainen's Journey Home, there are few scarier renditions of any exciting piece of music!


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## Art Rock

My first Sibelius CD (over 30 years back) had the swan, Valse Triste, Finlandia and Tapiola (Berliner, Karajan, DG). A splendid introduction for who was to become one of my favourite composers. Tapiola is still my favourite Sibelius work after all these years.


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## Heck148

Robert Pickett said:


> For me the whole suite is not among my favourite Sibelius - it has its longeurs, shall we say - but its effective as a symphonic (?) suite, while the individual parts do survive well on their own. One recording to hear has to be Beecham's of Lemminkainen's Journey Home, there are few scarier renditions of any exciting piece of music!


For the 4 Lemminkainen Legends, the Suite - Salonen/LAPO is very good. Salonen's forces generate some excellent excitement throughout...excellent Return as well, and disc also includes a fine rendition of "En Saga"....Toscanini/NBC '52 is an excellent "En Saga" as well.


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## Judith

Heck148 said:


> Lemminkainen's Return is well-known also....for this rouser, Barbirolli/Halle, and Toscanini/NBC '40 are tops....both have great vitality and drive....Barbirolli has better recorded sound, but AT is indeed exciting.


I have the Barbirolli/Halle recording


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## chill782002

Heck148 said:


> For the 4 Lemminkainen Legends, the Suite - Salonen/LAPO is very good. Salonen's forces generate some excellent excitement throughout...excellent Return as well


I like the 1978 Ormandy/Philadelphia recording. The 1991 Sinaisky / Moscow Philharmonic recording is very good too.


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## Heck148

Judith said:


> I have the Barbirolli/Halle recording


Is it the one with Karelia Suite as well?? great disc - Halle plays superbly - Barbirolli has them up and running - just jumping on the music...


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## Josquin13

Jim Prideaux writes, "however you (along with a number of others) have alerted my attention to the last recordings by Berglund and every time I read about them I feel I might be missing out.......so having read your post this morning have ordered the LPO recording of the 5th and 6th!"

Jim--I'm pleased to hear that, and hope you'll enjoy the recording as much as I have over the years. I've heard it claimed (& I fully agree) that Berglund was often at his best live in concert, and his final Sibelius recordings attest to this, as IMO they offer the finest recordings that Berglund made of the 5th & 7th (despite whatever flaws you might find in them as live performances). Indeed I would argue that Berglund's Barbican 5th is in the same class as the Kajanus' legendary 5th, while his 7th stands alone--as I've never heard anyone conduct the 7th more brilliantly, not Beecham, or anyone else (though I do like Segerstam here too). However, I should warn you that Berglund gets so carried away during the performance of the 7th that he occasionally shouts out. It never seems to bother me, since the performance is so masterful and thrilling that I feel compelled to shout out with him. 

I used to regularly recommend these recordings over at Amazon (on our "Sibelius Appreciation" thread), and the few (?) that took my advice (such as Robert above?) would report back that the performances were indeed wonderful and thank me. I've even given the discs as X-mas presents, & always with a similar favorable response, which I've found gratifying. So I hope--with fingers crossed!--that you'll have the same experience. 

Although I should warn you that not everyone at Amazon was entirely crazy about Berglund's interpretation of the 6th (though it's not an issue for me), and I myself prefer his brilliant EMI studio accounts of the 2nd (with the Bournemouth S.O.) and The Swan of Tuonela (with the Philharmonia) to the Barbican performances.

While I've got the floor, out of curiosity, did any of you Brits or Londoners out there attend these Barbican concerts? (or do you remember them?), and do you know if Berglund & the LPO performed Sibelius' 1st, 3rd, and 4th Symphonies as part of the series, as well? The reason I ask is because I'm still hoping that a complete live Barbican cycle will be released at some point. I've written the LPO with my query, but didn't receive a reply back. Of course, if Berglund did perform all 7 symphonies as part of a Barbican concert series, it remains possible that a third disc containing the other 3 symphonies will be released one day. I certainly hope so.


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## CnC Bartok

It was indeed your good self who recommended the two Berglund CDs to me, pleased, as you can see, that you did!

My comment about the Lemminkainen Suite having its long moments stems from the fact that the second and fourth parts do get played separately, effectively out of context, quite frequently. I think this makes the Maidens episode drag, waiting for the good stuff to get going! One could make a similar argument against Smetana's Ma Vlast? But each taken as a single work, both the Smetana and the Sibelius make very effective "Symphonies". The Swan and Vltava are both very effective tone poems, they "mean" more preceded by The Maidens or Vyšehrad, but it takes a while to get used to, I suppose?


