Kullervo

Bob Woods and the boys and girls out there on the shore of Lake Erie have created some great sounding recordings in their day but none better than [as good as?] Jean Sibelius's Kullervo. Atlanta's Symphony Hall is virtually a second home to these Ohioans, and they've got its sound down to a tee. I admit I was not familiar with the work, a youthful composition played in its entirety but once in the composer's life. Probably the mature Sibelius would have written it differently, but here and there you get a glimpse of the 2nd Symphony or Finlandia that would eventually emerge from his pen. I need to spend some more time with young Mr. S's piece to gain full appreciation, but it is quite accessible on first hearing. Its form is hard to classify. The multi-movement format lends itself to being called a symphony, but given the heroic program on which it's based, symphonic poem would be closer to the truth. And how many classical pieces have you ever heard that have incest at the core of its program? (For the squeamish, it didn't happen on purpose.) The Atlanta Symphony's playing gets better every year, and this recording is no exception. Is the SACD worth the additional money? First, of course, you have to have an SACD-capable player, and, to take advantage of the surround channels, you have to have at least a four-channel system. (Five is better.) Frankly, unless you have a very fine audio system, you are unlikely to discern much sonic difference other than the surround experience. But if you do have quality gear, it is definitely worth the few extra bucks because SACD reproduces violins and soprano voices more accurately than in the standard CD world.

Admittedly I've only listened to it once, though by now I'm quite familiar with Kullervo. Going in, I knew that everyone involved - the Atlanta Symphony, conductor Spano, the soloists - is excellent. The Big Question was how the men of the ASO Chorus would handle the Finnishtext. The other two recordings by American orchestras (Salonen/LAPO and Vanska/Minnesota (just released)) employ the great YL Male Voice Choir of Helsinki. But the Atlanta Symphony, going back to the days of Robert Shaw, is renowned for its great chorus and extensive discography of choral works, so they certainly weren't going to yield to an outside group. I'm no expert on Finnish pronunciation, but they seem to have embraced the challenge and acquitted themselves honorably. The orchestral playing is superb throughout, and the sound up to the usual Telarc high standard. I'm not going to say it's the best I've heard, but every version I've heard is good. Still, if you want to get a sense of the drama and occasion, check out the video of Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Finnish RSO on YouTube (a concert performance from 2002).

A great recording of Sibelius's, formerly, unknown early Symphony, "Kullervo" from an unlikely source. I could have given this 5-stars if only for the exceptional audio quality. The performance may be a bit understated, but still highly enjoyable and offers a decent alternative to more highly charged accounts. The first time I heard this Spano recording I did not care for it at all, but after repeated listenings have come to appreciate it more and more. While there are other recordings of this long, rambling work I can recommend higher, anyone who has this CD really need not look further. That is, unless one happens to be an out-of-control fan of this music. Over the years, I have accumulated a goodly number of the recordings which have been made. Here is a discography of “Kullervo” with my comments and star rating of the recordings which I am familiar with (I am not certain regarding the present availability for a number of them): Jussi Jalas: Finnish Radio Orchestra, live performance of 12 June 1958. I believe this was the first performance of the work following its composer's death; Sibelius had not allowed it to be played during his life time. A non-commercial recording was released, it is probably very rare and I have never heard it. Paavo Berglund: Bournemouth Symphony, 1970, on E.M.I. (now Warner) The first commercial recording of this work, a touch-stone. Excellent recording (5-stars). Berglund: Helsinki Philharmonic, 1985, on E.M.I. A re-do by Berglund, a tighter performance in better sound, but it does not exceed his recording of 15 years prior which is to be preferred (4-stars). Note that both the Berglunds were made in conjunction with extensive series of Sibelius works and recordings of either might only be found in multi-CD collections. Neeme Järvi: Gothenburg Symphony, 1985, on BIS. Good overall, about the fastest tempi on any, but not a spectacular nor many other outstanding qualities. Still, a worthwhile recording (4-stars). Esa-Pekka Salonen: Los Angeles Philharmonic, 1992, on Sony. Exciting, great sound, and one of the best (5-stars). Also check out Salonen's recording of Sibelius's 'Four Legends' as a perfect companion disc to this one. Leif Segerstam: Danish National Radio Symphony, 1994, on Chandos. One of the best, perhaps my favorite, but I have not heard Segerstam’s 2nd version. This is one I would recommend to anyone who wants a single recording of the music (5-stars plus). Jukka-Pekka Saraste: Finnish Radio Symphony, 1996, on Finlandia. Some of the fastest tempi, performance less than 70 minutes. For some reason, this one never grabbed me and it strikes me as “slick” (3.5-stars). May be one of the harder discs to find as the Finlandia label is defunct. Jorma Panula: Turku Philharmonic, 1996, on Naxos. Have not heard. Paavo Järvi: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, ca. 1997, on Virgin. Have not heard. Colin Davis: LSO, 1996, on RCA. The longest version at over 80 minutes, spread over 2 CDs. This recording never received many compliments, though, overall, I find it somewhat compelling. Not the best, but still a fine, if somewhat unusual, and enjoyable performance (4-stars). Osmo Vänskä: Lahti Symphony, 2000, on BIS. Over 80 minutes, highly esteemed and praised by many, but I find it greatly over-rated. The performance to me is rather weak, bland, and the sound is nothing to get excited about. Not a favorite (3-stars). Vänskä had a re-make, but I have not heard that one. Colin Davis: LSO, 2005, live on LSO’s own label. Tempi are more reasonable and in line with those heard from others, but sound is not as good as on his earlier version; nor is it as inspired. In spite of performance improvements here, I still find Davis’s earlier version the better (3-stars). Ari Rasilanen: Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic, 2005, on CPO. Have not heard. Robert Spano: Atlanta Symphony, 2006, on Telarc. Not thrilled on first hearing, but repeated exposure has increased my appreciation (4-stars; maybe 4.5-stars would be a better assessment). Stunning in its own way. Acquire with caution as you may not like it. Segerstam: Helsinki Philharmonic, 2008, on Ondine. Have not heard this one, but Segerstam’s earlier version is just about my favorite. Reviews of this suggest it is probably on par with the earlier Chandos disc. Vänskä: Minnesota Orchestra, 2017, on BIS. Have not heard. I am not impressed with the earlier version but do not know if this one offers any improvement. Thomas Dausgaard: BBC Scottish Symphony, 2018, on Hyperion (4-stars). As noted above, good but variable. Hannu Lintu: Finnish Radio Symphony, released Oct. 2019, on Ondine. Brand new as of this writing, have not heard. Overall: Get one of those by Segerstam, Salonen, or the earlier Berglund. Those by Neeme Järvi and Robert Spano are also worthwhile, though maybe a bit more difficult to appreciate.

Very nice SACD David and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra did a great job on this one

Rated low because of Amazon error. Image for this CD is not accurate! I had hoped it was Rhapsody in Blue as pictured, but is not. Don’t be like me and order thinking it is.

One of the best renditions I have heard on SACD. Great recording. Nothing else needs to be said. Highly Recommend !

A+++++

But for my tastes it wasn't really the thing thought to be. Sibelius is excellent and so is the recording, it is just not the moving or spiritual vehicle pictured from the write-up. Harold Edward Wills