Robert Kajanus

Ernst Mielck - Dramatic Overture / Macbeth Overture / Finnish Suite / Altböhmisches Weihnachtslied / Altgermanisches Julfest
Juha Kotilainen / Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra / Mikk Murdvee
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 271 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Toccata Classics TOCC 0174 | Country/Year: UK 2013
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

"…Mielck composed all his works in the short span of four years. His catalogue includes a large number of works in the field of chamber music, including a string quintet and a string quartet. He also composed a symphony (1897), two overtures, a concert piece for piano and orchestra as well as one for violin and orchestra, the Finnish Suite, and two major vocal works in the German language…"

British orchestras and their audiences have long held a special affinity for the orchestral works of Jean Sibelius, and the Hallé's venerable tradition of playing his music continues in this superb recording of the Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, the Symphony No. 7 in C major, and the symphonic poem En Saga. Mark Elder's straightforward interpretations are clear-headed and meticulous yet intensely passionate, and the orchestra responds to his direction by digging deep and playing with a commitment that is nearly perceptible. These symphonies and En Saga are representative of Sibelius' mature style, so their deliberate pacing and steady unfolding of motives into organic developments over long time spans require attentive listening, but the clarity of Elder's readings makes the progress of the music easy to follow. Add to this the exceptional reproduction, which brings out every detail with crispness, and presents the Hallé's warm and rich sonorities with credible presence, and the end result is a nearly ideal presentation of Sibelius' music.

The years spanned by this seven-disc Warner Classics collection coincide with the peak years of Jean Sibelius' popularity. At that time, he was widely regarded in Western countries as the greatest living composer, though he had essentially stopped producing major works after the mid-1920s, when he wrote the Symphony No. 7 in C major, the incidental music to The Tempest, and Tapiola.