Sibelius: The Tempest

On this CD:

1. The Tempest, incidental music for vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra & harmonium, Op. 109
Composed by Jean Sibelius
Performed by Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Monica Groop, Jorma Hynninen, Jorma Silvasti, Sauli Tiilikainen
Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Tempest was Sibelius's last score for the theater, and also his most extensive. He arranged a couple of suites for separate performance away from Shakespeare's play, as was his custom in similar circumstances, but recently there has been renewed interest in the complete work. Aside from the orchestral movements that found their way into the suites, Sibelius wrote choruses, songs, and additional interludes, all of which are worth hearing. The overture and storm music are Sibelius's most harmonically advanced pieces--dissonant, and truly frightening. This performance wrings every drop of drama from each number. It's essential for fans of the composer. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Three Preludes: Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso
Three Preludes: Andante Con Moto E Poco Rubato
Three Preludes: Allegro Ben Ritmato E Deciso
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: I (Tempo Giusto)
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: II
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: III
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: IV
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: V
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: VI (Vivace)
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: VII
Eight Waltzes, Op. 39: VIII
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: I - Prospero
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: II - Ariel
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: III - Miranda
Little Suite From The Tempest, Op.109: IV - Caliban's Song
Three Postcards: L'ange Verrier
Three Postcards: Faunesse Dansante
Three Postcards: Les Noces Du Duc De Joyeuse
Madrigal
Sonatine No. 1, Op. 67: I - Allegro
Sonatine No. 1, Op. 67: II - Largo
Sonatine No. 1, Op. 67: III - Allegro Moderato
Gigue, K574
Bassoonists' Holiday
I Got Rhythm
I'm In The Mood For Love
Caravan
Oh! Darling
Tango (1940)
Tango (1995)
Youkali
Tango (1984)
Azure

Customer Reviews:

Even my kid likes this!.......2005-11-07

This is an amazing collection of songs, all performed with such skill that even my 8-year-old son likes this CD. Brahms and Beatles, Mozart and Ellington, there is something here for everyone. And thank you, thank you, thank you for "Bassoonist's Holiday."

Bassoon Me!.......2004-08-09

I delight in the bassoon! What a unique and great sound, throaty and thrillingly coarse, yet soaring to sound at times like sax, like oboe, like cello, like a bunch of bassoonatics!

This is delightful collection of musical styles played by this innovative and talented quartet. Choosing to select pieces that are not typically of the bassoon repertoire, we go from Waltz to Gershwin to Broadway to Motzart to Lennon/McCartnye to Sibelius to most of us unknowns such as Mitchell Clarke to Duke Ellington.

All played with passion and gusto and excellent tonality, phrasing and tempo.

Bassoon Me again!

Brilliant Bassoonastics.......2003-09-27

This would have to be the best bassoon ensemble cd on the market. The arrangements are stylish and clever, and the performances brilliant! Fraser Jackson must be the most accomplished contrabassoonist I have ever head. This cd is a must for any bassoonists collection be you amateur or proffessional.

OUTSTANDING QUARTET.......2002-04-14

This disc is really superb!!! Not only is the playing at an extremely high level by the group, the arrangements are also outstanding. The Brahms is abolutely beautiful. The group goes from lightning fingers bravura to sweet soulful singing. It is a joy to listen to again and again.

Simply fantastic!.......2001-10-26

I simply love the Caliban Quartet! They breath new life into bassoons! The way they bring out the music is simply magical. Not only do they sound good, their technical abilities are simply amazing!

Jean Sibelius: The Tempest, Suites 1 & 2 / The Oceanides / Nightride and Sunrise - Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra / Leif Segerstam

Average customer rating:

Sibelius as a Painter for the Theater
Sibelius, rare and well-done.
A fine example how Sibelius should be played.