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## Judith

Heck148 said:


> Is it the one with Karelia Suite as well?? great disc - Halle plays superbly - Barbirolli has them up and running - just jumping on the music...


Yes it is. It's the whole symphony box set with the suites as well.


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## Josquin13

Robert--Yes, I thought I remembered you thanking me, but I wasn't completely certain, so I didn't want to claim it outright. 

Hope you're well.


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## CnC Bartok

Alive and kickin', J! Exam season is starting, so stressed, but otherwise all good! You?


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## Josquin13

Glad to hear it. Yes, I'm little stressed too, but fortunately no upcoming exams, except for the occasional math test dreams... 

I am having some health issues at the moment (vertigo, dizziness, & head pressures), and find that I worry more about whether the doctors are competent (& whether my insurance will pay out) than with what's actually wrong with me (though that too), since I've had several misdiagnoses in the past. The short of it is they still don't know what's going on. & I find myself returning to the old Monty Python sketch, where John Cleese tells the nurse to get the machine that goes "bing"! 

I suppose it'll get resolved in time, one way or the other... ;-)


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## Beet131

The mysterious Swan of Tuonela conjures up such vivid imaginings of the north. it is simply a brilliant piece.


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## CnC Bartok

J - chat over on the Amazonians register here thread? Sounds less than fun.


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## Mal

The Bergland/Philharmonia video is "not available" where I am, unfortunately. I've enjoyed the Philharmonia playing Sibelius symphonies under other conductors (Ashkenazy, various) Rattle (5). Are certain orchestras noted for being Sibelius specialists?


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## CnC Bartok

You'd need a better person than me to give you a proper answer to that one, Mal! I suppose it's going to be down to where Sibelius is or became popular for the specialist orchestras. I seem to remember the Karajan DGG accounts were especially hailed at the time for bringing this out-of-the-mainstream Nordic composer to the home of the Germanic tradition, ie Berlin, but I suspect the BPO by now are pretty well versed in such weird and wacky stuff (!) Maybe the same was once true of Vienna, but Maazel did a relatively early full cycle there, Bernstein 4/7ths of one several years later.

I suspect the most experienced orchestras would have to be the British ones, or some of the Americans, simply because of Sibelius' long-standing respect and popularity in those parts of the world. I'd raise an eyebrow if a French orchestra braved the northern chill, or indeed someone like the Czech Phil or Budapest Festival, not of course that there's anything to stop them.

I'd take Finnish expertise in this field as read! It may be just me, but I cannot vouch for the quality of the typical Finnish orchestra fifty years ago, the Lahti lot seem to have only been going since BIS "discovered" them. Nowadays, the label "world class" would not be inappropriate.


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## Biffo

Mal said:


> The Bergland/Philharmonia video is "not available" where I am, unfortunately. I've enjoyed the Philharmonia playing Sibelius symphonies under other conductors (Ashkenazy, various) Rattle (5). Are certain orchestras noted for being Sibelius specialists?


The Helsinki Philharmonic has a strong tradition of playing Sibelius as you would expect. The Lahti Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1910 but it is only relatively recently it has gained international prominence.

The Halle Orchestra has a strong Sibelius tradition and recorded all the symphonies (and numerous other works) with Sir John Barbirolli. Barbirolli also recorded Symphonies 1 & 2 with the New York Philharmonic ca. 1941; he received a warm letter of thanks from the composer regarding No 2. The Halle has more recently recorded some of the symphonies with Mark Elder.

Karajan recorded Symphonies 2, 4 & 5 with the Philharmonia Orchestra and also received an appreciative letter from Sibelius. He later recorded most of the symphonies, some of them more than once, with the Berlin Philharmonic.

For the centenary celebrations in 1965 Barbirolli and Karajan were the only non-Finnish conductors invited to take part. After the celebrations were over Barbirolli took the Helsinki Philharmonic on a successful European tour.

Sir Thomas Beecham was a great champion of Sibelius and made recordings with the orchestras he founded (LPO & RPO). All four of the independent London orchestras have had Sibelius in their repertoire for many years and made numerous recordings with Colin Davis, Ashkenazy, Berglund and others.


