Jean Sibelius: Symphony nr. 4 op. 63, Tampere Filharmonia / Santtu-Matias Rouvali (Oct 2015)
Do check this one out!
00:00 Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
12:38 Allegro molto vivace
17:25 Il tempo largo
30:05 Allegro
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Symphony nr 4 op 63 (1911), Tampere Filharmonia conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali (1985-), at the Tampere-talo Concert Hall, on Oct 9th, 2015. (Live recording, audio post-processing by myself.)
One of the highlights, if not the hightlight of Sibelius's festival year 2015 was Tampere Filharmonia's Sibelius concert cycle.
In the words of the conductor Rouvali before the performance: "this piece is designed to make you sad"!
Link to a concise guide to the symphony: http://goo.gl/MNMbMF
It's been sometimes stated that Sibelius, when composing the 4th, was under a death threat from cancer. In reality he had been diagnosed in May 1908 in Helsinki with a papilloma growth in the vocal chords. This is usually benign, but can sometimes develop into a malignant form. A top Berlin professor B. Fränkelin operated on his vocal cords in summer 1908, the operation would have required great skill and was reportedly very difficult indeed. Hoarseness of his voice returned in early 1909 when in London, but the always worried Sibelius was given an all clear by prof. Fränkelin in Berlin. He started working on the Fourth in 1910, much later from the time he had been reassured that regarding the removed growth he was safe. Thanks to the growth however, Sibelius according to doctors' orders abstained from alcohol in the years 1908-14 -- the doctors had however suggested a total ban on drinking -- which were happy times in his family and also productive in the work.
During the composing period Sibelius did several trips in Finland; he spent a week on island of Järvö in the Gulf of Finland archipelago, visited Vyborg, the rapids in Imatra, and Mt. Koli in Karelia. The trips seem to have excited and inspired him, according to his diary.
The Symphony was first performed, conducted by the composer, in Helsinki in April 1911, initially resulting in a predominantly much confused reaction within the audience. The work was quite a bit ahead of the then general conventions and the traditions the public had come to expect from Sibelius. The second concert went much better, with the audience this time apparently having made up their minds to back Sibelius come what may. This time Sibelius, quite against his usual over-sensitivity to any negative critique, was adamant the work was fit to print.
Sibelius wanted the Largo part of the Symphony be played at his own funeral, which performance did not take place though.
I've myself found the Fourth grows on you the more you listen to it, it just should be given its chance,
Finnish medical journal Duodecim on Sibelius's throat disease case: http://goo.gl/Ji3J51
Sibelius.fi backgroud info (in Finnish) http://goo.gl/6R4
00:00 Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
12:38 Allegro molto vivace
17:25 Il tempo largo
30:05 Allegro
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Symphony nr 4 op 63 (1911), Tampere Filharmonia conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali (1985-), at the Tampere-talo Concert Hall, on Oct 9th, 2015. (Live recording, audio post-processing by myself.)
One of the highlights, if not the hightlight of Sibelius's festival year 2015 was Tampere Filharmonia's Sibelius concert cycle.
In the words of the conductor Rouvali before the performance: "this piece is designed to make you sad"!
Link to a concise guide to the symphony: http://goo.gl/MNMbMF
It's been sometimes stated that Sibelius, when composing the 4th, was under a death threat from cancer. In reality he had been diagnosed in May 1908 in Helsinki with a papilloma growth in the vocal chords. This is usually benign, but can sometimes develop into a malignant form. A top Berlin professor B. Fränkelin operated on his vocal cords in summer 1908, the operation would have required great skill and was reportedly very difficult indeed. Hoarseness of his voice returned in early 1909 when in London, but the always worried Sibelius was given an all clear by prof. Fränkelin in Berlin. He started working on the Fourth in 1910, much later from the time he had been reassured that regarding the removed growth he was safe. Thanks to the growth however, Sibelius according to doctors' orders abstained from alcohol in the years 1908-14 -- the doctors had however suggested a total ban on drinking -- which were happy times in his family and also productive in the work.
During the composing period Sibelius did several trips in Finland; he spent a week on island of Järvö in the Gulf of Finland archipelago, visited Vyborg, the rapids in Imatra, and Mt. Koli in Karelia. The trips seem to have excited and inspired him, according to his diary.
The Symphony was first performed, conducted by the composer, in Helsinki in April 1911, initially resulting in a predominantly much confused reaction within the audience. The work was quite a bit ahead of the then general conventions and the traditions the public had come to expect from Sibelius. The second concert went much better, with the audience this time apparently having made up their minds to back Sibelius come what may. This time Sibelius, quite against his usual over-sensitivity to any negative critique, was adamant the work was fit to print.
Sibelius wanted the Largo part of the Symphony be played at his own funeral, which performance did not take place though.
I've myself found the Fourth grows on you the more you listen to it, it just should be given its chance,
Finnish medical journal Duodecim on Sibelius's throat disease case: http://goo.gl/Ji3J51
Sibelius.fi backgroud info (in Finnish) http://goo.gl/6R4
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