Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 (Live)

Album review

While not Mariss Jansons' first recording of Sibelius' Second Symphony -- he previously recorded it with the Oslo Philharmonic for EMI in 1996 -- this 2005 recording with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has three distinct advantages over the earlier recording. It has vastly better sound. From four separate performances, RCO Live has edited together an incredibly immediate and unbelievably vivid recording that puts to shame the hard and shallow EMI recording. It has vastly better playing. For all its grit and determination, the Oslo Philharmonic can't touch the power, the grace, or the glory of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. It also has a vastly better performance by Jansons. His earlier Second was clean, lean, and direct, but this Second, while still clean, is also essentially monumental and quintessentially heroic. Unfortunately, for all its undoubted excellences, Jansons' second Second is not quite entirely recommendable. It has a brilliantly wrought opening Allegretto, a thrillingly exciting Vivacissimo, and an overwhelmingly effective Finale, but it wholly lacks a dramatically convincing Tempo andante, ma rubato -- Jansons' drama seems slightly out of focus and his tempos seem more than slightly out of control. While well worth hearing by fans of the conductor, the orchestra, and the composer, those new to Sibelius might want to check out the classic recordings of Beecham, Barbirolli, and Berglund first.

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