Sibelius-Gibson

Victor Carr Jr

Artistic Quality:

Sound Quality:

Alexander Gibson’s 1980s Sibelius cycle on Chandos, one of the first digital sets, was praised for its clean lines, propulsive phrasing, and bracing impact. This London Symphony recording from 1959 makes clear that the conductor had much work to do before achieving the mastery he would display decades later. Gibson’s overall conception of the music is similar–relatively swift tempos combined with dovetailed phrasing. But, to use a cliché, the devil’s in the details. Gibson treats the dynamics rather casually, and he totally blows Sibelius’ painstakingly graded crescendo in the first movement’s second paragraph, leaving it devoid of all mystery and tension (which you get plenty of with Davis, Karajan, Berglund, and Vänskä). Perhaps more strangely, especially considering the forceful quality of his later performances with the Scottish National Orchestra, Gibson keeps the brass at bay–yes, you can hear them, but they don’t slice through the texture in that snarling Sibelian manner, thus muting the impact of the first movement coda. It’s pretty much the same story throughout the rest of the performance. Gibson plays the finale’s closing bars in such a gentlemanly manner that you’d think he was embarrassed by Sibelius’ bold rhetoric.

Happily, the Karelia Suite, being a more emotionally neutral piece, comes off much better. The assorted orchestral lollipops receive decent enough performances, though they won’t make you raise your head out of your book (for that you’ll have to hear Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra). The recorded sound in the symphony and suite has been well-refurbished, offering more dynamic range than the filler material.


Recording Details:

Reference Recording: Symphony: Davis (Philips), Karajan (DG)

JEAN SIBELIUS - Symphony No 5; Karelia Suite
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS - Danse macabre
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK - "Hexenritt" from Hänsel und Gretel
FRANZ LISZT - Mephisto Waltz No. 1
MODEST MUSSORGSKY - Night on Bare Mountain

  • Record Label: Decca - 468 488-2
  • Medium: CD

Search Music Reviews

Search Sponsor

  • Insider Reviews only
  • Click here for Search Tips

Visit Our Merchandise Store

Visit Store
  • Benjamin Bernheim Rules as Met’s Hoffmann
    Benjamin Bernheim Rules as Met’s Hoffmann Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, NY; Oct 24, 2024 Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann is a nasty work. Despite its
  • RIP David Vernier, Editor-in-Chief
    David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com’s founding Editor-in-Chief passed away Thursday morning, August 1, 2024 after a long battle with cancer. The end came shockingly quickly. Just a
  • Finally, It’s SIR John
    He’d received many honors before, but it wasn’t until last week that John Rutter, best known for his choral compositions and arrangements, especially works related