# SS 29.08.15 - Sibelius #3



## realdealblues

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957)*

Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52

1. Allegro moderato
2. Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto
3. Moderato - Allegro ma non tanto

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues

Always look forward to hearing Sibelius. I'll be listen to this one over the weekend.

View attachment 74271


Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic


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## D Smith

One of my favourite composers! I'll listen to Colin Davis/Boston this weekend.


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## clara s

excellent choice

to get in the autumn spirit

i heard this symphony in a recording a few years ago,
with Robert Kajanus and London Phil. as I remember,
because as he was Sibelius' friend, I wanted to feel the composer's scent.

Yes, this week I will try Collin Davis and Boston Orch.
or Leif Segerstam with Danish N. S. Orch.

I like this symphony


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## CyrilWashbrook

Haven't had much time for listening recently, but this is as good a place as any to resume. I will listen to the fine recording by the Helsinki Philharmonic under Segerstam.


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## Kivimees

Halle Orchestra with John Barbirolli (from the symphony box set).


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## brotagonist

Lots of good choices. I'll be different 

Järvi/Gothenburg


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## kanishknishar

maazel with the pittsburgh.....best performance of the work of all time.... 

second choice davis/lso......


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## Mahlerian

Berglund/Bournemouth for me.









This symphony has a lot of wonderful parts, but I'm never quite sure about the finale.


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## Jeff W

Mahlerian said:


> Berglund/Bournemouth for me.


This one for me as well.


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## ptr

Sibelius is always on my menu, the third quite often!

Järvi's Bis rendition might well be my all time favourite version of this symphony, but as not to make this a continuing playing of favourites I'll go for something else like a 1955 recording with the orchestra with the nicest sound of the fifties:










Philharmonia Orchestra u. Paul Kletzki (Testament/HMV)

/ptr


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## Haydn man

I shall enjoy this weeks SS from this set


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## Guest

Mahlerian said:


> This symphony has a lot of wonderful parts, but I'm never quite sure about the finale.


I agree. It rather sounds as though he didn't quite know how to wrap it up and ended somewhat tamely.


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## Blancrocher

I'll listen to Mariss Jansons and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.


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## AClockworkOrange

I'll likely be listening to Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic from the box set I recently purchased. 

Bernstein's recordings of Symphonies 1 & 7 have impressed me so I will definitely savour this after a long shift tomorrow.


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## GreenMamba

Giving Zehetmair/Northern Sinfonia a try. I like him a lot as a violinist, and this gets gushing reviews.


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## Triplets

MacLeod said:


> I agree. It rather sounds as though he didn't quite know how to wrap it up and ended somewhat tamely.


I like it just fine. I think a big over the top ending would sound inappropriate.
My favorite recording was led by the Finnish Conductor Jukka Pekka Saraste with a Finnish Orchestra, but it's gone missing from collection. I'll try Barbirolli/Halle


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## Mahlerian

Triplets said:


> I like it just fine. I think a big over the top ending would sound inappropriate.


My problem is not that it's not grand enough (I love the finales of the Fourth and Seventh), but on the contrary that its Wagnerian grandeur seems unmotivated and doesn't sit well with the rest of the work.


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## Becca

Mahlerian said:


> Berglund/Bournemouth for me.
> 
> This symphony has a lot of wonderful parts, but I'm never quite sure about the finale.





MacLeod said:


> I agree. It rather sounds as though he didn't quite know how to wrap it up and ended somewhat tamely.


As Simon Rattle put it so well in his discussion of the Sibelius symphonies:


> There is no symphony quite like that which has built up such a head of steam ... then just stops because it simply wouldn't be proper or necessary to say anything more.


To hear the entire discussion (~1 hour).. https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/interview/20350-3
The discussion of the 3rd starts just after the 24minute mark.

So for me ... Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic in their earlier Sibelius cycle done in February 2010 and available in the Digital concert Hall.


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## Eramirez156

* Sixten Ehrling *
* Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra*

Original release on _Swedish Metronome CLP 516_
Recorded 28 January 1952


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## MrTortoise

I'm new to this symphony. I'll try Herrenvolk's choice of Mazel/Pittsburg


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## GKC

Now yer talkin' (well, it's not quite Saturday here yet, but close enough); one of my favorite.

Best I've ever heard is Okku Kamu/Helsinki Radio/Deutsche Grammophon.

Also like Colin Davis (RCA), Osmo Vanska (Lahti, BIS), Jarvi (BIS) and Segerstam (Chandos).

By the way, I think I read recently that Kamu and the Lahti have finished a new Sibelius Cycle for BIS. Holy cow; how many cycles does that make for BIS in the CD era?! I need a new one like I need a hole in the head, but.....


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## Vaneyes

*Sibelius*: Symphony 3, w. Oslo PO/Jansons. Recorded 1994 in Konserthus, Oslo. Recording Engineer: Michael Sheady.

