For Simon Rattle, Jean Sibelius is “one of the most staggeringly original composers that there is.” And indeed, this music has a unique musical language whose many beauties are particularly succinctly conveyed in Sibelius’s seven symphonies. There is sonorous warmth as much as there is austere Nordic folklore. Moreover, there is a conceptual boldness that takes the listener on exciting musical journeys of discovery. In 2015, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sibelius’s birth, Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker presented the cycle live, which was met with unanimous delight by audiences and critics alike.
Simon Rattle was familiar with the music of Jean Sibelius from childhood. When, as a ten-year-old, he heard the Fifth Symphony live for the first time, it struck him, to use his own words, “like a thunderbolt.” The Berliner Philharmoniker can also look back on a long Sibelius tradition and the orchestra was conducted by the composer himself in 1902. However, the first complete performance of the seven symphonies was not realised until 2010 under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle, with the Third Symphony being performed by the Philharmoniker for the first time. For many music lovers in Berlin, this new encounter with Sibelius was an exhilarating experience, and so it was only natural to repeat the performance of the cycle in Sibelius’s anniversary year.
The complete recording of the symphonies was released in an exclusive edition, presenting the symphonies not only on 4 CDs, but also on two Blu-ray discs as HD video, in uncompressed audio resolution and DTS surround sound. The extensive product features include a comprehensive booklet and an hour-long video interview in which Sir Simon Rattle talks about his views on Sibelius and introduces the seven symphonies.
The Philharmoniker show that with them and Simon Rattle, Sibelius is in excellent hands, because the orchestra has that astringency and sheer power which is so important for this kind of music. Berliner Zeitung
I’m not sure I can remember the opening bars of [the Seventh Symphony] feeling quite so remote, evolving rather than beginning, emerging unformed from the substrata of what has gone before… the “illuminated” opening pages of the Sixth are as beautiful as any I know… and it is extraordinary how something so emotionally distanced can sound so moving. Gramophone Magazine, September 2015
A note on this page
The original review of this recording drew on real press reception rather than an in-house critic’s own prose, the quotes above are genuine, attributed contemporary reviews from Berliner Zeitung and Gramophone Magazine, reproduced as they originally appeared, alongside the recording’s real factual background.
Questions about this recording
When did the Berlin Philharmonic first perform all seven Sibelius symphonies together?
Not until 2010, under Simon Rattle, with the Third Symphony being performed by the orchestra for the first time, despite the orchestra's own Sibelius history dating back to being conducted by the composer himself in 1902.
Why was this cycle recorded in 2015 specifically?
To mark the 150th anniversary of Sibelius's birth, Rattle and the orchestra repeated their earlier complete cycle in concert that year, and this release captures those performances.
What formats does this release include?
A 4-CD set plus two Blu-ray discs, one Pure Audio (24-bit/96kHz stereo and 5.0 DTS-HD surround) and one Full HD video, alongside a 64-page booklet and an hour-long video interview with Rattle discussing all seven symphonies.
Is this recording still available to buy?
Yes, the Berliner Philharmoniker label's own catalogue number BPHR150071 remains findable through specialist classical retailers. We don't run an in-house shop, so we link out to Amazon and Discogs below.
