John Smyth wrote:

>Just wanted to let how impressed I was by Colin Davis' (kinda) new Sibelius
>symphony cycle on RCA.  I felt as though I was listening to Sibelius for
>the first time.   . . .

The RCA cycle has some of the best sound that label has ever produced.
But I think Davis is inconsistent both here and in his earler set for
Philips.  He seems to be better at the less romantic symphonies---
especially 3, 4, and 7.  I prefer his straightforward 1 on the Philips
set over the RCA, which seems a bit weak and bloated to me.  Of course
there are many fine details, but to me that's like missing the forest
for the trees.  Compare it to Stokowski's or Maazel/Vienna's sweeping
romanticism---or Gibson's rugged drama, especially in the first movement.

Davis's RCA 3, however, is the best I know.  What an Andantino!
And in both the Philips and the RCA 7, Davis knows how to elicit great
emotional intensity from the strings.  But I really think there are better
1's, 2's, 5's, and 6's around---although Davis does do much better in 2
than previously.  The sound helps a great deal, and for some people, tends
to push aside his less-than-ideal readings.  So what else is new? Complete
sets almost never completely satisfy (and in a way, I hope RCA doesn't come
out with a boxed set, just to get people out of the habit).  Davis's tone
poems for RCA were inconsistent as well.

Sorry to be somewhat negative.  But as I say, I loved 3, 4, and 7.

Phil Haldeman
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