Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra - Sibelius: The Symphonies / Tone Poems / Violin Concerto [5CD] (2003)
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BAND/ARTIST: Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra
- Title: Sibelius: The Symphonies / Tone Poems / Violin Concerto
- Year Of Release: 2003
- Label: Decca Music Group Ltd
- Genre: Classical
- Quality: flac lossless (tracks)
- Total Time: 06:11:11
- Total Size: 1.45 gb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
CD1
01. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-1. Andante, ma non troppo-Allegro energico
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-2. Andante (ma non troppo lento)
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-3. Scherzo (Allegro)
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-4. Finale (Quasi una fantasia)
05. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-1. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
06. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-2. Allegro molto vivace
07. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-3. Il tempo largo
08. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-4. Allegro
CD2
01. Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43-1. Allegretto-Poco allegro-Tranquillo, ma poco a poco ravvivando il tempo al allegro
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43-2. Tempo andante, ma rubato-Andante sostenuto
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43-3. Vivacissimo-Lento e suave-Largamente
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43-4. Finale (Allegro moderato)
05. Sibelius: Finlandia, Op.26
06. Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op.11-1. Intermezzo (Moderato)
07. Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op.11-2. Ballade (Tempo di menuetto)
08. Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op.11-3. Alla marcia (Moderato)
CD3
01. Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52-1. Allegro moderato
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52-2. Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52-3. Moderato-Allegro (ma non tanto)
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-1. Allegro molto moderato
05. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-2. Allegretto moderato
06. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-3. Poco vivace
07. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-4. Allegro molto
08. Sibelius: Tapiola, Op.112
CD4
01. Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82-1. Tempo molto moderato-Largamente-Allegro moderato
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82-2. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82-3. Allegro molto
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.7 in C, Op.105
05. Sibelius: En Saga, Op.9
CD5
01. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47-1. Allegro moderato
02. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47-2. Adagio di molto
03. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47-3. Allegro, ma non tanto
04. Sibelius: Two Serious Melodies, Op.77-1. Laetare anima mea, Op.77a
05. Sibelius: Two Serious Melodies, Op.77-2. Devotion, Op.77b
06. Sibelius: Serenade No.1 for Violin & Orchestra, Op.69, No.1-Andante assai
07. Sibelius: Serenade No.2 for Violin & Orchestra, Op.69, No.2
08. Sibelius: Romance in C, Op.42
09. Sibelius: Valse triste, Op.44
10. Sibelius: Luonnotar, Op.70
If sonic splendour were the sole criterion, Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Sibelius symphony cycle with the Philharmonia would win every prize going. Only the spectacularly natural results obtained by the BIS technicians for Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti SO come close to matching the lustrous realism of these truthfully balanced Decca productions from 1979-84 (all except the First and Sixth benefit from the glowing acoustic of London’s much-missed Kingsway Hall). Few grumbles, either, about the Philharmonia’s, for the most part, splendidly spick-and-span, committed contribution throughout.
Unfortunately, here Ashkenazy’s actual interpretations have their fair share of ups and downs. The First is a highspot – fresh, ardent and unaffected (by comparison, Segerstam’s recent Helsinki PO version lives much more dangerously). Ashkenazy’s Third exhibits a dramatic fervour and clean-heeled vigour that recall a Decca offering from an earlier era, namely Anthony Collins’s 1954 account with the LSO. This Seventh’s balmy opulence is more genial than granitic at the opposite pole to, say, Berglund’s or Sanderling’s.
On the debit side, the Fifth is scuppered by a hectic fluster about the second half of the first movement. There’s also a beefy literalness which extends to the Sixth, where I crave more in the way of poetic understatement and refined sensibility than these artists muster. In the troubled Fourth, concentration levels are not all they might be. The Second, too, falls short in purposeful grip; I prefer Ashkenazy’s later, rather more cogent and characterful live 1992 Boston version (Decca, 10/93 – nla; happily, the Romance for strings and Valse triste from that same deleted collection are included here).
Elsewhere, both Finlandia and the Karelia Suite go especially well (the latter’s outer movements are paced to swaggering perfection). En saga is evocative and exciting; Tapiola generates impressive sweep and atmosphere, and Elisabeth Söderström makes a commendable showing in Luonnotar. Boris Belkin’s broodingly spacious 1978 version of the Violin Concerto makes its silver-disc début. He’s a bold, impulsive player with heaps of temperament, but his intonation is not terribly alluring, nor is his technique always secure. Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia lend big-hearted support, but it’s hardly compulsory listening. The lovely Opp 69 and 77 diptychs fare better.
Overall, then, Ashkenazy’s Sibelius leaves me with distinctly mixed feelings. For a Sibelius symphony cycle within the same price-range, Sir Colin Davis and the Boston SO on a pair of Philips Duos remain the best bet (the anthology containing Nos 3, 6 and 7 also boasts first-rate performances of Tapiola, Finlandia and The Swan of Tuonela, as well as a notable account of the Violin Concerto with Accardo, Davis and the LSO). Likewise, Vänskä’s BIS cycle is a tempting prospect (it’s now on four CDs at mid-price, and includes an arresting Tapiola and the original version of the Fifth). That said, Ashkenazy’s Sibelius is worth sampling at the very least, and, as I say, the Decca engineers certainly serve up manna for the ears.
CD1
01. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-1. Andante, ma non troppo-Allegro energico
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-2. Andante (ma non troppo lento)
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-3. Scherzo (Allegro)
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.1 in E minor, Op.39-4. Finale (Quasi una fantasia)
05. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-1. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
06. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-2. Allegro molto vivace
07. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-3. Il tempo largo
08. Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in A minor, Op.63-4. Allegro
CD2
01. Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43-1. Allegretto-Poco allegro-Tranquillo, ma poco a poco ravvivando il tempo al allegro
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43-2. Tempo andante, ma rubato-Andante sostenuto
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43-3. Vivacissimo-Lento e suave-Largamente
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43-4. Finale (Allegro moderato)
05. Sibelius: Finlandia, Op.26
06. Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op.11-1. Intermezzo (Moderato)
07. Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op.11-2. Ballade (Tempo di menuetto)
08. Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op.11-3. Alla marcia (Moderato)
CD3
01. Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52-1. Allegro moderato
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52-2. Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52-3. Moderato-Allegro (ma non tanto)
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-1. Allegro molto moderato
05. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-2. Allegretto moderato
06. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-3. Poco vivace
07. Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D minor, Op.104-4. Allegro molto
08. Sibelius: Tapiola, Op.112
CD4
01. Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82-1. Tempo molto moderato-Largamente-Allegro moderato
02. Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82-2. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
03. Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E flat, Op.82-3. Allegro molto
04. Sibelius: Symphony No.7 in C, Op.105
05. Sibelius: En Saga, Op.9
CD5
01. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47-1. Allegro moderato
02. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47-2. Adagio di molto
03. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.47-3. Allegro, ma non tanto
04. Sibelius: Two Serious Melodies, Op.77-1. Laetare anima mea, Op.77a
05. Sibelius: Two Serious Melodies, Op.77-2. Devotion, Op.77b
06. Sibelius: Serenade No.1 for Violin & Orchestra, Op.69, No.1-Andante assai
07. Sibelius: Serenade No.2 for Violin & Orchestra, Op.69, No.2
08. Sibelius: Romance in C, Op.42
09. Sibelius: Valse triste, Op.44
10. Sibelius: Luonnotar, Op.70
If sonic splendour were the sole criterion, Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Sibelius symphony cycle with the Philharmonia would win every prize going. Only the spectacularly natural results obtained by the BIS technicians for Osmo Vänskä and the Lahti SO come close to matching the lustrous realism of these truthfully balanced Decca productions from 1979-84 (all except the First and Sixth benefit from the glowing acoustic of London’s much-missed Kingsway Hall). Few grumbles, either, about the Philharmonia’s, for the most part, splendidly spick-and-span, committed contribution throughout.
Unfortunately, here Ashkenazy’s actual interpretations have their fair share of ups and downs. The First is a highspot – fresh, ardent and unaffected (by comparison, Segerstam’s recent Helsinki PO version lives much more dangerously). Ashkenazy’s Third exhibits a dramatic fervour and clean-heeled vigour that recall a Decca offering from an earlier era, namely Anthony Collins’s 1954 account with the LSO. This Seventh’s balmy opulence is more genial than granitic at the opposite pole to, say, Berglund’s or Sanderling’s.
On the debit side, the Fifth is scuppered by a hectic fluster about the second half of the first movement. There’s also a beefy literalness which extends to the Sixth, where I crave more in the way of poetic understatement and refined sensibility than these artists muster. In the troubled Fourth, concentration levels are not all they might be. The Second, too, falls short in purposeful grip; I prefer Ashkenazy’s later, rather more cogent and characterful live 1992 Boston version (Decca, 10/93 – nla; happily, the Romance for strings and Valse triste from that same deleted collection are included here).
Elsewhere, both Finlandia and the Karelia Suite go especially well (the latter’s outer movements are paced to swaggering perfection). En saga is evocative and exciting; Tapiola generates impressive sweep and atmosphere, and Elisabeth Söderström makes a commendable showing in Luonnotar. Boris Belkin’s broodingly spacious 1978 version of the Violin Concerto makes its silver-disc début. He’s a bold, impulsive player with heaps of temperament, but his intonation is not terribly alluring, nor is his technique always secure. Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia lend big-hearted support, but it’s hardly compulsory listening. The lovely Opp 69 and 77 diptychs fare better.
Overall, then, Ashkenazy’s Sibelius leaves me with distinctly mixed feelings. For a Sibelius symphony cycle within the same price-range, Sir Colin Davis and the Boston SO on a pair of Philips Duos remain the best bet (the anthology containing Nos 3, 6 and 7 also boasts first-rate performances of Tapiola, Finlandia and The Swan of Tuonela, as well as a notable account of the Violin Concerto with Accardo, Davis and the LSO). Likewise, Vänskä’s BIS cycle is a tempting prospect (it’s now on four CDs at mid-price, and includes an arresting Tapiola and the original version of the Fifth). That said, Ashkenazy’s Sibelius is worth sampling at the very least, and, as I say, the Decca engineers certainly serve up manna for the ears.
Classical | Discography | FLAC / APE
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