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## chalkpie

The Swan is one my absolute favourite pieces of music, and just might be the last thing I would choose to listen to if given one last choice. It's THAT amazing to my ears.


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## Josquin13

Mal writes, "Are certain orchestras noted for being Sibelius specialists?"

That's a great question. I'm inclined to agree with Robert, who writes that "the most experienced orchestras would have to be the British ones, or some of the Americans, simply because of Sibelius' long-standing respect and popularity in those parts of the world." Yet any orchestra will inevitably grow younger over time, so a long standing Sibelius tradition will likely get lost or altered (or modified) to some degree (as the orchestra members change over the years).

For example, does the Staatskapelle Dresden still play the music of Richard Strauss with the same approach, sound & tradition that they once did when Strauss conducted & premiered his operas with them, or even later during the Rudolf Kempe era? I hope so, but since Sinopoli, Luisi, and now Thielemann have been at the helm, I have to wonder whether the Dresden Strauss tradition hasn't been altered to a good degree?

Of course, the same would apply to any orchestra that had a strong tradition playing the music of Sibelius. For example, certainly the sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra has changed since the days of Ormandy (and Muti), so I would imagine their Sibelius no longer sounds quite as it did during the decades of the orchestra's renowned string section (known as the "Philly strings").

Paavo Berglund claimed that his own interpretations of Sibelius were most "inspired" by Ormandy, Barbirolli, and Rosbaud, which makes me wonder whether he was similarly influenced by the orchestral sound & playing of the Philadelphia, Halle, & Berlin orchestras, respectively, as well?

In his formative years, Berglund played as an orchestra member in the Finish Radio S.O. in the 1950s, and began his Sibelius conducting with the FRSO and the Helsinki Philharmonic in the mid to late 1950s. His first Sibelius recordings came with the Bournemouth S.O. in England in the early 1970s, and he later made an interesting remark about the difference between working with the Bournemouth orchestra in the 1970s and the Helsinki Philharmonic in the 1980s:

"Sibelius himself conducted in Bournemouth, so the tradition was there. When I recorded the symphonies again in the 1980's with the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Sixth Symphony was pure gobbledygook to the orchestra and the work was hard. The orchestra was enthusiastic, nevertheless. The Second and Fifth Symphonies went well." Which makes me wonder--by implication, does that mean the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th & 7th Symphonies didn't go as well?--that is, did the Helsinki orchestra have more problems doing what Berglund had asked of them in those symphonies?

I find it very interesting that Berglund found the Bournemouth orchestra understood the Sibelius "tradition" better than the Helsinki orchestra--which was a younger orchestra in the 1980s--who didn't get the "tradition", according to Berglund, but had to be taught how to play Sibelius. In other words, the English orchestra already knew what Berglund wanted from them, as they had kept the tradition of playing Sibelius alive from the time when the composer had conducted there. I wouldn't have expected that (even though I consider the Bournemouth cycle to be one of the finest Sibelius cycles). (It should also be mentioned that, to my ears, the playing of the Helsinki Orchestra sounds better on Segerstam's later cycle, as apparently the lessons Berglund had taught them were incorporated?, and the orchestra had aged & improved; even though Segerstam's approach to Sibelius is different from Berglund's.)

Berglund additionally recorded a 3rd cycle with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and had some more interesting remarks to make on that experience:

"Initially, the orchestra's way of playing did not work with Sibelius. You can't play Sibelius like Mozart, which is bread and butter for this ensemble. You need a totally different type of phrasing. But these are good, professional people. They are good to work with." So, once again, Berglund found that he had to work very "hard" with the COE, in order to teach them how to phrase in Sibelius.

In addition, there's the question of the size of the orchestra in Sibelius. For his COE cycle, Berglund recorded the 3rd, 4th, 6th, & 7th Symphonies with a small ensemble of around 50 players (adding only one cellist to the 3rd), and the 1st, 2nd, and 5th symphonies with an expanded, full sized orchestra. As he said,

"The size of the orchestra is not a problem. For instance, the Fourth Symphony is so totally absolute music that the mass of the sound affects the result very little. It is almost like Bach's Art of the Fugue, which was not composed for any particular instrument."

