Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra & Santtu-Matias Rouvali - Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 & En saga (2019) FLAC

Alpha begins a complete cycle of the symphonies by Sibelius (and of his symphonic poems) with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and its new musical director, Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Originally a percussionist, the 33-year-old trained at the famous Sibelius Academy. His career took off after he stepped in at the last minute to conduct the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In the great tradition of Finnish conductors, Santtu-Matias Rouvali is known for his extremely physical and organic interpretations: ‘Music unmistakeably flows from him,’ commented The Sunday Times. When Bachtrack asked him how he shapes the orchestral sound, he replied: ‘I sing it, I move my hands the way I want it (…) the conductor should be able to show tempo somewhere in the body (…) I was also a drum kit player, so my feet and hands can do different things at the same time. When you read the score, you sing it in your head (…) I think it’s the sense of inside groove that you get from playing percussion which is very important in Sibelius’s music.’

Tracklist
1. Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 : I. Andante ma non troppo - Allegro energico 11:26
2. Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 : II. Andante (Ma non troppo lento) 09:13
3. Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 : III. Scherzo (Allegro) 05:28
4. Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 : IV. Finale (Andante - Allegro molto - Andante assai - Allegro molo come prima - Andante) 13:32
5. En saga, Op. 9 19:00