Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7/Tapiola Op.11
If I were to go out on a limb, I would say that these are the finest  performances of the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies currently available. In the  earlier symphonies, Osmo Vanska seemed determined to make his personal mark on  the music by choosing some very extreme tempos, both fast and slow. Here, he's  content to present the music as effortlessly and organically as possible, and  the result is exceptionally impressive. The Lahti Symphony is a smallish  orchestra, but it's extremely polished in ensemble. The result is a near-perfect  balance that allows the important woodwind parts to emerge clearly above a soft  cushion of strings. It's an ideal sound for Sibelius, and the superb recording  places the orchestra right in your listening room.--David Hurwitz