Indeed, Berglund's remark closely accords with two comments that Sibelius made to his son-in-law, the conductor Jussi Jalas, about performing the 3rd Symphony. On October 1, 1939, Sibelius told Jalas that

"The 3rd Symphony is well suited for a very small orchestra", and again in 1940, Sibelius mentioned, "I performed it [the 3rd] in Moscow with an orchestra that had 12 violas, etc., and the woodwinds were almost wiped out. When I had it published, I was going to add a note that the orchestra should not exceed 50 players." However, evidently Sibelius didn't add a note to the published score (i.e., the first Hansen edition that was used by most conductors, except for Berglund, prior to the new Hansen edition being published in the 1980s.)

In other words, most conductors have performed the 3rd Symphony with too large an orchestra, and not in accordance to Sibelius' wishes. So, naturally the question arises, are the woodwinds "almost wiped out" by the viola section on most recordings? I suspect they are. Hence, Berglund's COE 3rd is essential listening, as the orchestra size is more authentic to what Sibelius said he wanted.

Yet looking back at his COE cycle, Berglund apparently later came to view the diminished orchestral sound of the COE as too "thin" for the 4th symphony, and preferred his other recordings of the 4th (& 5th):

"A recording reflects the interpretation of the moment. I already think differently of certain things as compared to the recordings [of the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies]. But I certainly claim them as my own, nevertheless, and the older ones as well."

(Here's my source for the above quotes:

https://fmq.fi/articles/sibelius-the-view-from-the-podium)


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## 13hm13

Anyone know if this 1950s-era mono recording is avail on CD (or other digital format)?









The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy / Sibelius*, Grieg*, Alfven* ‎- Finlandia
Label: Columbia Masterworks ‎- ML 5181


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## Enthusiast

This one?

https://www.amazon.com/Sibelius-Fin...6863851&sr=1-2&keywords=sibelius+swan+ormandy


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## 13hm13

Enthusiast said:


> This one?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Sibelius-Fin...6863851&sr=1-2&keywords=sibelius+swan+ormandy
> 
> View attachment 111411


Hmmm ... that 2010 Sony release has an LP cover that also claims "Stereo". The original Columbia Lp is mono (recorded in early 1950s). Would've been cool if Amazon had sound samples.

EDIT: 
I looked at the back of the LP in my earlier post. It has a note about 360 Hemispheric Sound (is theis stereo?)

The 2010 Sony CD seems to be based on a 1960 stereo Lp:
https://www.discogs.com/The-Philadelphia-Orchestra-Finlandia/release/4261668

Yes, they BOTH albums have similar playlists. I wonder if the 1960 LP is a re-issue of the earlier release? The earlier 1950s release makes no mention of Mormon TC.
Reason for all the fuss is that the 50s release seems to be well regarded. Have a listen:


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## Enthusiast

Mmm. I also saw the reference to the Mormon TC and assumed that the Finlandia will be the choral version of that work ... but the link you posted is the more usual orchestral version. So it does seem likely that the CD I suggested is a different performance, at least as far as Finlandia is concerned. The Swan in the link you posted _is _lovely!


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## CnC Bartok

1959, I believe? Check what's on the last cd!


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## 13hm13

Enthusiast said:


> Mmm. I also saw the reference to the Mormon TC and assumed that the Finlandia will be the choral version of that work ... but the link you posted is the more usual orchestral version. So it does seem likely that the CD I suggested is a different performance, at least as far as Finlandia is concerned. The Swan in the link you posted _is _lovely!


I think the one I posted may be MONO release of the one you found (the 1960 Lp).

The YouTube version notes in its title: "Finlandia: Eugene Ormandy from the 50's, conducts Sibelius, Grieg & Alfven" and is in mono so I _assumed_ it was early 50s (pre-stereo). But since it took stereo several years for full market penetration, record companies released BOTH mono and stereo concurrently (well into the 1960s). So both are likely the SAME album, one mono, the other stereo.

From Discogs (about the 2010 Sony CD):
(tracks 1-7) 1959, (track 8) 1960, (track 9) 1963. So the Sony CD adds material to the 1960 Lp with same art!!

Confused yet?

On Discogs, there is yet another Lp release with Ormandy/Phil. Orch, but this one has a definite year (1951):

https://www.discogs.com/The-Philade...The-Swan-Of-Tuonela-Op-22-No-3/master/1389801

============
EDIT:

*Sigh! *

Shame on that vlogger for the hodge-podge he created 
And shame on me for not reading the full description (below video on YT page)
The vlogger uses album graphics from the 1959/1960 Lp's. However, the music tracks are LP rips from various 1947-1953 mono recordings. _They are entirely different recordings from the ones in the video graphics._
_These_ early Ormandy/Phil. Orch. recordings are prized, but TTBOMK unavail. on CD or digital.