Jean Sibelius: The Tempest, Suites 1 & 2 / The Oceanides / Nightride and Sunrise - Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra / Leif Segerstam
Jean Sibelius , Leif Segerstam , and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite: 4 Legends from the Kalevala Op2; Tapiola Op112
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5
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Sibelius: Symphonies 1 & 7 (Helsinki Phil./Segerstam)
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 6

ASIN: B00000DMKY
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

The Oceanides, Op. 73
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: The Oak Tree
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: Humoresque
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: Caliban's Song
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: The Harvesters
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: Canon
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: Scene
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: Intrada - Berceuse
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: Entr'acte - Ariel's Song
The Tempest, Suite No.1, Op. 109 No. 2: The Storm
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Chorus Of The Winds
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Intermezzo
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Dance Of The Nymphs
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Prospero
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Song I
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Song II
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: Miranda
The Tempest, Suite No. 2, Op. 109 No. 3: The Naiads
Dance Episode
Night Ride And Sunrise, Op.55

Customer Reviews:

Sibelius as a Painter for the Theater.......2006-02-12

Though Sibelius' symphonies are established in the orchestral repertoire and much loved by concertgoers and record collectors (the number of recordings of these symphonies is staggering), few know that Jean Sibelius wrote a great deal of music for the stage. Perhaps this was in part due to his unfulfilled desire to compose opera, and in part due to his popularity as a national hero.

Among his finest music for theater is the incidental music for a 1926 production of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' for the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. Though the original work consisted of over an hour of music composed for large orchestra, soloists, and chorus, what has sustained are the two suites Sibelius himself extracted from the original score. These suites contain some of the most beautiful melodies and tone poem paintings Sibelius ever wrote. The scoring is lush, especially for the 'Chorus of Winds', jocular as in the 'Dance of the Nymphs', and deeply romantic when he provides music to recall Miranda and Ferdinand. By definition these 'suites' are episodic which is unlike the long sweeping movements of his symphonies. But in the hands of conductor Leif Segerstam and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra the flow is even and propulsive. For those unfamiliar with this work this recording is as fine as any yet released.

Included on the CD are the much more familiar tone poems 'The Oceanides' and 'Nightride and Sunrise', two works that complement 'The Tempest' thematically and sonically. This is one of those finely honed, intelligent programs of fresh works by a well-known composer that deserves attention. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, February 06

Sibelius, rare and well-done........2001-08-13

I had been searching for a modern-day replacement of a venerable recording of Sibelius's "The Oceanides" by Sir Thomas Beecham conducting his Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (now unfortunately "no longer available"). For an even longer time, I had been seeking out a replacement for an even older monophonic London (British Decca) LP performance of his "Nightride and Sunrise" by Sir Anthony Collins. I had not been on the lookout for a new recording of his "Incidental Music for `The Tempest'," but I'm certainly pleased that it is the centerpiece of this new Ondine recording, featuring Leif Segerstam conducing the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

The incidental music to Shakespeare's "The Tempest" may well be the most modernistic (and least "typical") of all of Sibelius's music. (Some might reserve this description for his 4th Symphony, but I think that the Tempest incidental music hits closer to the mark.) The putative location of Shakespeare's play is Bermuda, but this is a Bermuda that few if any of us are ever likely to recognize through Sibelius's music. Only the "Storm" scene in the first of these two suites gives any indication that this mythic place might be a mid-ocean island being battered by a tropical storm. (There is a "Prelude" to the two suites, not included in this performance, which clearly provides a musical/aural equivalent of a hurricane - in fact, the very storm which leaves little doubt as to the cause of a wrecked and sinking ship as the initial curtain rises on the play.) The first suite represents Sibelius at his most adventurous, thematically, harmonically and in terms of scoring. Some of the scenes in this suite are full of dissonance, with episodic, even fragmentary, melodic ideas, identifiably Sibelian but just barely. Matters in the second suite are set on a smaller orchestral scale and palette, and the music is much more identifiably Sibelian. I find Segerstam's performance, and the sound offered up by the Ondine engineers, to be better by more than just a little than a quite recent recording by Neemi Järvi conducting the Gothenberg Symphony Orchestra on the BIS label. (Järvi does have the benefit of including the Prelude to the two scenes, but large portions of the music in this Prelude are later incorporated in "The Storm." So, aside from its role in setting the curtain-lifting stage, the absence of the Prelude is not a major loss in this Ondine recording.)

