Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7 / ‘The Tempest’, Suite No. 2

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Symphonies n° 6 et n° 7 / Orchestre Symphonique d'Islande, dir. Petri Sakari

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Once again, Naxos scores big with this collection of two of Jean Sibelius's greatest symphonies, the 6th and the 7th. Maestro Petri Sakari's predilection is to take the 6th at a somewhat accelerated pace, especially in the first and the third movements, injecting an unexpectedly playful element to the music. It's almost as if Sakari is intentionally recalling some of the same playful elements in the
5th Symphony and holding them over into the 6th. Symphony No. 7, however, is more moderated in its pacing, keeping with the standard performance tempos most conductors, living and dead, have imposed. Between the two symphonies is the second suite from
The Tempest, which provides an upbeat segue to the more meditative 7th Symphony that follows. All in all, another fine release from Naxos.
–Paul Cook