Nymph

The source of the Lemminkäinen Suite is the Finnish national epic Kalevala, and its four movements – of which ‘The Swan of Tuonela’ is often performed separately - tell of the adventures of the young hero Lamminkäinen. In comparison, The Wood-Nymph only had its first complete performance in 1996. This was given by the performers on this disc, a team which has become synonymous with top-flight idiomatic Sibelius performances.

The source of the Lemminkäinen Suite is the Finnish national epic Kalevala, and its four movements – of which ‘The Swan of Tuonela’ is often performed separately - tell of the adventures of the young hero Lamminkäinen. In comparison, The Wood-Nymph only had its first complete performance in 1996. This was given by the performers on this disc, a team which has become synonymous with top-flight idiomatic Sibelius performances.

Frank Peter Zimmermann offers a fresh and exciting view of the Violin Concerto, less sentimental than some, with swift tempos and a dazzlingly swift finale. He phrasing is sometimes a touch angular, particularly in the first movement, and this usually works well, putting an arresting slant on tunes we feel we've heard a million times before. Only the very opening misfires a bit: yes, it's marked mezzo-forte, but it's also marked "dolce ed espressivo", and Zimmermann's somewhat wiry tone is neither.

All admirers of lush, late-romantic tone poems should find plenty to enjoy in this release. Vítezslav Novák (1870-1949) is underrepresented in the catalogs, and this disc marks an important step in his evaluation. The sound-world is lush and saturated, an atmosphere captured well by Chandos's spacious recording. Straussian opulence with a soft Slav accent would be an apt description of these pieces. Throughout, Pesek exhibits an indigenous understanding of the Bohemian musical language, and the BBC Philharmonic responds passionately. The tenderness of Lady Godiva (written in 1907 and apparently composed in two days) is touchingly portrayed, while the imaginative orchestration of Toman and the Wood Nymph (1906-07), more daring than that of Godiva, is relished to the full. The later De Profundis (1941) proceeds in grand gestures on a journey from its initial subterranean rumblings to its organ-drenched, upliftingly triumphant conclusion. Warmly recommended.

Colin Clarke