"The Oceanides" and "Nightride and Sunrise" are from earlier periods in Sibelius's composing career (approximately contemporary with the 4th and 2nd symphonies respectively). "The Oceanides," despite its being composed at the time of the 4th Symphony, gives us a preview of "late Sibelius," the Sibelius of the 7th Symphony and "Tapiola." Typically episodic and atypically impressionistic, this tone poem is lean, even stark, in its portrayal of the sea, much as the stark, bleak "Tapiola" depicts the Finnish forests. "Nightride and Sunrise" is almost minimalist in its characteristic repetitive ostinatos heard throughout, ending with a stirring chorale to represent the coming of a new day.

All three of these Sibelius works are relative rarities. It is good to see them coupled together in what can be described as authoritative performances by Segerstam and his Helskinki orchestra. The recorded sound is full and resplendent. Certainly a worthwhile addition to the library of any Sibelius completist.

Bob Zeidler

A fine example how Sibelius should be played........2000-05-10

Sibelius is a real challange for conductors and orchestras .The wide diversity in the works of this composer and the abundance of musical shapes even in a single work make the life of every preformer hard enough . If you got the chance to listen to several performances of the same musical peace you should grasp immmediately the difference. Leif Segerstam has a home advantage upon other conductors because he was born in Finland and has the special attitude which foreign conductors lack so much . Sibelius is played under his button wonderfully and real "Soumi"....I can only try to close my eyes and just be there with the music . Adding to a wonderfull performance is enormous sound quality .What more does a real Sibelius fun need?....

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7 / 'The Tempest' Suite No. 2

Average customer rating:

Excellent Sibelius on Naxos

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7 / 'The Tempest' Suite No. 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra; Three Poems; Mi-Parti
Feeney: Dracula
Violin Concertos of John Adams & Philip Glass
Sea Shanties

ASIN: B00004YYQQ
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Tracks:

Sym No.6 in d, Op.104: Allegro Molto Moderato
Sym No.6 in d, Op.104: Allegretto Moderato
Sym No.6 in d, Op.104: Poco Vivace
Sym No.6 in d, Op.104: Allegro Molto
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Chorus Of The Winds
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Intermezzo
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Dance Of The Nymphs
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Prospero
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Song I & II
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Miranda
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': The Naiads
Ste No.2, Op.109 No.3 'The Tempest': Dance Episode
Sym No.7 in C, Op.105

Amazon.com

Once again, Naxos scores big with this collection of two of Jean Sibelius's greatest symphonies, the 6th and the 7th. Maestro Petri Sakari's predilection is to take the 6th at a somewhat accelerated pace, especially in the first and the third movements, injecting an unexpectedly playful element to the music. It's almost as if Sakari is intentionally recalling some of the same playful elements in the 5th Symphony and holding them over into the 6th. Symphony No. 7, however, is more moderated in its pacing, keeping with the standard performance tempos most conductors, living and dead, have imposed. Between the two symphonies is the second suite from The Tempest, which provides an upbeat segue to the more meditative 7th Symphony that follows. All in all, another fine release from Naxos. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Sibelius on Naxos.......2007-03-08

This is a very nice coupling of Sibelius' last two Symphonies. Petri Sakari conducts the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in very fine fashion. They play with a heartwarming fervour, especially the woodwinds. The outer movements of No. 6 have plenty of fire. The performance of Sibelius single-movement 7th is no less attractive. Gramophone Magazine gave this recording their monthly Editor's Choice Award. The Penguin Guide gave this 3 stars, which is "an outstanding performance and recording in every way". Also, the French magazine La Monde de la Musique gave it their highest "Special Award CHOC symbol". As if not enough, Naxos throws in a very likable account of the rarely heard Second Suite from Sibelius' 1925 incidental music from The Tempest. At a wonderful low price, Naxos provides an excellent 71-plus minutes from the great Finnish composer. Warmly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Adagio Chillout

