Credits:

Hilary Hahn Frankfurt Radio Symphony Andrs Orozco-Estrada

Description:

Full of vitality! The third Sibelius symphony cycle by Löwvari and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra follows on the heels of the internationally acclaimed No. 1 and No. 2, which combine the difficult No. 3 and the popular No. 5, and is now available in its entirety. So far, No. 2 has been selected as the No. 1 work in the "Masterpieces of the New Era 500" in the November 2021 issue of Record-Geijutsu magazine, and No. 1 as the No. 2 work. This time, Sibelius' important work No. 3 from his transitional period, the highly popular No. 5, and the symphonic poem "Pohjola's Daughter," written the year before No. 3, are included. As in previous albums, the interpretations are unique in terms of tempo and dynamics, but they are surprisingly fresh and highly convincing. Symphony No. 3 is a beautiful work said to have been inspired by the lush nature of the Helsinki suburbs, but its simple theme and development are somewhat difficult to handle. Löwvari made the music sing dynamically from the low strings at the beginning of the first movement, and then continued to develop the music with great energy and passion without hesitation. The influence of Russian music, which was prominent in his early works, and Finnish nationalism are both strongly recognized in this work, which is considered to be the beginning of Sibelius's mid- to late symphonies. The Fifth is a celebratory work composed for a concert celebrating Sibelius' 50th birthday, and has been particularly popular in recent years.Löwvari also uses plenty of orchestral sound here to form the climax of the work, which is a magnificent depiction of nature that the composer said was inspired by the beauty of 16 swans circling above his head. In contrast to Sibelius's symphonies, which became smaller and denser in length and instrumentation as they were written, symphonic poems continued to be written on a relatively large scale, and the "Pohjola's Daughter" recorded here is also in a three-wind orchestra. Rouvali vividly depicts the story of Wainamyoinen, the hero of the Finnish folk lyric poem "Kalevala," and the daughter of Pohjola, whom he meets. Naxos Japan