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## 13hm13

Found the monos! On CD or digital downloads. Remastered by Pristine Classical (France):

https://www.pristineclassical.com/collections/composer-sibelius?page=3

Samples on web site.

I've already purch'd this:









Finlandia and more Ormandy/Phil historic recordings are on other Pristine albums.



> Ormandy's 1951 mono recordings of the Lemminkainen Suite with the Philadelphia Orchestra is frequently cited as the finest recorded performance of all and in his survey of recordings of the work for Fanfare magazine (Sept/Oct 2012), Richard Kaplan selected it as his 'Desert Island' choice and the most exciting on record.


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## chalkpie

chill782002 said:


> "Lemminkainen in Tuonela" is a great piece as well, although the "Swan of Tuonela" is by far the best known piece from the suite.


I agree that The Swan is the real jewel of the piece, but the other movements are also pretty extraordinary too. This is one of Sibelius's greatest "symphonies" that never was imo.


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## Guest

I've not been listening to much music lately - it risks upsetting the balance I've managed to achieve between calmness, for the most part, and anxiety about the future, especially in the middle of the night.

However, searching these pages for a good recording of Tapiola (I listened to Segerstam and the HPO), I was then prompted to listen to _The Swan _on Spotify - Bernstein and the NYP.

It tipped me over the edge.

On the whole, I'm not a great fan of him, but the cor anglais was just irresistible. The only sour note was a rush of sound at the climax that seemed to overwhelm the recording, but that aside, I was impressed.

I am, of course, fully recovered and am about to take the dog out for an hour in glorious spring sunshine. Quite the antidote to Tapiola!


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## Joachim Raff

Jean Sibelius (Sir John Barbirolli/Halle)
Sibelius Symphony No. 2 In D (1967)

Just as good as anything i have heard since. I always thought Birbirolli and Sibelius were glove in hand


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## Enthusiast

Josquin13 said:


> Years ago, I recall listening to all the recordings of Sibelius' "The Swan of Tuonela" in my collection, in order to decide which I liked best--out of curiosity, and to get a better handle on who were my favorite Sibelius conductors. After listening to somewhere between 10-15 versions (yes, I'm a Sibelius nut), I found that there was one recording that stood out from the pack (which is rare for me, as I generally don't believe in 'definitive' recordings): it was Paavo Berglund's 1983 Philharmonia recording for EMI (an early digital recording).


I do that sort of thing, too, and have done it with several Sibelius works over the years. Strangely (?) I came to an almost opposite opinion. Berglund's Sibelius recordings _are _excellent but I generally find them _not _standing out from the pack. I'm not saying I find them bland - of course they are not that - but I am at a stage with Sibelius where I like accounts to be particularly distinctive. So, for me with Sibelius, it isn't so much about finding my favourite as finding a range of the more memorable. Maazel, Colin Davis, Barbirolli, Rozhdestvensky and a few others deliver for me as do some of Vanska's recordings.


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## Josquin13

It depends on which Berglund recording is getting talked about. Berglund recorded The Swan of Tuonela at least three times that I know of (and probably more), and they're not all equal performances. The best of the three, IMO, is the digital recording that Berglund made with the Philharmonia Orchestra on EMI. In my estimation, it's a better performance of "The Swan" than either Berglund's earlier Bournemouth recording, or his later live account from the Barbican with the London Philharmonic.

What makes Berglund's "Swan" (& Sibelius, in general) so unique is that he required a very different kind of sound from his orchestra than other Sibelius conductors. For example, he insisted that his brass play very softly and translucently, and he doesn't allow his strings to use much vibrato. The result is an orchestral balance that allows for a greater textural clarity, one that is ideally suited to Sibelius, and especially to The Swan of Tuonela, which sounds more poignant and mysterious in Berglund's Philharmonia performance than in any other version I know. I find it incomparable. (But yes, it is a different approach to The Swan of Tuonela than one finds in the more lush and string heavy versions that rely more on vibrato. Personally, I don't find that those kinds of performances sound nearly as mysterious; although they may be more immediately appealing & seductive initially, on the first hearing.)

Berglund, Philharmonia, EMI digital:






The above performance does make me wonder why Berglund never set to record the rest of the Lemminkäinen Suite?, especially considering his lifelong devotion to Sibelius's music. I wish he had. (My hope is that one day a live performance will surface. Does anyone know if Berglund ever conducted a complete performance of the Lemminkäinen Suite in concert?)


