Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

This is conductor Nicholas Collon's second Jean Sibelius album recorded with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. It focuses on works Sibelius composed during or shortly before the First World War, culminating in the 5th Symphony, one of the composer's key symphonic works. Two works for violin and orchestra, "Two Serenades" and "Two Serious Melodies", one of Sibelius' most religious works, are performed by star violinist Christian Tetzlaff. Sibelius' music to Strindberg's symbolist play "Swanwhite" is a rarely performed gem with interesting thematic connections to other works on this album. Sibelius took a long time and several revisions to complete the monumental and optimistic 5th Symphony. The music deals with thematic growth and cycles and seems to soar into the heavens at the end, far above earthly misery, with the final six majestic chords propelling the music into outer space. Sibelius wrote his "Two Serenades", Op. 69 for violin and orchestra with apparent ease in the years 1912–1913. The "Two Serious Melodies", Op. 77 completed in 1914–1915, are so to speak fragments from Sibelius' symphonic work. They are not frivolous salon pieces, but also not virtuosic concert pieces. Rather, the composer seems to reflect on the ongoing war in Europe in this work. Nicholas Collon is the chief conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, which can be heard here. He is known for his elegant conducting style, his inquiring musical intellect and his inspiring musicianship.