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000BX5KQ
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings - Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Andante - Jeno Jando
Melodie - Konstain Scherbakov
Elegy From Gustavas Adolphus II Suite - Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra
Requiem - Pie Jesu - Lisa Beckley
Fantasia On Greensleeves - New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Elegiaca - New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Diez Melodias Vascas - Iceland Symphonic Orchestra
Berecuse - Choir Of St. John's College
The Lamb - Choir Of St. Johns College
Nocturnes - BRT Philharmonic Orchestra
Cum Mortuis In Lingua Morta - National Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre - Espanola - Asturias Symphony Orchestra
Requiem - The Lord Is My Shepherd - City Of London Sinfonia

Sibelius: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 6; Lemminkäinen's Return; etc.

Average customer rating:

Far beyond a simple epidermis' sympathy!

Sibelius: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 6; Lemminkäinen's Return; etc.

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Far beyond a simple epidermis' sympathy!.......2006-12-26

The close affinity of Beecham for Sibelius is part of the musical history. He established a profound rapport with the germinal seeds of an epic pastoral, if I may. His Fourth Symphony's approach still stands out as a milestone recording that since Dec 10 1937 has not been able to be surpassed.

Also available in Amazon UK under Naxos label. Acquire this historical performance.

Sibelius: Finlandia Op26/7; Karelia Op11

Average customer rating:

Sibelius: Finlandia Op26/7; Karelia Op11

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies

ASIN: B00004RJNR
Release Date: 2000-03-15

Tracks:

Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Moderato - Allegro
Andante Molto Sostenuto - Jukka Hirvikangas
Tempo Moderato E Sostenuto
III. Alla Marcia. Moderato
Andante
XVII. Antonio. Dance Of The Shapes. Moderato Assai - Allegro Molto Moderato - Poco Tranquillo - Allegro E Poco A Poco Stretto
I. Country-Scenery. Allegretto - Dong-Suk Kang
II. Evening In Spring. Andantino - Dong-Suk Kang
III. In The Summer. Vivace - Dong-Suk Kang
Lento - Poco Risoluto - Piu Risoluto E Mosso - Stretto - Lento Assai
VII. Entr'acte. Allegretto
VIII. The Death Of Melisande. Andante
Largamente - Allegro Moderato - Allegro - Allegro Moderato - Allegro - Allegro Moderato

Average customer rating:

As You Like It - Shakespeare in Music
Henry Purcell , Leonard Bernstein , Cole Porter , Felix Mendelssohn , Ambroise Thomas , Hector Berlioz , Sergey Prokofiev , John Wilson , Pelham Humfrey , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Jean Sibelius , New York Philharmonic , Berliner Philharmoniker , Cleveland Orchestra , English National Opera Orchestra , Andre Kostelanetz Orchestra , Esa-Pekka Salonen , Jeanne Lamon , George Szell , James Conlon , Pembroke Davenport , Andre Kostelanetz , Bo Skovhus , Richard Tucker , Carol Lawrence , Lucine Amara , and Charles Bressler
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00003XAH5
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Tracks:

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 21: Overture. Allegro di molto
'Where The Bee Sucks'
'Take, O Take Those Lips Away'
Musick In The Fairey Queen: Aire 4 In 2 (Dance For The Followers Of The night)
Musick In The Fairey Queen: Chacone
Othello: 'The Willow Song'
Hamlet: 'To Be Or Not To Be'
Hamlet: 'J'ai pu frapper le miserable... Etre ou ne pas etre'
Romeo And Juliet, A Dramatic Symphony, Op. 17: Queen Mab, The Dream Fairy, Scherzo: Prestissimo - Allegretto
Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64: Dance Of The Knights
West Side Story: 'One Hand, One Heart'
Kiss Me, Kate: 'So In Love'
The Merchant Of Venice: 'How Sweet The Moonlight Sleeps Upon This Bank!'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: Andantino
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'How Sweet The Moonlight'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'Look How The Floor Of Heaven...'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'Come, Ho! And Wake Diana With A Hymn!'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'I Am Never Merry When I Hear Sweet Music'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'Music! Hark!'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'How Many Things By Season...'
The Merchant Of Venice: Serenade To Music: 'Soft Stillness And The Night'
The Tempest: 'Our Revels Now Are Ended'
The Tempest: 'The Mermaids'
The Tempest: 'Miranda'
The Tempest: 'Caliban's Song'

