On 18 April 1967, the German label Deutsche Grammophon organised recording sessions at the Jesus Christus Church in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Herbert von Karajan, its music director for twelve years. On the program, one of the Conductor's major works, the Sixth Symphony by Sibelius, a Composer whom the German conductor considers one of the most significant artists of the 20th century.
Since the beginning of his career, he has always come back to Sibelius. In all, he has made four versions of the Fifth Symphony: in 1951 (Philharmonia, EMI), in 1960 (Philharmonia, EMI), in 1965 (Berlin, DG) and finally in 1976 (Berlin, EMI, probably the most accomplished). The same applies to Tapiola (1953, 1964, 1976, 1984). There are also three versions of the Fourth (1953, 1965, 1976), two versions of the Seventh (1953, 1967) and the Second (1960, 1980) and only one of the First.
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