Jean Sibelius was a composer of symphonies and symphonic poems. An important source of inspiration was the national Finnish epic De Kalevala. Sibelius' so-called Lemminkäinen Suite dates from 1895-96. The riveting first part, Lemminkäinen and the Island Girls, depicts the scene in which the hero takes refuge on an island for three years. There he seduces all the girls except one. The music is very
… passionate and almost ecstatic. The interruption of the bare solo violin has an eerie archaic effect, as if a lost walker is confronted by a faun. The highly evocative De Oceanides is also populated by nature beings. The title of this work (which was created shortly before the Fifth Symphony) refers to the female spirits of the sea. Sibelius' last symphonic poem (and perhaps the culmination of his contributions to the genre) is Tapiola (literally: where the forest god dwells). The work is a rough and oppressive painting of the endless Finnish forests. This release is an attractive compilation of the strong performances that Neeme Järvi made for DGG. (HJ)more
