Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Lemminkäinen Legends, Op. 22 (Lemminkäinen and the Maidens on
the Island [15:56], The Swan of Tuonela [9:07],
Lemminkäinen in Tuonela [16:19], Lemminkäinen’s Return
[6:22]) (1895, rev. 1897, 1939) [47:44]
Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49 (1906) [13:43]
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Hannu Lintu
rec. Helsinki Music Centre, Helsinki, Finland, 2014
ONDINE ODE1262-5 SACD [61:40]
This is the second time I’ve had the privilege of reviewing a Sibelius
disc on the Ondine label in this the composer’s 150
th anniversary
year. The first was a two-disc set of orchestral favourites with the
Helsinki Philharmonic under Leif Segerstam that also included
Pohjola’s
Daughter. The tone poem, which Sibelius composed between his Second and
Third Symphonies, is one of his greatest works and one of his most
challenging to perform. Segerstam’s account was the best I had heard, but
now Hannu Lintu has equalled him in this new recording. I listened to the
SACD in two channels only, but even there the sound is something to behold.
It is spacious and has tremendous depth but also clarity. At the same time
it is a very natural sound so that the instrumental balance is what one
would expect from a good seat in the concert hall. As to the interpretation,
both conductors and their respective orchestras have different but equally
valid approaches. Segerstam emphasizes the brass and his climaxes are
overwhelming, whereas one is more cognizant of all the woodwind passages
with Lintu. If anything, Segerstam is more epic and Lintu more lyrical with
the work. I don’t want to make too much of these differences because there
is really not that much in it unless one is listening to them side by side.
The orchestras are first-rate technically and both have Sibelius in their
collective veins.
The
Lemminkäinen Legends, which make up the bulk of the disc, had
a rather checkered history. Originally Sibelius planned to compose an opera
in response to a competition organized by the Finnish Literature Society,
according to Jouni Kaipainen’s informative notes gracing the disc’s booklet.
Under the influence of Wagner’s operas, Sibelius began to plan his opera but
before long understood the futility of the project and realized that
orchestral composition was to be his forte. The opera,
Veneen
luominen (
The Building of the Boat), was to be based on
stories from the Finnish national epic,
Kalevala. Instead, he used
some of the music he had composed for it in the
Lemminkäinen suite.
The four orchestral Legends that comprise the suite were premiered in 1896
and received some harsh criticism in the press. Therefore, Sibelius decided
to remove the first two pieces from public performance; he had reversed the
order of the second and third legends initially. Only the
The Swan of
Tuonela and
Lemminkäinen’s Return were published, even though
the composer had revised the entire set in 1897. Finally, in 1937, in
conjunction with the centenary of the
Kalevala, all four Legends
were heard again. Then in 1939 Sibelius made final revisions to the first
two parts and changed the order of the middle movements with
The Swan of
Tuonela now placed second. While that movement has taken on a life of
its own as one of the composer’s most popular works, the entire suite is
attractive and has had a number of recordings.
My introduction to the work was with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia
Orchestra on EMI. That account has stood the test of time, even though this
new one is as well performed and considerably better recorded. From the very
first chord, wonderfully played in tune by the four horns, this is a very
promising version. The delightful woodwind passage (1:48-2:15) comes across
so much better than on the Ormandy recording. For one thing it is taken a
bit more slowly here and the improvement in the sound is measurable.
The
Swan of Tuonela is treated with sensitivity and the famous English horn
solo, as
primus inter pares, is placed within the orchestra as one
would hear it at a concert without being spotlit. In the third movement,
Ormandy’s high strings produce a fury anticipating the string writing in
Tapiola, whereas Lintu brings out more of the bass lines in the
music and his dynamic range is exceptional. The differences in
Lemminkäinen’s Return are also worth noting: Ormandy’s is a very
exciting, even swashbuckling rendition with thrilling trumpets. With Lintu,
on the other hand, one is more aware of the woodwinds and lower brass, and
both the depth and immediacy of the recording. That’s not to say it lacks
excitement, but it has so much else contributing to it not least the
stunning sound. I will still enjoy Ormandy’s performance, but am confident I
will give this new account priority whenever I want to hear the whole
suite.
For both
Pohjola’s Daughter and the
Lemminkäinen Legends
these performances by Lintu and the Finnish Radio Symphony mark this
Sibelius year in a quite special way.
Leslie Wright