Pierre Monteux/LSO - Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43 (1959) 24-Bit/96-kHz Vinyl Rip

Monteux draws a brisk and clean performance from the orchestra. The rich and melodic symphony is presented with vitality. Sound is a plus factor, and an interesting portrait of the composer lends excellent display values. There are other versions, but this can compete strongly
(The Billboard, Sept. 14, 1959)

Jean Sibelius was born in Finland in 1865. To help you place him chronologically, Richard Strauss was born a year later, Scriabin seven years later and Stravinsky in 1882. Compared to these contemporaries and others composing in the early nineteen hundreds, Sibelius turned out to be the most conservative of them all. Though he built on earlier German and Austrian musical backgrounds and was obviously greatly influenced by Brahms, whom he had met, Sibelius' music is easily recognized as his own. This becomes even more apparent after his second symphony.
Musicologists may not agree on many things, but as I interpret them or their thinking as a group, they are seldom impressed by any composer's first symphony. Brahm's first symphony is usually regarded as the best ever first effort. Sibelius is usually placed in a small group of composers in the second tier by composing a first symphony that is a "fairly good one". The second symphony, featured on this recording can hold its own and then some compared against almost all of the second symphonies ever written in my not so humble opinion. It has been his most famous and best loved symphony if not his best. By far his most famous and beloved composition is his nationalistic tone-poem masterpiece, Finlandia. Look for that composition in your church hymnal; I have seen three different hymns written for his Finlandia! His second symphony is very easy to appreciate and love. It usually does not take many hearings to accept it completely and with anticipation. Its easily won popularity has in the past couple of decades seen detractors complaining that it is too obviously written to appeal to the masses. They also note that conductors are over emphasizing its frankly immediately appealing passages rather than "simply letting the music speak for itself". I would like to share the following sentences as written by famed musicologist R. D. Darrell in his book Good Listening*. "Few novices at least can, or perhaps should, deny themselves puppy-love affairs with (among a few others) Sibelius's Second Symphony. Anyone who has grown to musical maturity without having such crushes certainly is to be pitied". I will state it another way - I agree whole-heartedly with Mr. Darrell and recommend Sibelius's Second Symphony for your probable listening pleasure.
(Karl Lozier - enjoythemusic)

Another Kingsway Hall recording, masterfully engineered by Kennth Wilkinson. Monteux and the LSO bring to life the Finnish folk dances contained within the music of Sibelius's Pastoral Symphony.

Performers:
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux

Track Listing:

1. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43
First Movement - Allegretto
Second Movement - Andante ma rubato
2. Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43
Third Movement - Vivacissimo
Fourth Movement - Allegro moderato