View attachment 74304


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## Guest

Triplets said:


> I like it just fine. I think a big over the top ending would sound inappropriate.
> My favorite recording was led by the Finnish Conductor Jukka Pekka Saraste with a Finnish Orchestra, but it's gone missing from collection. I'll try Barbirolli/Halle


I wasn't looking for an over-the-top finish. I was looking for something more inventive than a plain restatement of those three notes. (sorry - there'll be a technical term to describe what he did, but I don't know it.)




Becca said:


> As Simon Rattle put it so well in his discussion of the Sibelius symphonies:
> 
> _"There is no symphony quite like that which has built up such a head of steam ... then just stops because it simply wouldn't be proper or necessary to say anything more."_




Thanks Becca. I'm not sure I agree with the great man on this occasion, but there are other places where Sibelius just 'stops' or fades where it seems to me to work.

(Listening to the interview now, don't think the interviewer got the joke about England really being West Finland!)


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## Mika

Maazel & Wiener Philharmoniker


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## Eramirez156

*Colin Davis*









*Anthony Collins

**Both recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra.**
**
*


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## Triplets

Becca said:


> As Simon Rattle put it so well in his discussion of the Sibelius symphonies:
> 
> To hear the entire discussion (~1 hour).. https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/interview/20350-3
> The discussion of the 3rd starts just after the 24minute mark.
> 
> So for me ... Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic in their earlier Sibelius cycle done in February 2010 and available in the Digital concert Hall.


excellent post, Becca.


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## Triplets

Mahlerian said:


> My problem is not that it's not grand enough (I love the finales of the Fourth and Seventh), but on the contrary that its Wagnerian grandeur seems unmotivated and doesn't sit well with the rest of the work.


I really don't hear any "Wagnerian grandeur" although we are each entitled to our own interpretations. What I do hear is a debt to Bruckner. In particular, each movement builds it's themes with what almost sounds like obsessive repetition, but with slight changes each time. Also, sudden key changes are used, particularly in III, to shift the musical landscape. These are very Brucknerian techniques, and Sibelius openly admired Bruckner, and of course Bruckner worshiped Wagner, so if there is a Wagner link, it's indirect


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## Skilmarilion

The Third is really, really good. :tiphat:

I'll roll with Len and the NY Phil.


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## elgar's ghost

Boston SO/Davis on Philips:


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## Heliogabo

I'll go with Barbirolli/Hallé


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## Grizzled Ghost

Climbing on the Ondine bandwagon:









I'm currently working my way through that BIS Essential Sibelius collection, but it's nice to take a break...


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## violadude

Mahlerian said:


> Berglund/Bournemouth for me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This symphony has a lot of wonderful parts, but I'm never quite sure about the finale.





MacLeod said:


> I agree. It rather sounds as though he didn't quite know how to wrap it up and ended somewhat tamely.


I've always had a problem with the finale of this one too, but could never quite put a finger on why, I thought I was the only one! It doesn't seem cohesive or it doesn't wrap up the work very well imo. The first and second movements are wonderful though.


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## Eramirez156

Watching on the _Digital Concert Hall_ 
*Berlin Philharmoniker*
*Sir Simon Rattle*

Recorded live 06 Feb. 2015


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## kanishknishar

also listened to rattle/cbso ---- fine performances all round


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## hpowders

clara s said:


> excellent choice
> 
> to get in the autumn spirit
> 
> i heard this symphony in a recording a few years ago,
> with Robert Kajanus and London Phil. as I remember,
> because as he was Sibelius' friend, I wanted to feel the composer's scent.
> 
> Yes, this week *I will try Collin Davis and Boston Orch.*
> or Leif Segerstam with Danish N. S. Orch.
> 
> I like this symphony


Yes! Hear the magic that Sir Colin Davis and the BSO deliver for this under-appreciated work.

For me the highlights of the Davis/BSO Sibelius set are his performances of the Third and Sixth Symphonies.


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## millionrainbows

I went with Abravanel/Utah SO, mainly for the superbly remastered analog sound. They don't mike stuff like this any more. 

Musically, this is refreshing, I like the way Sibelius seems to be modal. I hear flat sevenths, Lydian sounds, all occurring in the same tonic. Also, it doesn't sound "Mozartian" or cadential; I don't hear the constant V-I that I usually hear. Like the Russians, he seems to have fallen through the cracks of CP practice, due to isolation or too many long winters of cabin fever.


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## clara s

hpowders said:


> Yes! Hear the magic that Sir Colin Davis and the BSO deliver for this under-appreciated work.
> 
> For me the highlights of the Davis/BSO Sibelius set are his performances of the Third and Sixth Symphonies.


nothing different than a full agreement with your comment monsieur hp

I hear the third again right now


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