Sibelius: Lemminkainen Legends, The Tempest: Suites, Tone Poems; Sir Charles Groves

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Sibelius: Lemminkainen Legends, The Tempest: Suites, Tone Poems; Sir Charles Groves
Jean Sibelius , Sir Charles Groves , and oyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Sibelius: Tone Poems; Songs
Sibelius: Wood-Nymph Op15; Lonely Ski-Trail; Swanwhite Op54
Sibelius: The Origin of Fire
Sibelius: PIANO MUSIC Vol. 1
John Adams - Harmonielehre · The Chairman Dances · Tromba lontana · Short Ride in a Fast Machine / Sir Simon Rattle

ASIN: B0000CGP1U
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

Spring Song, Op.16 (Tone Poem)
Lemminkainen And The Maidens Of The Island, Op.22 No.1
The Swan Of Tuonela, Op.22 No.3
Lemminkainen In Tuonela, Op.22 No.2
Lemminkainen's Return, Op.22 No.4
Romance For Strings, Op.42 In C
The Dryad, Op.45 No.1 (Tone Poem)
Dance Intermezzo, Op.45 No.2
Pan And Echo, Op.53a (Dance Intermezzo)

Tracks:

In Memoriam, Op.59 (Funeral March)
Canzonetta For Strings, Op.62a
Valse Romantique, Op.62b
Petite Scene - Polka - Epilogue
Piece Caracteristique - Melodie Elegiaque - Danse
Prelude, Op.109 No.1
The Oak Tree
Humoresque
Caliban's Song
The Harvesters
Canon
Scena
Intrada - Berceuse
Entr'Acte
Ariel's Song
The Storm
Chorus Of The Winds
Intermezzo
Dance Of The Nymphs
Prospero
Song 1
Song 2
Miranda
The Naiads
Dance Episode
Andante Festivo For Strings

Average customer rating:

The Inimitable Sir Thomas

Sibelius: The Tempest; Finlandia; etc.

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DO4Y
Release Date: 1993-11-16

Customer Reviews:

The Inimitable Sir Thomas.......2005-05-02

This 1993 Capitol CD (mine is actually the earlier 1990 EMI "Beecham Collection" edition) is a desirable purchase for both lovers of Sibelius and admirers of Sir Thomas Beecham. The earliest item (1938) is the Finlandia (with the London Philharmonic). This is one of the slowest acccounts I have encountered - and one of the most magical. It's a fascinating contrast to other readings in my collection, which include Rosbaud (DG), Otterloo (Mercury LP), Silvestri (Disky), Barbirolli (EMI), and Collins (Beulah). The other contents here (recorded 1945-1955) are two suites from the incidental music to The Tempest, the Festivo Overture and two other of the Scenes historiques, and the Intermezzo & Alla Marcia from the Karelia Suite. These are all with the Royal Phil. except the Intermezzo (BBC Symphony).

The main item here is Beecham's irresistable account of the Tempest (in a peculiar order of the conductor's own choosing). The only real oddity is Beecham's breathless account of the Karelia march - the fastest I have ever heard.

An indispensable CD from one of the great Sibelius conductors.

Average customer rating:

A monumental recording
Transporting stuff

Sibelius: The Tempest, Op. 109

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000016IZ
Release Date: 1993-03-26

Tracks:

