Jim Tobin replies to Jane Erb:

>>I admire Vanska, but especially for his interpretations of
>>music from his native Finland and surrounding countries.
>
>I would pit his Sibelius against all comers...

In the case of the symphonies, it's certainly refreshingly different
and although I find some of his occasionally slower tempos interesting,
eg the slow movement of the fourth symphony, I wouldn't want to be without
alternative versions.

Among Vanska's other recordings, I much admire his Pizzetti orchestral
music on Hyperion and the two superb Bis CDs of Leifs.

I wonder if we can have a pronunciation - both a's in Vanska have umlauts
which I believe are pronounced differently from their German equivalent,
which would approximate to the e sound in "get".  I checked the excellent
pronouncing dictionary of music and musicians (linked from Musicweb) but
he's not there.

Richard Pennycuick