Artist: Herbert von Karajan Title: Sibelius: Symphony No. 5, Tapiola Year Of Release: 1964 [2015] Label: HDTT Genre: Classical Quality: FLAC (Tracks) | 24 Bit/192 kHz Total Time: 00:51:46 Total Size: 1,8 GB Karajan had a profound understanding of the music of Sibelius - many of these items were recorded 3 or 4 times each. Karajan is tightly controlling when it comes to nuance, color, and timbre. These are not "spontaneous," spur-of-the-moment summons from the musical ether. Frankly, a little of that goes a long way with Sibelius. It's too easy to cruise along and stop to point out this or that isolated bit of harmonic interest, or inate a forgotten "inner voice." What von Karajan does is rather elemental to art of bringing Sibelius to life: he nds the pulse or core rhythm to the movements, and draws them together to build the musical architecture, or "span" of the piece. This doesn't imply a horse race from beginning to end, but rather a reluctance to dawdle in pools of rubato. Real orchestral power is built up and sustained, not thrown at you like a succession of one-two punches. What results is a sense of rightness and inevitability that eludes less eective conductors. His interpretations are legendary, and the recordings are excellent, bearing in mind they are 35 years old.The Fifth especially (recorded for the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth) is one of the recorded classics, and the recordings of the other works are hardly inferior.Sibelius himself, on hearing Karajan's 1950s Philharmonia Orchestra mono recordings of his music, said 'Karajan is the only conductor who knows what I meant,' and when one listens to this set, one can hear why. The Fifth Symphony is beautifully paced with the soaring theme of the swans in the last movement truly reaching for the sky and the triumphant ending certainly one that inspires awe. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony is a Karajan specialty, having recorded it four times. It is a glorious miracle that this classic recording is still so convincing and wonderful. Whereas interpretations of the symphony in later years tend to be more “serene,” Karajan’s 1965 reading here belongs to the class of “brimming with heroic life force” – even the Andante is lled with palpable energy. Needless to say, although there are more rened (as in orchestral texture) versions of the Swan Hymn, this rendition remains very impressive. It is beautiful in its solid vitality, powerfully sculpted but very beautiful – for want of a better word: Olympian. Listen to the brass – what brazen beauty! Like some titanic bronze hero striding godlike through the symphony. I particularly like Karajan’s conclusion, with the closely spaced nal chords. The Tapiola by Herbert von Karajan reveals the music’s Northern elemental power, which can seem moody, dark, convulsive, and threatening, as seems appropriate to a erce Scandinavian god. The Berlin Philharmonic, always lustrous and polished to a glossy surface under Karajan, delivers this Northern drama in immaculate sonics. Tracks: Symphony No. 5 in E at major, Op. 82 I. Tempo molto moderato; Allegro moderato II. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto III. Allegro molto IV. Tapiola (literally, "Realm of Tapio"), Op. 112 Personnel: Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan