This disc comes with a very good pedigree
– Vänskä and the Lahti orchestra are well represented in
BIS’s
mammoth Sibelius Edition – but for me the real revelation
was hearing these forces in the music of Kalevi Aho. The playing
there is first rate, as are the readings, and all recorded in
excellent sound. The compilation under review is a mix of old
and new material;
The Swan of Tuonela, Lemminkäinen’s Return
and
Finlandia are newly released, the rest culled from
the Sibelius Edition. On paper it makes a good ‘taster’, offering
newcomers a flavour of Sibelius’s early orchestral output, but
given the forces involved it should appeal to seasoned collectors
as well.
High-res audiophiles will be particularly interested in this disc,
as these works aren’t particularly well represented on SACD. Past
experience has shown that BIS recordings are among the best around,
and the opening of the
Karelia
Suite will confirm that. But even though the martial timps
and brass fanfares sound splendid the jaunty theme that follows
lacks clarity and, as a result, the music doesn’t sparkle as much
as it usually does. I’m not quite sure what’s happening here,
but the orchestra sounds rather veiled in all three movements,
only emerging from behind the gauze in tuttis. It’s certainly
not an issue on any of the Aho discs recorded in the same venue.
That said, the playing is engagingly rough-hewn – no bad thing,
given the polished veneer usually applied to these works – and
that is probably the most attractive feature of this recording.
At least Vänskä allows us to feel the grain of these works, the
knots and whorls that are so often glossed over. There’s certainly
a pleasing earthiness to the celebratory music of the
Alla
Marcia, which brings the suite to a rousing close.
The
Wood-Nymph is the longest and most involving piece here. This
tale of a young man led astray by elves and then seduced by a
wood-nymph isn’t the gossamer creation one might expect. Instead,
there is a darker, more elemental feel, which suits the orchestra’s
playing style very well. There’s little evidence of veiling here,
percussive thunder followed by quieter, more lyrical passages
that quiver with barely suppressed eroticism. Indeed, the coda
is positively orgasmic in both rhythm and intensity, the BIS engineers
capturing it all in sound of spectacular range and weight. It’s
not one of Sibelius’s best-known works – Vänskä only ‘rediscovered’
it in 1996 – but it really ought to be, if this performance is
anything to go by.
The mythological element of Sibelius’s output is well represented
by
The Swan of Tuonela and
Lemminkäinen’s Return,
from the
Lemminkäinen Suite. The eponymous swan
glides through the black waters that surround Tuonela – the Finnish
Hades – accompanied by some ravishing sounds from the cor anglais.
Again, there is a thoroughly idiomatic feel to the playing of
both orchestra and soloist, the bass a powerful, louring presence
in the distance. It’s a gorgeous piece, well performed and stunningly
recorded.
As for Lemminkäinen, the Finnish equivalent of Homer’s journeying
hero, he returns to rediscover the pleasures and memories of his
homeland in some of the most stirring music here. Indeed, this
patriotism and pride feeds into Sibelius’s own preoccupation with
national identity, which perhaps explains why these high-stepping
tunes are presented with such boldness and splendour. There’s
also more than a hint of the grandeur we hear in
Finlandia,
especially in the music’s closing bars. Vänskä draws propulsive
playing from his orchestra, brass and percussion recorded with
plenty of tingle and fizz. Another cracker, and a great demonstration
track for hi-fi buffs.
Spring Song finds Sibelius at his most lyrical, but it’s
not the sweet seasonal sketch its title might suggest. As always,
Vänskä accentuates the grainier qualities of this music, although
in
Valse triste – the first of two pieces from the
Kuolema
Suite – he and the Lahti band sound as poised and elegant
as one could hope for. The string playing is especially good,
the orchestra really leaning into those waltz rhythms. The second
piece,
Scene with Cranes, is much more austere, chamber-like
in fact; the distinctive bird-calls are well done, the engineers
picking out every detail of this lovely score.
But it’s the big tunes that get the most play here, and
Finlandia
is one of the biggest. It’s as imposing as ever, even if the orchestra
isn’t as focused or the brass as unanimous as elsewhere. But
The
Wood-Nymph is the most intriguing piece, that and the two
Op. 22 selections the best recorded. Liner-notes and general presentation
are up to the usual standards of the house and, despite minor
quibbles, this remains a very worthwhile release indeed.
Dan Morgan
Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vänskä 
