Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.classica
Titolo: Sibelius/Bernstein

Su Zweitausendeins č apparso un cofanetto Sony di cui non conoscevo
l'esistenza con l'incisione in 4 CD delle sinfonie di Sibelius eseguite
dalla NYPO con Leonard Bernstein. Che mi dite, vale la pena o č meglio
rimanere
su Maazel ? Premetto che di queste sinfonie ho pezzi staccati di Davis
e Karajan. E giacché ci siamo, qualcuno ha pareri sulle edizioni di Paavo
Berglund
per EMI e di Kurt Sanderling rieditata Brilliant a prezzo stracciato ?
grazie per le risposte
Neil
--------------------------------
Inviato via 
http://usenet.libero.it

 per EMI e di Kurt Sanderling rieditata Brilliant a prezzo stracciato ?
Ti incollo una recensione dell'integrale diretta da Sanderling.
Cmq il mio Omonimo è uno specialista del Finlandese e sicuramente non
mancherà di rispondere, con pareri significativi. Io ti consiglierei,
nell'economico, l'integrale diretta da Saraste che è uscita in due doppi
della serie Ultima della Warner.
Ciao
    Roberto
This set seems to have had little or no attention in record review
magazines. I recall seeing a passing (and, I think, approving) reference
to it in a Gramophone overview of Sibelius cycles. Apart from that
nothing - rather like the Abravanel and Watanabe cycles. Perhaps this
goes in Sanderling's case with the recordings having been a product of
East Germany in the days before Unification. It would have been so easy
for this valuable quartet of discs to be allowed to slip away but thanks
are due to EDEL for keeping it in the public eye. 
Sanderling's Nordic credentials are certainly in order. He was born in
1912 and trained in Berlin. He emigrated to Russia in 1936 conducting in
turn the Moscow Radio Orchestra and then the Kharkov PO until in 1942 he
was appointed as joint permanent conductor of the Leningrad PO with
Mravinsky. Sanderling left Leningrad in 1960 for a long association with
the Berlin SO (which only ended in 1977) and the Dresden Staatskapelle.
Sanderling's Sibelius cycle is distinguished by an attention to point
and detail. The second symphony feels lovingly moulded and crafted with
notable control of the pizzicato (I 2.21) and finely lathed tension in
the second movement. There is a slight hint of vintage Russian vibrato
in the French horns - a ripeness that suits very well in this
repertoire. In the finale the heaven-vaunting trumpets have a very human
self-questioning edge. These fine features carry over into the final
pages but with a suggestion of languor that falls over the edge into
tiredness. 
The Third (1904-07) makes the transition from the Tchaikovskian romance
of the first two symphonies. A chill flame lights up the third and the
sixth symphonies (my favourites among the cycle). Sanderling is warmly
in sympathy with these works catching the long march and trudge of the
first movement (Leningrad's snow still on Sanderling's boots?) with a
sharply accented and chiselled approach. So a cold flame but it is still
a flame. I noted a small tape 'bump' at 1:27 in the first movement - a
very small blemish in this context. 
The first symphony resounds with mordant string surges, Nutcracker-like
enchantment, some stunning brass playing and the easily unrolling
chiff-chaff of the strings and woodwind (e.g. 10.50 I). The pizzicato
are punched out with the agreeable impact at the end of the first
movement. The hushed fast waves of sound underpinning the horns are done
to perfection in the second movement (3.30). In the third movement
Sanderling demonstrates that he knows how to knot and twist the tension
(1.36). The finale is rather too clipped and petulantly light-weight to
be completely successful. More's the pity as this is a performance that
otherwise compares well with the 'market-leaders' including Colin Davis.
En Saga's etched string wavelets at the start are extremely well done
and the mesmeric string ostinati superbly look forward to Night Ride and
Sunrise. Sanderling's account of the latter is extremely successful:
buzzing with blade-sharp definition and with an impressive depth of
recording. Sanderling stands here as the conjurer of clouds and
enchanter of winds. In Finlandia bombast is conquered with some savagely
barking brass and at 3.35 the horns are simply magnificent. 
The Sixth Symphony has a coolly unfolding flute contribution and
cocooned strings (I), the motoric propulsion of the strings utterly
banishing any languor. In the finale Sanderling and Sibelius conjure
great reserves of detail and at the same time catch the spirit of remote
village churches and crudely fervent hymn-singing. The second movement,
more than ever in this recording, seems to have much in common with the
incidental music. 
The Seventh Symphony is the least successful of the set. In it
Sanderling's propensity for caressing detail undermines the tension. All
in all, and in total contrast to his Leningrad partner (Mravinsky) in
this work, there is little sense of steely or adamantine control. 
The fourth symphony is projected with throatily clipped style. The
recording is natural - decidedly unglamorous. It is taken rather
steadily but this seems to work well. This is not the equal of Colin
Davis's Boston set (Philips) but it is an estimable recording which will
consistently please. Many corners and crests emerge with satisfying
eminence and clarity. The finale is very good indeed with the studied
faltering of the cello and violin solo statements striding out. There is
also, about the work, a gruff volcanic romance quite unlike the Karajan
DG performance through which I grew to know this symphony. Sanderling
and his orchestra are excellent at these rock-steady ostinati and this
foundation pays off time and again. 
The fifth symphony is, for Sanderling, typically natural in approach and
sound. 'New' details float out and upwards all the time, for example the
bassoon solo in I at 7.09. This is very special indeed. Sanderling is in
touch with the hymn-like aspects of the second movement and the wintry
serenade work of the woodwind is allowed to register clearly. The
strings seem to emphasise the affinity of the writing with Tchaikovsky's
String Serenade. Tension darts, hums, bubbles and streams (try 4.34 if
you would like to sample the ethereal and the tense hand-in-hand)
through the finale. The epic horn cradle-song, so well articulated,
makes this an extremely satisfying performance. 
The trilingual (German, English, French) notes give us the essentials. 
The stereo competition is fierce. The emerging Naxos Petri Sakari set
looks to be very promising and I have a very high regard for Berglund's
Royal Classics set with the Bournemouth SO. The latter happens to be
from the same vintage as the Sanderling. In fairness the Berlin Classics
set would not have been my very first choice but I would feel privileged
to have learnt and enjoyed the symphonies through them. If you can
tolerate mono then the Beulah Collins set is well worth your attention.
I would refer readers to Gerald Fenech's overview of the Sibelius
symphonies for a broader view. 
How to characterise this set? Sanderling glories in detail. He can tend
towards a steadiness that occasionally decays the pulse and thrust of
the music. Often however his unglamorous approach brings out details
that others gloss and chamfer. He is not afraid to allow these Northern
flowers and trees to bloom at a natural pace. He is no stranger to drama
but will not fabricate it unnaturally. Tension is exposed rather than
created. This set is in many ways a most agreeable library staple and
conductor, orchestra and recording all lend themselves to long-term
listening rather than immediate emotional returns and short-term neon
high-drama. 

