Sibelius was one of the 20th century's greatest and most innovative symphonists, with a musical style evoking beauty, mystery, colour and light. Influenced as much by a period of living in Italy as by his Finnish homeland, the Second Symphony marked a major step in his development as a composer, and remains one of his most popular works.



Reviews:

'Davis reminds us now just how great he is in Sibelius with a marvellous new recording of the Second Symphony ... the strength of this performance, where a patient (and all the more involving for that) build-up leads to a shattering finale. Davis loves Sibelius, and the orchestra clearly love playing for him. Listening to a Sibelius performance of this calibre, there's no other composer one would rather hear''

Disc of the Month

Gramophone

'This is an absolutely magnificent performance of the Second Symphony from first bar to last, reinforcing yet again the contention that live performances by great orchestras and conductors often have the edge over multi-edited studio recordings ... The sense of musical atmosphere is superbly maintained throughout and is well caught in this excellent recording ... [Pohjola’s Daughter] is given an equally outstanding reading. This disc is a serious challenger for orchestral record of the year by any standards'

International Record Review (UK)

'... this might turn out to be the finest Sibelius cycle on disc ... superbly handled by these fine players under a master Sibelian'

The Observer (UK)

'There is so much about these performances that is ear-opening - or just plain magnificent.'

BBC Music Magazine (UK)

'The latest LSO Live CD shows the orchestra (and the sound engineers) in resplendent form ... This is monumental Sibelius'

Sunday Times (UK)

'He [Sir Colin Davis] builds the first movement to a thrilling climax without over-dramatising it. The slow movement has even more expressive power, with superb brass playing'

Sunday Telegraph (UK)

'a towering interpretation of the Second Symphony ... This is the LSO and Sir Colin Davis at the very peak of their powers ... I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that it ranks amongst the orchestra’s three finest symphonic recordings for the label ... This is easily one of the greatest Sibelius recordings of all time'

Musicalcriticism.com (UK)

---

James Mallinson producer; Jonathan Stokes for Classic Sound Ltd balance engineer; ; Pohjola's Daughter recorded September and October 2005; Symphony No 2 recorded September 2006; DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording