Sibelius Symphony 7

This seventh and final installment of the Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra covers the years 2000 to 2010, a rich period in the orchestra's history largely characterized by the changing perspectives of a new century. Indeed, it was in 2004 that Riccardo Chailly relinquished his position as chief conductor, to be replaced by the Latvian maestro Mariss Jansons, who shifted the orchestra's focus more towards Tchaikovsky, Richard Strauss and Shostakovich. A generation of orchestral players retired and were succeeded by a group of outstanding young musicians, most of them hailing from outside the Netherlands, resulting in a growing internationalization of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Also in this period, the launch of the orchestra's own in-house record label, RCO Live, breathed new life into its rich recording tradition.

Both quartets on this disc are by composers who were not known for their chamber music, and in the case of Verdi, the E minor quartet stands completely outside his usual mode of composition. The Sibelius quartet, while it veers far from the well worn path of late-romantic chamber music, lies comfortably within its composer's milieu, with its angular harmonies, stark melodies, and overall enigmatic mood.

In 1930 EMI started a subscription series of the works of Jean Sibelius. Most of the Sibelius Society orchestral recordings are available on Naxos in excellent transfers by Mark Obert-Thorn, but the Warner box includes a few rarities that slipped by them. This is the first time that all the composer-approved orchestral recordings made for the Sibelius project between 1930 and 1940 have been gathered together (six CDs worth). Plus one CD of chamber music and songs.

RCA Red Seal is a classical music label and is now part of Sony Masterworks.
The Red Seal label was begun in 1902 by the Gramophone Company in the United Kingdom and was quickly adopted by its United States affiliate, the Victor Talking Machine Company, and its president, Eldridge R. Johnson. Distinctive, red paper information labels affixed to the centre of the two affiliated companies' black shellac discs inspired the name.

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.

Internationally acclaimed and Grammy winning conductor Paavo Järvi directs one of the worlds finest orchestra’s, the Orchestre de Paris, in this outstanding collection of all seven of Sibelius’ symphonies. As the music director of Orchestre de Paris (2019-2016), he has performed several works by Sibelius including the seven symphonies. In 2015, he was presented with the Sibelius medal by the Finnish Ambassador to France, Risto Piipponen, for his remarkable work in promoting the music of Sibelius throughout France. Sibelius: Complete Symphonies will be the first ever recording of Sibelius’ complete symphonies by a French orchestra. Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) is recognized as one of the greatest composers of the late Romantic periods. He is the most noted composer of Finland, and his seven symphonies are regularly performed and recorded both in his home country and worldwide.