The second volume of Anthony Collins’s Sibelius cycle for Decca, expertly remastered for this reissue, brings the final three symphonies plus all the shorter works of Sibelius from Collins. As a bonus, Thomas Jensen’s Karelia Suite, trim, taut and vivid, brings the set to a blazing finish.
JEAN SIBELIUS
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82
Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op. 104
Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105
Karelia Suite, Op. 11+
Karelia Overture, Op. 10
Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49
Nightride and Sunrise, Op. 55 (1909)
Pelléas et Mélisande – Incidental Music to Maeterlinck’s Play, Op. 46 (1905)
London Symphony Orchestra
Anthony Collins
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra+
Thomas Jensen+
‘I think the star performance of these first three issues is that of the Sixth Symphony—so elusive, so easy to ruin by over-interpreting. I was fascinated by what seemed like a hint of Russian flavouring in the string chants of the coda—well why not?’ Gramophone