Sibelius, Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Symphonies Nos 3 & 7

Label:    LSO Live
Catalog#: LSO0051
Format:   Hybrid-SACD, Album, Stereo / Multichannel
Country:  UK
Released: 2004
Genre:    Classical
Style:    Romantic

Tracklist:

  	Symphony No 3 (30:52)

1 		Allegro Moderato 	11:26 	
2 		Andantino Con Moto, Quasi Allegretto 	11:05 	
3 		Moderato - Allegro (Ma Non Tanto) 	8:19 
	
  	Symphony No 7 (22:52)

4 		Adagio; Vivacissimo; Allegro; Moderato; Vivace; Presto; Adagio 	22:52 	

Companies etc:

    Phonographic Copyright (p) – London Symphony Orchestra
    Copyright (c) – London Symphony Orchestra
    Recorded At – Barbican

Credits:

    Composed By – Sibelius
    Conductor – Sir Colin Davis
    Edited By [Recording Editor] – Ian Watson, Jenni Whiteside
    Engineer [Balance] – Neil Hutchinson
    Orchestra – London Symphony Orchestra
    Producer – James Mallinson

Notes:

Recorded live September - October 2003 Barbican, London.

A high density DSD recording.

Total time: 53'44".

[quote]
Review

by James Leonard

As it turns out, Colin Davis hums. He also moans, groans, and sometimes even grunts. In this enormous but intimate super audio CD, the listener can hear Davis' vocal obbligato as he uses any means necessary to convey his vision to the musicians. And while Davis' vocalise is sometimes annoying, there is no denying that he does convey his vision, because the musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra do perform with rare, passionate dedication. Certainly, the LSO is the most virtuosic of London orchestras and its playing on its own label has been more ardent than in many of its recordings for other labels in the '90s. But even compared with the LSO's fervent performances of the Sibelius symphonies with Davis in the '90s cannot compare with the fire of these 2003 recordings of the Third and Seventh. With the LSO's passionate virtuosity behind him, Davis creates nuanced but powerful performances, performances that are detailed yet sweeping, lyric yet epic, but, above all, loving. Davis and the LSO's Third is light but shot with shadows, poised but relentless, mysterious but triumphant. The Seventh is the sun cresting the snow-capped mountains, the wind rushing down from the peaks, their song soaring in the high, sharp air. Even though Davis does hum, anyone who loves Sibelius will have to hear these performances. [i]allmusicguide[/i][/quote]