Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4

by Owain Arwel Hughes, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Overview

Conductor Owain Arwel Hughes, an octogenarian when this album appeared in 2022, has chosen a cycle of Sibelius symphonies for his major late-life statement. This is the second release in the set, pairing the Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43, and Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63, at a risky-for-presenters 87 minutes in total. The length is partly the result of Hughes' deliberate pacings; the Symphony No. 2 comes in more than four minutes longer than the historical average. Listeners looking for the tap-your-feet, nationalistically inspiring Sibelius of a Karajan or a Bernstein might do better to seek elsewhere. Yet Hughes' readings work on their own terms. He is especially strong in the Symphony No. 4, whose "disconcerting elements... compellingly capture the debilitating effects of depression," in the penetrating words of annotator Daniel Jaffe. He avoids histrionics and lets the exhausted second movement, the grim third movement, and the finale speak for themselves. The Symphony No. 2 is straightforward and even in its pacing but does not lack warmth. The Royal Philharmonic, which has had Sibelius in its bones for decades, is the perfect vehicle for what Hughes is trying to do, and it is beautifully recorded by Rubicon Classics here. In a way, this recording re-creates the old-time era of British Sibelius before "golden age" conductors got hold of his music. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	03/25/2022
Label:	Rubicon / Rubicon Classics
UPC:	5065002228154
Rank:	189173

Tracks

1. Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 43~I. Allegretto
2. Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 43~II. Tempo andante, ma rubato
3. Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 43~III. Vivacissimo
4. Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 43~IV. Finale: Allegro moderato
5. Symphony No. 4 in A minor Op. 63~I. Tempo molto moderato, quasi adagio
6. Symphony No. 4 in A minor Op. 63~II. Allegro molto vivace
7. Symphony No. 4 in A minor Op. 63~III. Il tempo largo
8. Symphony No. 4 in A minor Op. 63~IV. Allegro

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Owain Arwel Hughes   Primary Artist,Conductor
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra

Technical Credits

Tim Burton   Assistant Engineer
Matthew Swan   Assistant Engineer
Matthias Lehmann   Liner Note Translation
Matthew Cosgrove   Executive Producer
Daniel Jaffe   Liner Notes
Paul Mitchell   Design
Andrew Keener   Producer
Jean Sibelius   Composer
Alan J. Huish   Photography
Phil Rowlands   Engineer