Some conductors improve with age, others burn out or decline, while some remain more or less at the same level. John Barbirolli definitely went into decline at the very end of his career, a function of debilitating illness, and it’s hard not to notice this in his complete Sibelius cycle for EMI. As the decade of the 1960s advanced, his tempos became slower, his rhythmic control slacker, and the Hallé, always a provincial orchestra at best, less disciplined for all its evident enthusiasm. For this reason, anyone interested in Barbirolli’s distinctively warm, Romantic way with Sibelius should hear this set.
Symphonies Nos. 1 and 5 were recorded in decent, late-’50s stereo, and show both conductor and orchestra operating at a higher energy level, with more discipline than in their later remakes. I still think Symphony No. 1 could use more swiftness in the outer movements–Ormandy’s CBS recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra does the all-out “sweeping grandeur and voluptuous tone” approach far better than Barbirolli and Hallé. Still, the conductor’s views on the music come across with more confidence and impact here. The same holds true of the Fifth, whose first movement coda sounds so much more exciting with its timpani parts present (though the recording can’t take the strain). The slow movement features superior wind playing compared to the subsequent recording, and the finale benefits from greater dynamic sensitivity from the strings. It’s a grand, gutsy performance that triumphs over any momentary imperfections in execution in a way that the later version, enjoyable though much of it is, does not.
The other pieces, excellently transferred from mono originals, also have their attractions. Barbirolli’s finest Second Symphony recording remains the Royal Philharmonic performance on Chesky, but all of his readings of this symphony demonstrate his special feeling for the work. No one listening to this comparatively lean and mean version will find themselves disappointed. As for the Seventh, Barbirolli’s stereo rendition in the complete EMI set offers better sound and nearly identical interpretation, one that shows the conductor sensitive to both the big moments (the three appearances of the work’s principal trombone theme) as well as the overall dynamic arch of the piece. The Swan of Tuonela impresses thanks to a total understanding of, and identification with, the composer’s atmospheric tone poetry. If you want Barbirolli’s Sibelius consistently at its best, this is the set to own.
