Symphonies Nos. 3, 5

It took me years to figure out that, as a general rule, my preference was for chamber music over orchestral music; trios, quartets & quintets over concertos and symphonies. As with most general rules, however, there are exceptions, notably when it comes to the works of Jean Sibelius. The Finn wrote a good deal of undistiguished chamber and salon music, but, given a bigger band to play with, he could work wonders.

I went through a Sibelius phase around 15-20 years ago, collecting several CDs of his music, and gaining an appreciation for such justly-popular pieces as the 'Karelia Suite' the 5th Symphony, and 'Tapiola'. The only Sibelius LP I currently have is this 1975 recording by the USSR Radio and Television Large Symphony Orchestra performing Symphones 3 & 5, with that man Gennady Rozhdestvensky conducting. It was one of half a dozen classical albums I picked up at the Oxfam shop in Thornbury last autumn. I'd previously had another version of the 5th on vinyl, but I like this one better.

One of Sibelius' great strengths was his way with a brass section: the brass in the climax of the 5th providing such a powerfully uplifting force, it feels if the whole orchestra is becoming airborne. The Soviet brass heard here has a rougher, more abrasive edge than is typical in Western orchestras, giving this performance a slightly sharper flavour - one that I happen to love. I'd somehow overlooked the 3rd Symphony in my previous encounters with Sibelius, but now I love that too.

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