These four discs collect Leif Segerstam's second cycle of the symphonies of Sibelius. First issued by Ondine in the early years of the 21st century as separate discs filled out with symphonic poems, the symphonies are here condensed into a cold, hard block of eternity. Segerstam's first Sibelius cycle for Chandos in the early Nineties aimed both barrels at eternity, but with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra's colorful and dedicated but sometimes too cheerful playing, he didn't always hit it. But back home in Finland with ...
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These four discs collect Leif Segerstam's second cycle of the symphonies of Sibelius. First issued by Ondine in the early years of the 21st century as separate discs filled out with symphonic poems, the symphonies are here condensed into a cold, hard block of eternity. Segerstam's first Sibelius cycle for Chandos in the early Nineties aimed both barrels at eternity, but with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra's colorful and dedicated but sometimes too cheerful playing, he didn't always hit it. But back home in Finland with the even more dedicated but more darkly colored and wholly idiomatic playing of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Segerstam nails eternity every time. The Helsinki musicians have Sibelius' music in their blood, and their playing is strong, sure and absolutely authentic, while Segerstam, a composer as well as a conductor, creates as much as re-creates the scores in his interpretations. In their heroic First's tragic Finale, in their dramatic Second's harrowing Tempo andante, ma...
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