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## philoctetes

As I recall that ^^^ seraphim disc is very good and has a great Tapiola...

Here is one I found yesterday on Spotify, the BBC with excellent sound... I also like the other pieces


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## Josquin13

I agree, it is a "great" Tapiola.

I'd like to hear the new Oramo disc that you mention. He's one of the best conductors today I think. I have his Sibelius Symphony 1-7 cycle on Erato, and it's the finest of the recent cycles that I've heard--certainly better than Storgårds' cycle and probably Kamu's, as well (except in the 4th, where Kamu is at his best), at least in my view. (Oramo is also admirably dedicated to modern and contemporary Scandinavian music.)


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## philoctetes

Josquin13 said:


> I agree, it is a "great" Tapiola.
> 
> I'd like to hear the new Oramo disc that you mention. He's one of the best conductors today I think. I have his Sibelius Symphony 1-7 cycle on Erato, and it's the finest of the recent cycles that I've heard--certainly better than Storgårds' cycle and probably Kamu's, as well (except in the 4th, where Kamu is at his best), at least in my view. (Oramo is also admirably dedicated to modern and contemporary Scandinavian music.)


I'm relistening to it right now, and would step up to a strong recommendation at this point... GREAT sound... this is the second excellent recording from the BBC I've encountered lately, along with their RVW 3 and 4 on Hyperion...


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## philoctetes

While Belshazzar is fluffed out for all it's worth, Oramo also makes Spring Song sound like a little symphony, with the climax at the mid-point handled beautifully...


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## Malx

Josquin13 said:


> It depends on which Berglund recording is getting talked about. Berglund recorded The Swan of Tuonela at least three times that I know of (and probably more), and they're not all equal performances. The best of the three, IMO, is the digital recording that Berglund made with the Philharmonia Orchestra on EMI. In my estimation, it's a better performance of "The Swan" than either Berglund's earlier Bournemouth recording, or his later live account from the Barbican with the London Philharmonic.
> 
> What makes Berglund's "Swan" (& Sibelius, in general) so unique is that he required a very different kind of sound from his orchestra than other Sibelius conductors. For example, he insisted that his brass play very softly and translucently, and he doesn't allow his strings to use much vibrato. The result is an orchestral balance that allows for a greater textural clarity, one that is ideally suited to Sibelius, and especially to The Swan of Tuonela, which sounds more poignant and mysterious in Berglund's Philharmonia performance than in any other version I know. I find it incomparable. (But yes, it is a different approach to The Swan of Tuonela than one finds in the more lush and string heavy versions that rely more on vibrato. Personally, I don't find that those kinds of performances sound nearly as mysterious; although they may be more immediately appealing & seductive initially, on the first hearing.)
> 
> Berglund, Philharmonia, EMI digital:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The above performance does make me wonder why Berglund never set to record the rest of the Lemminkäinen Suite?, especially considering his lifelong devotion to Sibelius's music. I wish he had. (My hope is that one day a live performance will surface. Does anyone know if Berglund ever conducted a complete performance of the Lemminkäinen Suite in concert?)


If my memory serves me correctly the Philharmonia Swan is also available in the Berglund Icon box.


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## Josquin13

Malx writes, "If my memory serves me correctly the Philharmonia Swan is also available in the Berglund Icon box."

Hi Malx. Yes, I've just taken the Berglund Icon box set off my shelf, and you're right--it contains the 1982 Philharmonia recordings of "The Swan of Tuonela" and Lemminkäinen's Return (along with Finlandia, Tapiola, and Kuolema); while there is also a Tapiola, Finlandia, & The Oceanides that Berglund recorded with the Helsinki Philharmonic in 1986-87.


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## Malx

^^^^
Good to know the memory hasn't totally gone.
My box is currently at the back of a cupboard - tomorrow i'll get round to putting it and others back after some cleaning of my listening room.


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## Enthusiast

I've now managed to hear the Philharmonia Berglund Swan and agree it is a good one.


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## hammeredklavier

_*"The music paints a gossamer, transcendental image of a mystical swan floating through Tuonela, the realm of the dead. Lemminkäinen, the hero of the epic, has been tasked with killing the sacred swan; but on the way, he is shot with a poisoned arrow and dies. In the next part of the story he is restored to life."*_


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