Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43, Finlandia, Op. 26 & Karelia Suite, Op. 11 (Live) Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Mariss Jansons

• 1 Finlandia, Op. 26 (Live) 08:41
• 2 I. Intermezzo. Moderato (Live) 03:57
• 3 II. Ballade. Tempo di menuetto (Live) 07:51
• 4 III. Alla marcia. Moderato (Live) 04:59
• 5 I. Allegretto (Live) 09:46
• 6 II. Tempo andante, ma rubato (Live) 14:34
• 7 III. Vivacissimo (Live) 05:56
• 8 IV. Finale. Allegro moderato (Live) 14:34
• Total Runtime 01:10:18

Info for Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43, Finlandia, Op. 26 & Karelia Suite, Op. 11 (Live)

The latest new release from BR KLASSIK gathers together on one CD the most famous and popular musical works of the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The music of the symphonic poem "Finlandia", op 26, which premiered in Helsinki in 1899 as a "historical tableau" from Finnish history, inspired Sibelius's compatriots immediately. The work - as it were the unofficial national anthem of Finland - became internationally known in 1900, and continues to be world-famous today, not only because of the hymn-like chorale that concludes it. Sibelius's "Karelia" Suite op. 11, composed some years earlier, which refers to the Finnish landscape of Karelia and the legends of the "Kalevala" epic, was also received very enthusiastically by the national Finnish movement at that time and soon became internationally famous as well. The Symphony No. 2, op 43, the best-known and most popular of the composer's seven completed symphonies, premiered in 1902. With this work Sibelius managed to emancipate himself, moving from being a merely national Finnish composer to an international one. The clear, confident character of the work goes far beyond the purely "exotic" national style, and its "absolute" music remains unaffected by any extra-musical programme. Whether we appreciate Sibelius as an absolute musician or as Finland's national composer, and whether we regard his music as international or as an expression of Finland's struggle for independence – as his compatriots have done to this day – the music remains highly individual and unique, and has successfully established itself in the international concert repertoire. The exemplary interpretations on this CD by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under its chief conductor Mariss Jansons were recorded at several Munich concerts during the autumn of 2015. Sensitively conducted and full of gripping majesty, the performances show clearly why Sibelius's symphonies have retained their importance to the present day.

Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mariss Jansons, direction

Live-Recordings: Symphonie Nr. 2 D-Dur op. 43“: München, Herkulessaal November 2015
Finlandia op. 26 – Karelia-Suite op. 11: München, Philharmonie im Gasteig, Oktober 2015

Mariss Jansons
son of conductor Arvıds Jansons, was born in Riga in 1943. He studied violin, piano, and conducting at the Leningrad Conservatory, completing his education as a student of Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and of Herbert von Karajan in Salzburg. In 1971 he became a laureate of the Karajan Competition in Berlin and began his close partnership with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, first as an assistant to Yevgeny Mravinsky and then as a permanent conductor. From 1979 to 2000 Jansons served as Music Director of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Under his tenure, the orchestra earned international acclaim and undertook tours to leading concert halls around the world. Between 1997 and 2004 he was Principal Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and in the 2003–2004 season he took over leadership of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, where he is extending his contract until 202; he began his tenure as head of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the 2004–2005 season, and ended it in 2015. Jansons is guest conductor of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras (in Vienna in 2016 he will be conducting the New Year’s concerts for a third time); he has additionally conducted the leading orchestras in the U.S. and Europe. His discography comprises many prizewinning recordings, including a Grammy for his account of Shostakovich’s 13th Symphony. Mariss Jansons is an honorary member of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna and of the Royal Academy of Music in London; the Berlin Philharmonic has honoured him with the Hans-von-Bülow Medal, the City of Vienna with the Golden Medal of Honour, and the State of Austria with the Honorary Cross for Science and Arts. In 2006 Cannes MIDEM named him Artist of the Year, and he received the ECHO Klassik Award in 2007 and 2008. In June 2013, for his life’s work as a conductor, he was awarded the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, and on 4 October 2013, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class by German Federal President Joachim Gauck in Berlin. In France in 2015, the Ministry of Culture named Mariss Jansons “Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres“.

Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Not long after it was established in 1949, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra) developed into an internationally renowned orchestra. The performance of new music enjoys an especially long tradition, and right from the be- ginning, appearances in the musica viva series, created by composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann in 1945, have ranked among the orchestra’s core activities. On extensive concert tours to virtually every country in Europe, to Asia as well as to North and South America, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks continually con rms its position in the first rank of top international orchestras. The history of the Symphonieorchester is closely linked with the names of its previous Chief Conductors: Eugen Jochum (1949–1960), Rafael Kubelík (1961– 1979), Sir Colin Davis (1983– 1992) and Lorin Maazel (1993–2002). In 2003, Mariss Jansons assumed his post as new Chief Conductor. With a number of CD releases, among others a series of live recordings of concerts in Munich, Mariss Jansons continues the orchestra’s extensive discography. Maestro Jansons, the Chor and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks were honoured for their recording of the 13th Symphony of Shostakovich when they were awarded a Grammy in February of 2006 in the “Best Orchestral Performance” category. In December, 2008, a survey conducted by the British music magazine Gramophone listed the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks among the ten best orchestras in the world. In 2010, Mariss Jansons and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks received an ECHO Klassik Award in the category “Orchestra/Ensemble of the Year” for their recording of Bruckner’s 7th Symphony on BR-KLASSIK. The complete Beethoven symphonies, performed by the Symphonieorchester under Mariss Jansons in Tokyo in the autumn of 2012, were voted by the Music Pen Club Japan – the organisation of Japanese music journalists – as the best concerts by foreign artists in Japan in 2012.

Booklet for Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43, Finlandia, Op. 26 & Karelia Suite, Op. 11 (Live)