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Sibelius: Orchestral Works / Davidsen, Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic
Chandos

Sibelius: Orchestral Works / Davidsen, Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic

$21.99

Details

Composer
SIBELIUS, JEAN
Artist
Davidsen, Gardner
Format
SACD
Label
Chandos
Released
Jul 02, 2021
Catalog #
CHSA 5217
UPC
095115521724

About

Following their acclaimed recordings of Schoenberg with Sara Jakubiak and Britten’s Peter Grimes with Stuart Skelton, Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic turn their attention to the music of Sibelius. Written in 1913 for the diva Aino Ackté, the tone poem Luonnotar draws on text from the Finnish national epic poem, the Kalevala. Its virtuosic demands are ably met here by award-wining soprano Lise Davidsen, who also feature in the Suite from Pelléas and Mélisande, music re-worked by Sibelius from his incidental music written for the first performances of Maeterlinck’s play in Helsinki, in 1905, in Swedish. The tone poem Tapiola, from 1926, is Sibelius’ last great masterpiece and evokes the forests of his native Finland. The programme is completed by a pair of much earlier works, Rakastava (the Lover) and Vårsång (Spring Song).

REVIEW:

Here’s a mostly excellent disc, smartly programmed to offer an appealing mix of familiar and less-known music. Soprano Lise Davidsen seems to be all over the place these days. She’s the real deal, an intelligent and affecting singer with the vocal heft and secure technique to do justice to just about anything she tries. Let’s hope her current popularity doesn’t result in a premature vocal blowout. Her Luonnotar is beautiful, but just a hair too fast. This of course makes it easier to sing, but there’s more mystery and atmosphere in the music than Gardner and Davidsen realize here. It’s my only quibble about this otherwise wholly desirable program.

As for the rest: this Tapiola has all of the eerie strangeness missing in Luonnotar–and let’s face it: Is there a more alien and spooky sounding work out there, by anyone? Gardner is so adept at easing the music from one section to another that you have to wonder why he was in such a rush in Luonnotar? The Pelleas and Melisande music goes splendidly, each of its numbers played to the hilt, with Melisande at the Spinning Wheel and the following Entr’acte especially memorable. Rakastava (The Lover) is an odd arrangement for strings (with triangle and timpani) of an original vocal work. Seldom performed and melodically elusive, it’s good to hear a fresh new version. Spring Song is another rarity. It’s hymn-like opulence sounds strangely un-Sibelian, although it represents perhaps the most extended example of a very characteristic aspect of his musical personality. It’s splendidly done, its successive climaxes especially well-judged by Gardner.

As you might have guessed, the Bergen Philharmonic sounds terrific, as do the sonics. Never mind the unfortunately zippy Luonnotar. This is great stuff.

– ClassicsToday.com (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 15 tracks

  1. 1 Luonnotar, Op. 70 08:50
    Track
    1
    Title
    Luonnotar, Op. 70
    Duration
    08:50
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Performer
    Lise Davidsen
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  2. 2 Tapiola, Op. 112 18:02
    Track
    2
    Title
    Tapiola, Op. 112
    Duration
    18:02
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  3. 3 I. At the Castle Gate 02:20
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. At the Castle Gate
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  4. 4 II. Mélisande 04:09
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Mélisande
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  5. 5 IIa. At the Seashore 02:01
    Track
    5
    Title
    IIa. At the Seashore
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  6. 6 III. A Spring in the Park 02:13
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. A Spring in the Park
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  7. 7 Pelleas and Melisande, Op. 46: IV. The Three Blind Sisters (version for voice and orchestra) 02:34
    Track
    7
    Title
    Pelleas and Melisande, Op. 46: IV. The Three Blind Sisters (version for voice and orchestra)
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Performer
    Lise Davidsen
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  8. 8 V. Pastorale 01:54
    Track
    8
    Title
    V. Pastorale
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  9. 9 VI. Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel 01:49
    Track
    9
    Title
    VI. Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel
    Duration
    01:49
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  10. 10 VII. Entr'acte 02:51
    Track
    10
    Title
    VII. Entr'acte
    Duration
    02:51
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  11. 11 VIII. The Death of Mélisande 05:49
    Track
    11
    Title
    VIII. The Death of Mélisande
    Duration
    05:49
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  12. 12 I. Rakastava (The Lover) 04:06
    Track
    12
    Title
    I. Rakastava (The Lover)
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  13. 13 II. Rakastetun tie (The Path of the Beloved) 02:17
    Track
    13
    Title
    II. Rakastetun tie (The Path of the Beloved)
    Duration
    02:17
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  14. 14 III. Hyvää iltaa - jää hyvästi (Good Night - Farewell) 05:32
    Track
    14
    Title
    III. Hyvää iltaa - jää hyvästi (Good Night - Farewell)
    Duration
    05:32
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner
  15. 15 Spring Song, Op. 16 07:45
    Track
    15
    Title
    Spring Song, Op. 16
    Duration
    07:45
    Composer
    Jean Sibelius
    Ensemble
    Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
    Conductor
    Edward Gardner