Jean SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphony No 1 in E minor, Op 39 (1899) [39:03]
Symphony No 3 in C, Op 52 (1904) [31:44]
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Owain Arwel Hughes
rec. August 2019, St. John's Smith Square, London,
RUBICON RCD1055 [73:01]
Conductors from the British Isles, from Anthony Collins to Sir Adrian Boult and Sir Colin Davis, have displayed a marked affinity for Sibelius, perhaps because of a common Northern temperament. The Welsh conductor Owain Arwel Hughes shows a similar affinity for these two symphonies, but, perhaps, a less comprehensive command thereof.
The E minor Symphony is frustratingly inconsistent. The opening clarinet solo is either too loudly played or too closely miked -- either way, it lacks mystery -- then the tremolos cover the first few notes of the principal theme. The strings give the second theme an undulating buoyancy, but then the climax's arrival is smudged. The tremolos in the development -- more tremolo problems -- are flatfooted, providing energy but not propulsion, and the conductor blunts, or neglects, timbral and textural contrasts.
In the Andante, Hughes points the theme gently and expressively -- no dawdling -- but the ensuing fugato feels aimless, the climaxes are again soft-edged, and there are brief bits of miscoordination between orchestral sections. I did like the Scherzo and its trenchant Trio, with its gratifyingly full-bodied horns. After the Finale's mournful start, the Allegro molto, too moderately paced, gets stuck; the string anthem at 3:49 is hushed and fervent, but a clumsy setup mars its reprise.
Oddly, the more elusive C Major Symphony comes off better, despite a few misfires. The string sixteenths at the start and the subsequent syncopations have a hearty swing, with the woodwinds offering a bright contrast. I liked the cold, anticipatory passage at 3:29; the flute-to-clarinet join at 9:00 suffers a slight hiccough. The Andantino con moto settles into a sombre, elegiac waltz; it ends pedantically, but the interplay of the little woodwind counterpoints on its return is fetching. The ambiguous scansion at the start of the Moderato may well be the point; the brief flashback to the waltz feels a bit rushed, but, later, the textural interplay is again appealing. Later on, the ostinatos are too regularly stressed -- obstinate, indeed -- and the final cadence hangs fire.
The recording in both symphonies boasts nice forward woodwinds and good brass depth, although the bassi sound a bit heavy and diffuse.
If you've never heard these symphonies, you'll still be impressed, because they're great music. But, especially on record, great music needs comparably great performances, which don't happen here. My favorites remain Sir Colin Davis's Boston readings (Philips -- happy hunting!) and Okko Kamu's gleaming mid-'70s accounts (DG). From the early digital era, Gibson (Chandos) and
Neeme Järvi (BIS) will serve well.
Stephen Francis Vasta
stevedisque.wordpress.com/blog
