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Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphony No.1 in
E minor, Op.39 Lahti
Symphony Orchestra
(Sinfonia Lahti) BIS
Records BIS-CD-861 |
by the Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase™
The First
Symphony begins unusually with a solo clarinet over a misty timpani
roll, like a lone bird soaring over some frozen landscape. Although only
his first symphony, Sibelius already demonstrates a powerful sense of forward
momentum. This is demonstrated with relentless energy by the Lahti Symphony
with razor sharp precision.
However, this style does bring out something de-Romanticising
in the work, advancing the "Modern" view. There is a powerful gusting
sensation of momentum in the reading. Whatever the case, their performance
is one of amazing unity - at no point does the energy let up nor the movement
falter. Phrasing suffers a bit under this hectic treatment, and listeners
familiar with the work may find it doesn't give the phrases much space
for characterisation.
At first the speed did disturb me, but after listening
through a few times, I found that it is the speed which makes this
such a unified, convincing and fresh reading. As far as symphonic unity
is concerned, this is one of the best examples of how it can be done differently
from more "traditional" views.
The orchestra's instrumental playing is not only clean
but the soundscape astonishingly transparent. The sound reproduction,
as usual with the company, is tip-top and adds much to the atmosphere
of the music-making. Just listen to the icy silence that surrounds the
opening clarinet solo of the Symphony.
What is very satisfying about different performances
is that all can take slightly different views of the work and yet each
is done with tremendous skill and justification. Vänskä's performance
of the Andante is unified in feeling with the previous movement,
making it a natural and inevitable continuation. Again, admittedly it
is unusually fast and this time I feel it robs the music of its lyrical
beauty, particularly that of the opening string theme. But do catch the
episodes of woodwind trills and swirls - are these not the winds whistling
over the treetops?
The Lahti Symphony provides the cool, sometimes almost
chilly tone distinctive of Scandinavian orchestras - naturally very suited
to Sibelius' music. Their performance of the Finale is thus not warm and
heated in the more traditional Romantic sense but rather swift, dynamic,
sharply empowered. Windy, buffeting during the furious parts, but also
nostalgic, expansive, with an inner warmth in the midst of the cool, snow-white
soundscape.
Sir Colin Davis' latest recording on RCA (reviewed
here) is more traditional and more leisurely paced than Vänskä's.
It is in the more emotional, passionate passages that the intensity of
the London strings come across better than the cooler tones of the Lahti
Symphony. Between these two versions, the newcomer would be safer choosing
the Davis version - the Vänskä is probably more suited for advanced collectors.
Nevertheless, if you do buy the latter, it is quite an educational experience.
BIS offers the benefits of very high quality production, for example in
the extensive and detailed notes.
Sibelius' Fourth Symphony is perhaps the "darkest",
although having said that, I have always felt that even within the darkest
Sibelian sound worlds there is always light, be it in momentary flashes
through a darkened forest canopy, twinkling starlight in a field of night,
a luminiscent mist hanging above a sea of black, or like the aurorae,
shifting, pulsing, living light.
The Fourth Symphony is music of great and wondrous mystery,
which either casts the listener adrift, lost in a tonal limbo among the
stars; or it is utterly spellbinding, like a voyage through space surrounded
by wandering planets and ghostly stars.
In the final movement of the Fourth, the opening is in
a cheery, almost carefree manner, complete with glockenspiel parts (Sir
Colin uses both the glockenspiel and tubular bells, as a solution
to the controversy over the part's instrumental allocation). In the midst
of its development, the music seems to inevitably shift towards darkness,
ending in chords of resignation, almost of exhaustion. Sibelius called
the Fourth Symphony "a protest against present-day music. It has nothing,
absolutely nothing of the circus about it." It is a revolutionary work
of the highest intellectual skill fused with a natural kinship with the
possibilities of tonality, both in terms of music and of the emotions.
Written in the aftermath of a throat operation to remove a tumour, it
has been said that in it Sibelius had struggled with the notion of mortality.
The musical material of the symphony is based primarily
on the tritone (i.e. a three-tone interval), known in medieval times as
"The devil in music." First heard in the growling, sombre opening motif
(C-D-F#-E), it is developed concisely in a symphony of almost unrelenting
economy. By this, musicologists mean that the "material" (e.g. a motif)
is literally "grown" or argued (as in, one takes a topic and argues about
it to convince someone) with precision and without anything unnecessary
or extraneous (hence, you do not beat around the bush, or use unnecessary
material that does not "fit" into the scheme of things.) In my own words,
Sibelius can say more in 20 minutes than most composers in 2 hours.
