Kajanus conducts Sibelius - vol. 2
Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Belshazzar's Feast Suite, Op. 51 (Oriental Procession;
Solitude;
Night Music; Khadra’s Dance) [14:40]
Karelia Suite, Op. 11 (Intermezzo; Alla
marcia)[7:52]
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43 [39:20]
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Symphony 2, Karelia); London Symphony
Orchestra/Robert
Kajanus
rec. Central Hall, Westminster, 27-28 May 1930 (Symphony 2;
Karelia);
EMI Abbey Road Studio No. 1, 24, 29 June 1932. ADD
NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.111394 [61:52]
Here, hot on the heels of volume
1, is the second of three of Mark Obert-Thorn’s transfers from
original
1930s Sibelius Society 78s. The third and last should be out very soon. It
will
feature symphonies 3 and 5 plus the fascinating March Of The Finnish
Jaeger
Battalion. The contents follow the equivalent CDs issued by Koch
International
back in the early 1990s. The same engineer was also contracted by Koch to
do
the transfers. I have not heard any of the Koch discs but they are
unlikely
to be preferred over these Naxos issues since Mr Obert-Thorn tells me:
“Back
then, I was just starting out doing transfers professionally. I did the
Koch
series on open-reel tape … I was only able to remove the worst pops
and
clicks through use of a razor blade and splicing tape. Now, I record and
edit
digitally, using CEDAR de-clicking, which cleans the sound up much more
thoroughly
than the old method. Also, I leave the sound much more open and less
filtered
than I did twenty years ago.”
Naxos tells us that when offered a grant in 1930 to foster a wider
international
interest through recordings to be made in London Sibelius chose Kajanus
without
a blink: “there are none who have gone deeper and given (my
symphonies)
more feeling and beauty than Robert Kajanus”.
The programme is artfully sequenced. First we get the fey and fragile
exotica,
glistening fantasy and wan orientalism of Belshazzar's Feast. Then
come
the exuberant outer movements of the Karelia Suite: why did Kajanus
opt
for just the two, I wonder? Was it some non-musical pressure that prompted
the
decision? In any event Kajanus adopts a buoyant upbeat approach. The
Second
Symphony is also pushed and whirled along rather than indulgent or
languorous.
The first movement may even seem a bit breathless and much the same can be
said
of the finale. Otherwise speeds are apt but unremarkable. Phrasing is
nicely
sculpted throughout.
The notes by Colin Anderson are spot-on and there is an extended
introduction
by Mark Obert-Thorn giving us some insight into the diligent and
punctilious
work involved in assembling the best sounding result from as many as four
different
sets of 78s in the case of the Second Symphony.
Sibelius voiced by the composer’s chosen conductor in the best
sounding
transfers yet.
Rob Barnett
Sibelius voiced by the composer’s chosen conductor in the best sounding transfers yet.
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