Sibelius Symphonies reach epic heights
Neeme Järvi with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra wring out Sibelius' lyrical Romanticism on this fantastic performance of his Symphonies Nos 1-7
Composer: Sibelius
Repertoire: Symphonies Nos 1-7
Artists: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Orchestral
Label: DG 477 5688 (4 SACDs)
Sibelius’s great sequence of symphonies takes in such a range of moods and styles that very few recorded sets of the complete cycle do justice to all seven works. Järvi and his fine orchestra excel both in the lyrical Romanticism of the First and Second Symphonies (where bombast is unerringly avoided), and in the more classical manner of the later works. This performance of the Sixth is the loveliest I’ve heard. And the Fifth and Seventh surge to epic heights. A tremendous achievement.