"For us Finnish musicians, Sibelius' Fourth Symphony
is like the Bible. We approach it with great respect and devotion. In
this work Sibelius had seen the unfathomable tragedy of life's inconsistency,
and given it expression boldly, by new means and in a new musical language."
(From the notes by Andrew Barnett).
True in a sense, and yet, Sibelius lived to the ripe
old age of 91.
But in this case, it is the conductor who saves the day: Osmo Vänskä's
direction of the orchestra is acutely well-timed and executed, dramatic
without being overblown. Couple this with the wide dynamic range and sonic
sensitivity of the BIS recording, and you get an open arena for pin-point
precision music-making. An example of this is the rush of anticipation
towards the sudden subito piano at 4'22". Even as the orchestra drops
away, the reverberation it leaves behind creates a tense atmosphere for
the four pizzicato chords - pure drama.
Vänskä's Scherzo is furious and sharp, and the thunderous timpani
simply leaves the listener no quarter. The final moments indeed are mercilessly
driven to its conclusion. The final movement of the Symphony is perhaps
the most "Tchaikovskian", although as the symphony grew on me over the
years, I have found the "Russian" feel receding more and more as the originality
of Sibelius (left, in his youth) surfaces. Either that, or recent performances
of the work have played down the former while allowing the Sibelian spirit
more space. Certainly that is the case with this performance.
Under Vänskä, the Lahti Symphony (right) have created a performance of
rare eloquence, combining excellence of playing with a deep sense of the
music's many moods. The first movement plumbs depths of immense concentration
and is powerfully unified. The second movement, the Allegro molto vivace,
swings from moods of playful woodwind to harsh admonitions; to the meditative
opening flute mysteries of the third movement, all with great naturalness.
I almost didn't realize that the new movement had begun. This is also
performed with conviction, shifting naturally from the slow undulating
opening sequence to the passionate (with a short burst of Wagnerian brass)
section towards the end. Listen to the utter stillness of the closing
pages: truly a performance that knits the eyebrows in awe. No movement.
Although unwelcome for many years, the value of Sibelius' Fourth Symphony
is now undisputed. The composer's son-in-law, Jussi Jalas, aptly proclaimed
that:
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S
I B E L I U S Nature is coming to life: that life which I so love, now and always, whose essence shall pervade everything which I compose. |
In Singapore, BIS CDs
are now readily available from HMV (The Heeren) and Borders (Wheelock Place).
The Inkpot
Sibelius Nutcase is also nuts about Bach, croissants, a good pillow
and small shiny things.
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077/378a: 5.9.1997; up.05.12.2000 ©Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase
Readers' Comments
From: harry lauer (hlauer27@nhultranet.com)
in inkpot#36, page 5,you indicate bis records can be ordered at a good price from MDT Mail Order. Could I have more details? Thank you. I have ALL YOUR REVIEWS ON SIBELIUS-am a S. nut as well. Had a most unusual spiritual experience with the Lahti version of the seventh tonight.
From: The Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase (via classical@inkpot.com)
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I am so deeply grateful (and relieved) to know I'm not the only nutcase around! MDT Classics is a UK-based Mail Order service which has a simple and reliable international export service, including on-line ordering services. Customers outside the EU do not need to pay the 17.5% VAT. MDT charges about £9 per BIS disc, and their very reasonable (airmail) postage is £1.50 for the first 2 CDs, and £1 per CD thereafter. This applies to all international orders outside the EU. Singapore readers note however, that in addition to Borders, HMV will be bringing in the full catalogue of BIS soon (or so I was told). Once again, my gratitude for your support.
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INKTRODUCTIONS:
CD REVIEWS:
The Lahti Symphony/Vänskä Cycle (BIS, 1996-99):
Nos. 1 & 4
Nos.2 & 3
No.5 (original and final versions)
Nos. 6 & 7, and Tapiola
The Bournemouth Symphony/Berglund Cycle (1970s)
Click here
The Iceland Symphony/Sakari Cycle (Naxos, 1996-2000)
Nos. 1 & 3
No. 2 & Tempest Suite
#1
Nos. 4 & 5
Nos. 6 & 7. Tempest
Suite No.2
Finlandia. Karelia
Suite. Lemminkäinen Suite