Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé present the completion of their Sibelius symphonies cycle with inspiring performances of two of his most personal and characteristic works, both regarded as indispensable to an understanding of the composer.

Sibelius began his Symphony no.4 at a time of personal crisis and the resulting work, noted for its depth of expression and intellectual originality, contains some of the darkest and most unsettling music he ever wrote. It is a piece of marked originality and striking imaginative power, captured to great effect in this recording.

In contrast, the elusive Symphony no.6 has been described as being full of music that “seems to be almost constantly singing”. The orchestration is particularly haunting; throughout, the string section in particular captivates the listener, in one of the most beautiful and original pieces of music Sibelius wrote.

Previous Sibelius releases have received great praise.

“Sir Mark Elder is an inspirational conductor and there aren’t too many of those around today. Playing with dramatic bite the Hallé is certainly on its finest form with this all-Sibelius disc. Excellent sound quality adds to the desirability of this release.” – Music Web (CDHLL7516: Pohjola’s Daughter, Oceanides, Symphony no.2)

“A century has passed since Sibelius was in Manchester conducting his music on a tour of the UK. His spirit has lingered there” – The Financial Times, 2016 (CDHLL7543: Symphonies 5 & 7, En Saga)