Like many conductors these days, Pietari Inkinen has a much stronger affinity for the rarified textures and atmosphere of late Sibelius than he shows for the early, romantic works. His performances of the Sixth and Seventh symphonies accordingly are quite distinctive and masterly, but they won’t be to all tastes. Inkinen’s approach is extremely chamber-like, somewhat in the style of Berglund, but not by any means lightweight. Indeed, his tempos are often deliberate, but he always maintains the music’s flow–and most importantly, he makes music where many other performances offer little more than scurrying and scraping. I’m thinking particularly of the central development section of the Sixth symphony’s first movement, and the opening minutes of the Seventh, where Inkinen clarifies the music’s motivic inter-relatedness as have few others.
Nor is he invariably slow. The Seventh’s central, pastoral interlude is swift and fresh, and despite his care with phrasing and string articulation, Inkinen never lets the music sound mannered. But all of this clarity comes at a price. The music’s climaxes never bite the way that they can (and should). Timpani and trombones, sparingly used as they often are, shouldn’t sound this tame. This being one of the better-sounding recordings in this series (though certainly not demonstration quality), it’s clear that this is Inkinen’s choice, and while perfectly valid, it precludes my giving this disc a highest recommendation.
Finlandia is no bonus: this is a performance totally lacking in rugged power, however nicely detailed it may be. It hardly rises above mezzo-forte. Still, for the value of Inkinen’s insights into the symphonies, I do recommend them to Sibelius fans. You will hear things here that you have never heard before, and be grateful for the experience.