Neil McCauley wrote:

Bernstein e' uno dei grandi interpreti di Sibelius ,
Il ciclo con la New York risale agli anni 60,
e' caratterizzata da una grande forza unita
a una sana rusticita' e rimane una delle interpretazioni
maggiori di queste Sinfonie.
Bernstein ha registrato successivamente con la Vienna
la1a, 2a ,5a e la 7a con risultati ancora superiori.
Berglund ha Sibelius nel sangue ed entrambi le integrali
sono validissime .La prima con la Burnemounth S.O.
e' molto nordica ,severa e agreste e ha i suoi cultori.
La seconda  a Helsinki e' piu' morbida e musicale
ed e' di piu' facile ascolto anche se rimane nordica.
L' integrale di Sanderling  non fa prigonieri, e' cupa e  e molto
tesa, l'opposto di Mazel, ma sempre di gran livello.
E' un' integrale di approfondimento,non di prima scelta.
Saluti
  Luigi

... Kurt Sanderling rieditata Brilliant a prezzo stracciato ?
non è malvagia, sicuramente ottima per quello che costa, ma personalmente
preferisco Naxos, Slovak Philarmonic Orchestra - Adrian Leaper
Specie nella Quarta, la sinfo di Sibelius che amo di più, c'è un abisso.
Leaper riesce a renderla in tutta la sua drammatica misticità, mentre la
versione di Sanderling mi sembra inopinatamente spensierata.
Peccato che Naxos non abbia completato l'integrale con Leaper (almeno credo)
ma per quel che costano io ti consiglio di prendere entrambe.
____________________________________________________
Allegri !
Claudio Chiani
buo n a  s  s  e   e    e     r      a        a 
____________________________________________________

 per EMI e di Kurt Sanderling rieditata Brilliant a prezzo stracciato ?
Paavo Berglund / EMI? quelle di Bounemouth? devono essere
interessanti.
Io ho quelle per FINLANDIA con la Chamber orchestra of Europe e le
trovo davvero notevoli.
non conosco Sanderling/Edel Classics (Brilliant le ha su licenza)
ciao
 Roberto
--
/_/  Roberto Maria Avanzi
_/  Institut für Experimentelle Mathematik / Universität Essen
/  Ellernstraße 29 / 45326 Essen / Germany

 sinfonie meglio di Maazel.
<snip>
ti aspettavo, ciccio ... e mi attacco al tuo post per ringraziare tutti per
le risposte:
un'ideina me la sono fatta, e appena mi tornano a casa le casse (sigh!)
saprò
cosa prendere.
ciao e grazie ancora a tutti


 cosa prendere.
prendi Barbirolli (EMI) a mio avviso l'interprete più credibile e completo
di Sibelius