Overture - The Ship Sinks Beneath The Waves: Largamente Molto
Miranda Is Lulled Into Slumber: Andante
Ariel Flies In: Allegro
Chorus Of The Winds: Molto Moderato
(Ariel Hastens Away): Allegro
Ariel's First Song With Introduction And Choir 'Hietikolle Kme N'/'Come Unto These Yellow Sands': Poco Con Moto - Poco Tranquillo - Poco A Poco Stretto
Ariel's Second Song 'Sun Is' Peittt SynkeVeet'/'Full Fadom Five Thy Father Lies': Largamente
Interlude (Prospero): Adagio - Poco Meno Adagio - Tempo Primo
The Oak Tree (Ariel) Plays The Flute: Molto Moderato
Ariel's Third Song 'Tlenkun Kuorsataan'/'While You Here Do Snoring Lie': Moderato - Commodo
Interlude: Caliban: Allegretto - Piu Moderato - Poco A Poco Stretto
Stephano's Song: Moderato - Commodo: 'En EnLe Merelle'/'I Shall No More To Sea, To Sea'
Caliban's Song 'Hei, Prosperon Perkele' / 'Farewell, Master; Farewell, Farewell!': Moderato - Allegro
Interlude: Miranda: Allegretto
(Humoreske): Allegro Commodo
Canon 'Kurkitaan, Urkitaan' / 'Flout'em And (S)cout'em': Allegretto Con Moto
Antonio. Dance Of The Shapes: Moderato Assai - Allegro Molto Moderato - Poco Tranquillo - Allegro E Poco A Poco Stretto
Ariel As Harpy (-Melodrama): Grave
The Shapes Dance Out (Ballet II): Allegro
Intermezzo (Alonso Mourns): Andante Con Moto
(Ariel Flies In) (=No. 3): Allegro
Ariel's (Fourth) Song 'Ennen Kuin Ehdit Huokaamaan' / 'Before You Can Say 'Come' And 'Go' ': Allegretto Moderato
The Rainbow: Poco Adagio
Iris's Melodrama: Moderato Assai
(Juno's Song) 'Kunnia Ja Vaurautta' / 'Honour, Riches, Marriage-Blessing': Commodo
Dance Of The Naiads: Allegretto Graziozo
Dance Of The Harvesters: Commodo
(Ariel Flies In) (=No. 3): Allegro
(Ariel Hastens Away) (=No. 5)
(Ariel Flies In) (=No. 3): Allegro
The Dogs: Poco Con Moto - Allegretto
Bis. Overture (=No. 33 Ariel; (Oboe And Orchestra)) Poco Con Moto
(Ariel Brings The Foes To Prospero): Largo - Un Pochettino Affrettando - Adagio
Ariel's (Fifth) Song 'Mettanooni Juoda Saan' / 'Where The Bee Sucks, There Suck I': Poco Con Moto
Cort: Tempo Giusto - P.a.p. Stretto
Bis. Ossia (Epilogue); Poco Adagio - Allargando

Customer Reviews:

A monumental recording.......2006-02-05

This account of "The Tempest" will become a classic. Red-hot, full of passion brings out the atmosphere of the Shakespearian drama. Osmo Vanska with the Lahti SO at top form make an exceptional account of the much neglected masterpiece. I am not sure I can judge the singing since my Finnish are non existent but my ears didn't hurt. Along with Jarvi's account of the Symphonies probably the best digital Sibelius you'll find out there.

Transporting stuff.......2000-12-02

Perhaps you have heard excerpts from Sibelius's Incidental Music to The Tempest but these do not convey the full evocative potency of the complete score. For one thing, the complete score (given its world premiere recording here) includes much enchanting material often omitted from the suites. For another, the orchestrations are sometimes different, often more elaborate. The individual numbers are arranged in a theatrical sequence, giving a sense of story-telling even though a spoken context is here not given. Last but not least, the complete score includes solo vocal and choral parts. While this music may not have the quite same melodic crowd appeal as Grieg's Peer Gynt, it is possibly even more effective in transporting the listener's mind to a magical time and place. It certainly is among Sibelius's most imaginative scores.

The Bis recording places the microphones at a distance, resulting in extreme pianissimos, and if I have any complaint, it is that the dynamic range is too wide for any one volume setting of the sound system. But certainly the evocation of wide-open spaces is conveyed, particularly in the sections with chorus. The sound definition is almost unnervingly realistic with an great sense of aural perspective and balance. The playing, singing and conducting are sympathetic and cultured, worthy of this fine music.

Music Review:

Music Review

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Music Review

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