# Sibelius conducted by Rouvali - any thoughts?



## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

I decided to give the Gothenberg/Rouvali recording of Sibelius #2 a try tonight: it has been my least favorite of his symphonies, so maybe this guy can make a better impression.
My thoughts: very interesting. Orchestral playing was mostly good and balance was okay. The interpretation was unique, especially the 2nd movement. I didn’t have my score handy, but he sure seemed to add some dynamics that I hadn’t heard before. The finale was probably my favorite part: excellent build up, as if this movement were one long exhale built up from the previous two movements.
Again, not my favorite work - but he intrigued me. Anyone else hear this (or other) Sibelius/Rouvali recording(s)?
Cheers!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Yes, almost all of the symphonies, albeit some of them from streamed concerts...
1 - Excellent
2 - Probably B+
3 - Not so great
4 - Very good
5 - (don't remember)
6 & 7 Very good

Videos of 4, 6 & 7 are out there but might take some finding - start with the GSO site: gsoplay.se/en


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

P.S. There is no such thing as a 'greatest cycle' 

P.P.S. Somewhere out there is Rouvali's first concert as chief conductor of the GSO when he did an excellent Kullervo


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

Becca said:


> P.S. There is no such thing as a 'greatest cycle'


AARGH!!! You gotta vote!!! 
And thanks for the swell reviews! Totally agree about #2 and glad I wasn’t supposed to have felt “blown away.” But I’m quite likely to pull a B+ up for nostalgia or just as a foil after hearing a great recording for the 1,000,000th time (that’d be Lahti/Vänskä if ya ain’t figured it out yet).


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

My personal choices for the 2nd are Barbirolli/RPO and the 1950s Karajan/Philharmonia


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

HvK - now you’re talking!
I’ll give Sir John a try, but the only Sibelius I’ve heard from him (#5) isn’t one I’d want to hear again: finale felt like there was a boat anchor attached to it!


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Sibelius' 1st Symphony with Rouvali was marvellous from my point of view - it replaced my former references (Ashkenazy/Philharmonia, Bernstein/VPO and Berglund/COE).

For the second, I was a little reserved and I support Becca's choices (Barbirolli/RPO and HvK/Philharmonia).


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Bone said:


> I’ll give Sir John a try, but the only Sibelius I’ve heard from him (#5) isn’t one I’d want to hear again: finale felt like there was a boat anchor attached to it!


I imprinted on Barbirolli's 5 and 7 (on an old EMI LP I borrowed from the local library and then, at a clearance sale, bought), which was my first encounter with Sibelius. And I still love how he shapes the 5th, including the finale. Can't say it ever made a slow impression on me.
But yes, the Hallé cycle is controversial, not in the least because the orchestral playing isn't always top notch. the RPO 2nd is an absolute, undisputed classic, though.

As for Rouvali, excellent conductor, excellent Sibelius. Hurwitz hates him, so he must be good!
Wasn't his 4th one of the choices in that mystery listening thing that Becca did? Came out top of the game for me.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bernstein/NYPO for complete cycle...wonderful.
Unmatched...Maazel/VPO is good also


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

RobertJTh said:


> As for Rouvali, excellent conductor, excellent Sibelius. Hurwitz hates him, so he must be good!
> Wasn't his 4th one of the choices in that mystery listening thing that Becca did? Came out top of the game for me.


Correct!


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> Bernstein/NYPO for complete cycle...wonderful.
> Unmatched...Maazel/VPO is good also


My goodness how did I forget the Maazel?!?!?!? Such a fine set!
Don’t know the Bernstein, but I’ve enjoyed just about everything else he’s ever done so I’ll certainly make a point to listen in the next week.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Rouvali/Gothenburg Sibelius #4...
https://player.vimeo.com/video/654961005


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## feierlich (3 mo ago)

Meh. I find it boring and mediocre. (Hurwitz is sometimes right.) Also Alpha didn't do a great recording job, just technically speaking. My favourite Sibelius 2 is definitely Mackerras/LSO.


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mWN97QasyzYga51r2g7NYaun2H6er3PQM


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

feierlich said:


> Meh. I find it boring and mediocre.


Goodness! Well, everyone has their opinion. Looking forward to hearing your Mackerras recommendation!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

feierlich said:


> Meh. I find it boring and mediocre. (Hurwitz is sometimes right.) Also Alpha didn't do a great recording job, just technically speaking. My favourite Sibelius 2 is definitely Mackerras/LSO.


