Sibelius' smaller-scale orchestral works usually appear as fillers on discs devoted to the symphonies. This collection of five independent works (originally released on Finlandia) makes an enticing package. Davis' Stockholm orchestra is recorded in a large, resonant acoustic, lending extra weight and presence to his generally idiomatic presentations. Davis forges a gripping Tapiola in which the slow procession of hymn-like major-key chords has an uncannily cathartic effect at the end of this intense performance. The dense sonorities of the Stockholm lower strings provide a hugely effective backdrop for the black waters of Tuonela, with first-class English horn and cello soloists.
En Saga receives a highly charged reading, only wanting the frenetic energy that others (Berglund, Salonen, or Ashkenazy) bring to the faster sections. But the superbly balanced Apex recording conveys maximal detailing across a vast dynamic range, so ostinato string figures are never so trenchant as to obscure important lower-register wind scoring, and the brass (trumpets and horns particularly) retain looming presence in tuttis. Finlandia gets a warmly affectionate treatment (with a particularly impressive statement of its passionately patriotic central section), but the highlight of this excellent disc is Davis' outstanding account of The Oceanides, more rapturously evocative and atmospheric than J�rvi's and better recorded than Rattle's EMI version. A wonderful disc. --Michael Jameson, ClassicsToday
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar