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Sibelius - Violin Concerto, Orchestral Works

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Label: Chandos

Cat No: CHSA5134

Barcode: 0095115513422

Format: Hybrid SACD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Orchestral

Release Date: 3rd March 2014

Works

Sibelius, Jean

Andante festivo
Finlandia, op.26
Karelia Suite, op.11
Lemminkainen Suite, op.22

» no.2 The Swan of Tuonela

Pieces (3), op.96

» Valse lyrique

Valse triste, op.44 no.1
Violin Concerto in D minor, op.47

Artists

Jennifer Pike (violin)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor

Andrew Davis

Works

Sibelius, Jean

Andante festivo
Finlandia, op.26
Karelia Suite, op.11
Lemminkainen Suite, op.22

» no.2 The Swan of Tuonela

Pieces (3), op.96

» Valse lyrique

Valse triste, op.44 no.1
Violin Concerto in D minor, op.47

Artists

Jennifer Pike (violin)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor

Andrew Davis

About

Jean Sibelius is perhaps best known for his seven great symphonies, but there is also a large body of music for the concert hall, the theatre and the salon, some of which is explored on this release.

The Violin Concerto in D minor, Sibelius’s only full-length concerto, marries brilliantly idiomatic writing for the solo instrument with the seriousness characteristic of the symphonies. Intensely virtuosic, it is both a dramatic and a deeply romantic work.

The Swan of Tuonela comes from the suite of four Lemminkäinen Legends, inspired by traditional Finnish myths. In it the majestic motion of the swan is evoked by the arching phrases of the cor anglais. Also featured are two well-known shorter works indelibly linked with Finnish identity.

Finlandia became a national emblem of the Finnish struggle for independence from Russia, while Andante festivo is a staple of Finnish public occasions. The Karelia Suite is another patriotic work, the rough-hewn character of its three movements intended to evoke a folk-like authenticity.

Sir Andrew Davis continues his relationship with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in this, their third recording together on Chandos. They are joined in the Violin Concerto by Jennifer Pike, one of the brightest young violinists performing today.

--

The Europadisc Review

Following on from their recordings of Berlioz (CHSA5118) and Delius (CHSA5131), the Bergen Philharmonic and Sir Andrew Davis continue their partnership on the Chandos label with this new Sibelius disc. The main work is the glorious Violin Concerto and it's coupled with some of the composer's best-known shorter orchestral works to make a very tempting package - even more tempting when the violin soloist is Jennifer Pike, who in 2002 became the youngest ever winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year at the age of just twelve. Still only in her mid-twenties but now firmly established, she combines a formidable technique with a rare poise that causes her to be much in demand as a soloist around the world.

Jennifer Pike's performance of the Concerto is a fine one indeed. She brings to the work a cool level-headedness that suits its Scandinavian overtones perfectly. Intonation and balance are flawless, and the speeds flow along beautifully. Pike's tone is certainly big enough for the more imposing passages, but it is in the quieter, reflective passages that her strengths are really evident - her technical skills are secure enough that she can hint at fragility and inwardness without ever shrinking out of the picture. The slow movement is magically poised, with full-blooded support from the Bergen players, while the finale swings along splendidly, with enviably agile solo passages. All in all, this is a most auspicious performance, with soloist, orchestra and conductor in complete harmony throughout.

The other highlight of this disc is a wonderfully buoyant and affable performance of the three-movement Karelia Suite. Where other Sibelius conductors either fetishise dynamic details (Vänskä) or smooth them over luxuriantly (Karajan), Davis has a knack of pitching things just right, respecting the letter of the score while never losing sight of the bigger picture. And he clearly has a great rapport with his musicians, who play as if they're having the time of their lives, with burnished brass, rich string playing, and some fine woodwind solos. The cor anglais soloist in the Suite's Ballade, Helge Selleväg, features again in a suitably mysterious and evocative performance of The Swan of Tuonela, while in Davis's hands the dark undertones of Valse triste (1903) seem at times to anticipate the heady crisis in Ravel's later La Valse.

The clutch of other works includes the hymn-like Andante festivo in its string orchestra version, and a rousing account of Finlandia that never loses sight of the music's darker edges.

The recording, made in Bergen's Grieghallen, is nicely detailed while retaining just the right amount of ambience for these scores, and there are detailed notes on each work from Anthony Burton. These are excellent performances, and whether you're looking for the Violin Concerto, the orchestral works, or the whole package, you are unlikely to be disappointed.