Kar-Ming Chong:

>I'm considering to purchase the BIS series (with Vanska) on Sibelius
>(symphonies, suites etc) and I need list members' opinions on this
>on-going series.  After listening to Paul Kletzki's Sym 1 & 3
>(Testament), Mravinsky's Sym 7 (Melodiya) and Sakari's 1 & 3 (Naxos), I
>feel that there is much to offer in Sibelius symphonies besides the
>Berglund interpretations (EMI and Finlandia).  So, any opinion for the
>BIS series?

I think you'd be very lucky to find a Sibelius symphony cycle by anyone
that's uniformly satisfying but Vanska, IMHO, is very near - if not at -
the top of the pile.  Some of his tempos are unusual, eg a faster than
usual first movement of #1, and a v-e-r-y slow slow movement of #4, but
ultimately I found them convincing.  The only performance I felt any
disappointment with was #2, and even that was minor quibbling.  You also
get some first versions which are more than makeweights.  I've not heard
all of his other orchestral Sibelius recordings, but those I have are worth
the money.  The most recent was his Lemminkainen Legends about which I
wrote a complimentary post when I first got it - again, this includes
original versions of two legends.  Don't forget the CD with the original
and final versions of the violin concerto played by Leonidas Kavakos.  The
one I'm waiting for Vanska to do is Kullervo - that should be very special.

Richard Pennycuick
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