Best Of Classics 25: Sibelius

Album review

The Sibelius violin concerto, while certainly a work necessitating impressive virtuosic prowess, is also a piece of sweeping emotionality, sentimentality, and long, robust musical lines. To deny either of these two facets is to do a terrible injustice to this cornerstone of the violin concerto repertoire. Unfortunately, violinist Stephanie Gonley and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria provide a performance that errs on the side of technicality rather than musicality. This usually comes down to issues of timing and rubato; the beginning of the first movement, for example, seems rushed. There are a few times when the listener is allowed to breathe after the completion of a phrase before the next one begins. The cadenzas are all quite fast and again focus more on the execution rather than their musical significance. This concerto deserves a performance that offers the best of both worlds; Gil Shaham's recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra is one recommended alternative.
Similarly lacking in musical line and fluency is the performance of the Sibelius Fifth Symphony. While the Fifth may not be as "hummable" as the more popular First and Second symphonies, that's still no excuse for the disjoined and awkward performance heard here. The opening of the first movement is quite rigid and does nothing to keep the listener's interest. The orchestra never quite achieves a convincing, unified sound, instead giving the impression that the different sections of the ensemble are each doing their own thing on their own time. The London Symphony Orchestra led by Colin Davis offers a much more gratifying and musical interpretation of this work.

© TiVo