Noone has mentioned Karajan's or Beecham's Sibelius yet. K recorded the
symphonies 3 times I think though he may not have recorded all of the
symphonies in each of these sets. Both are most well known for their
recordings of the 4-6 on EMI. (before K went to the BPO.) I like Beecham's
7 too. These are budget sets and a good alternative to Ashkenazy
especially if you are a fan of either of these composers.
Sam Pawlett