01. - 04. Symphony No. 1 in E minor, op.39 [38'07]
05. - 07. Symphony No. 3 in C major, op.52 [29'06]
Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petri Sakari
Naxos 8.554102 (recorded 1997 & 1996; CD issued 1998)
(digital download; flacs, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Recording venue: University Hall, Reykjavik
Recording engineer: Bjarni Runar Bjarnason & Thorur Steingrimsson
Producer: Paul Myers
05. - 13. The Tempest. Suite No. 1, op.109 no.2 [23'06]
Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petri Sakari
Naxos 8.554266 (recorded 1997; CD issued 1999)
(digital download; flacs, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Recording venue: University Hall, Reykjavik
Recording engineer: Bjarni Runar Bjarnason & Thorur Steingrimsson; Producer: Paul Myers
05. - 13. Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, op.82# [31'17]
Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petri Sakari
Naxos 8.554377 (recorded 1997 & 1998; CD issued 1999)
(digital download; flacs, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Recording venue: Concert Hall, Reykjavik
Recording engineer: Bjarni Runar Bjarnason, Vigfus Ingvarsson* & Gretar Aevarsson#; Producer: Paul Myers
05. - 12. The Tempest Suite No. 2, op.109 no.3 [18'10]
13. Symphony No. 7 in C major, op.105 [22'45]
Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petri Sakari
Naxos 8.554387 (recorded 2000; CD issued 2000)
(digital download; flacs, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Recording venue: Concert Hall, Reykjavik
Recording engineer: Bjarni Runar Bjarnason, Gretar Aevarsson & Svevvir Gislason; Producer: Paul Myers
It may be fanciful to believe that the frequently cold and bleak climate of the Iceland Symphony's home may influence their playing but the sound of the orchestra seems completely appropriate to Sibelius' music. I have written before that I find the Gothenburg Symphony's sound to be ideal for Sibelius and this equally applies here. Certainly they may not be a top tier orchestra but their sound is fine to me and Sakari's direction is overall very well judged. The third and fourth symphonies are particularly fine and I very much like this sixth although some may find the second movement just too slow.
For some reason, Naxos never really promoted these recordings and this cycle was followed quite quickly by the 2008 - 2010 cycle produced by Tim Handley with the admirable New Zealand Symphony under their then chief conductor Pietari Inkinen. It may seem disloyal but I generally prefer these earlier recordings. It should be noted that both conductors were prodigies of the great Finnish conducting trainer, Jorma Panula, at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. I would particularly commend the latter's recording of Kullervo - also on Naxos and here on MIMIC.
I understand that Paavo Berglund's cycle of the symphonies with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Lorin Maazel's set with the Vienna Philharmonic, remastered in 2015, will also appear here soon on MIMIC.
Download from MEGA.