There is no right, he just happens to have the same opinion as you.


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

Just gave his 3 & 5 a listen. Nope to both. Oh, well, back to Lahti I guess.


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> Bernstein/NYPO for complete cycle...wonderful.
> Unmatched...Maazel/VPO is good also


I really enjoyed Bernstein / NYPO Sibelius #1. So much energy!
The 3rd….didn’t like it.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bone said:


> I really enjoyed Bernstein / NYPO Sibelius #1. So much energy!
> The 3rd….didn’t like it.


Yes, Lenny's Sibelius 1 is really great
..Stokowski/NationalPO is very fine also....2 best Ive heard..
Sibelius 3 is a little tougher to grasp...give it a chance...


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Hurwitz is at it again. In his latest video, he trashes Rouvali's Sibelius 5th but he praised his 3rd to heaven and back.
Can't remember what he said about Rouvali's 4th - which I think is magistral, or if he reviewed that disk at all.


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

Hurwitz is really best left completely ignored.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

RobertJTh said:


> Hurwitz is at it again. In his latest video, he trashes Rouvali's Sibelius 5th but he praised his 3rd to heaven and back.
> Can't remember what he said about Rouvali's 4th - which I think is magistral, or if he reviewed that disk at all.


You want logic?? 

Actually it fits, I thought Rouvali's 5th to be reasonably good but his 3rd, not so much, i.e. Hurwitz gets it backwards!


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

I have listened to Rouvali recording of Sibelius 3rd Symphony and compared to my reference recording which is Okko Kamu, Radio Syms Orchester of Helsinki and the differences are apparent. The third does have some dead spots and needs contrast and fluidity to keep it interesting. Rouvali seems to rough ride the whole thing in order to create interest. Sadly, it just gave me a headache. If this the best Rouvali can do, I would give him a wide berth. Plenty of options to do better.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Having heard him do all of the symphonies and Kullervo, I think that his 3rd is the weakest, so don't give up on him that easily, especially as his 1st is exceptional. When I did a blind comparison of various performances of the 4th, his was preferred by most listeners.


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

Becca said:


> Having heard him do all of the symphonies and Kullervo, I think that his 3rd is the weakest, so don't give up on him that easily, especially as his 1st is exceptional. When I did a blind comparison of various performances of the 4th, his was preferred by most listeners.


I'm interested in you blind comparison of the 4th. How many recordings did you listen to and which ones?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Blind Comparison - Sibelius #4


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

I had forgotten that I also included a Rouvali/GSO performance of the 5th in this comparison...
Blind Comparison - Sibelius #5


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

RobertJTh said:


> Hurwitz is at it again. In his latest video, he trashes Rouvali's Sibelius 5th but he praised his 3rd to heaven and back.
> Can't remember what he said about Rouvali's 4th - which I think is magistral, or if he reviewed that disk at all.


Why put so much stock into what he says positively/negatively about anything? As I have said (now what feels like many times), if you have knowledge of a composer's music, the music's history and know a wide range of performances, you can be a classical music critic. It takes zero talent to write a review or post your feelings about a performance. And, for this reason, I don't give a flip what Hurwitz thinks. He's trashed performances that I love and continuously bad mouths works that I love unequivocally. Everyone has different tastes, but the difference is he believes his is the only opinion that matters, which is just a dead-wrong viewpoint.


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

Becca said:


> Blind Comparison - Sibelius #4


I was going to do the comparison but the files were deleted but I enjoyed reading all the comments. I did notice the recordings were relatively modern ones. It would of been interesting to have 1 or 2 older ones to compare how conductors approach have changed over the years. I will listen to Rouvali's 4th when I get time. You obviously do like his approach and that intrigues me.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Joachim Raff said:


> I was going to do the comparison but the files were deleted but I enjoyed reading all the comments. I did notice the recordings were relatively modern ones. It would of been interesting to have 1 or 2 older ones to compare how conductors approach have changed over the years. I will listen to Rouvali's 4th when I get time. *You obviously do like his approach and that intrigues me.*


I some, yes, but some are a bit wayward.

You can hear the Elder/Halle on (e.g.) Spotify, and the Harding/OdeP is on YouTube


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