Sibelius Symphony no. 5
Sibelius Pohjola's Daughter
Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Saraste
LPO Live LPO0057

Release date September 2011

Until now, Lutosławski and Sibelius have never seemed to me like obvious bedfellows. Yet somehow, Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra fits well alongside two of Sibelius’s better known orchestral works: Symphony no. 5 and Pohjola’s Daughter. The Lutosławski is based upon the folk melodies of Masovia (the region around Warsaw). The Allegro maestoso first movement alone gives a good idea of the variety of textures and moods involved. It opens with a very strong and heavy theme (reminiscent of Shostakovich’s symphonies), yet by the end of the movement it has become something quite different: delicate and intimate. The third and final movement (counting for more than half the piece in terms of duration) allows a very definite melodic line to emerge from the initially misty sound world. This is developed further before the work is brought to a terrifying close. Sibelius’s Pohjola’s Daughter has been treated to an intense and sombre performance; the richness of the lower-voiced instruments comes through perfectly on this live recording. The orchestra’s interpretation of Symphony no. 5 is riveting. Despite all that is going on in the music, there is a constant clarity of texture. The LPO revels in the symphony’s weighty finale with the horns singing out their moments of glory. The applause (saved for the end of the CD) is well-deserved. The Evening Standard’s review of the Sibelius concert sums up the magic: 'Sibelius’s music is characterised by constant switches of tempo but Saraste, conducting from memory, negotiated the gear changes with idiomatic empathy, steering his players confidently through the turbulent shoals of the start of the finale to the culminating oceanic currents.'

Reviewed by Ruth Taylor