Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op 104 (1918-23)
Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op 105 (1923-4)
Tapiola, Tone Poem, Op. 112 (1926)
English Symphony Orchestra/Kenneth Woods
rec. 2021/22, Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, UK
ESO Records ESO2502 [65]

This CD is badged as ‘The Symphonies Vol 1’. The works concerned represent, arguably, a slightly unusual starting point for a Sibelius cycle – often, conductors begin with one of the first two symphonies or with the Fifth – but, as we shall see, the chosen works play to the strengths of the English Symphony Orchestra. As I noted when reviewing the orchestra’s recent release of Elgar’s First Symphony, the ESO’s string section isn’t as large as is the case with many orchestras: on these recordings the strings are 8/6/4/4/2 (and 8/6/4/4/2 in the case of the Seventh Symphony). At the risk of making an obvious point, that means that these performances offer a different experience as compared with recordings by, say, Sir Colin Davis, Karajan or Vänskä; inevitably there’s less tonal weight in the string choir, but there are benefits in terms of textural clarity.

That characteristic is most apparent in the case of the Sixth Symphony. As the first movement unfolded, I was struck by the purity and transparency of the textures. In his booklet essay, Guy Rickards cites this as a case where “less is most definitely more”; he’s referring to the work itself but I think the comment could also apply to the performance. Just as I liked the textural clarity so I also liked the intelligent way that Kenneth Woods paces the music. When the brief climaxes arrive in the first movement, the ESO doesn’t short-change the listener. These virtues carry over into the second movement which, in this performance, seems to develop seamlessly from its predecessor. In the quick central section of the movement, I admired the excellent, crisp playing of the woodwinds. There’s also crispness to appreciate in the brief Poco vivace third movement. Here, Woods and his players display a lightness of touch which is just right for the music. The introduction to the finale is ideally measured in pace and when the main body of the Allegro molto is reached (2:00) there’s energy and deftness in the playing, yet one also notices the darker undertones in the music. As the symphony more or less comes full circle in the closing two or three minutes we can enjoy once more the clarity of texture with which the symphony began. I enjoyed this account of the Sixth.

In the booklet, someone has gone to the trouble of listing all the tempo indications in the score of the Seventh Symphony. There are no fewer than fourteen of them, which demonstrates the skill required of the conductor to present the music seamlessly and coherently. I think Kenneth Woods gets all of this absolutely right; the transitions are smooth and the pacing of the various elements seems to me to be ideally judged. The three interventions by the principal trombone are key staging points in this symphony and here the player (Julian Turner) does a fine job. His first solo (tr 5, 4:55) is noble and it helps that Woods has made the lead-up to the trombonist’s intervention both impressive and inexorable. A little later, the scherzo-like episode is nimble and clear, the music well controlled. The passage that includes the second trombone solo (tr 6, from 1:14) is darkly imposing. The next time we hear from the trombonist, he ushers in the main climax of the piece, which here has suitably craggy grandeur (tr 8, from 1:06). All in all, this is an impressive traversal of this compressed symphonic masterpiece.

Tapiola also fares well. I like the subdued tension at the very start; thereafter, Woods builds the tension very successfully in the Allegro moderato section. As with the Sixth Symphony, there’s excellent clarity of texture; perhaps it’s not coincidental that the two works were recorded in the same sessions. I think I’d characterise the approach to the music as lean; there’s certainly a sense of Northern winter about the music as we experience it here. Though the performance may be lean in overall style the dramatic climax from 10:50 is powerfully delivered, with braying horns and plenty of impact from the trumpets. A little later, the storm begins in the distance (13:44) and as it swirls closer and then around the forest you can certainly feel an icy blast. The performance ends quietly; the forest has survived the battering from the storm and continues its remote, forbidding existence.

These are very good performances; I enjoyed all three of them. The orchestral playing is very good and Kenneth Woods shows that he is an idiomatic, understanding Sibelian. This is a successful launchpad for the projected Sibelius cycle. The recorded sound achieved by producer Phil Rowlands and engineer Tim Burton is very good.

I think I should mention that there are a couple of presentational issues, one a minor slip, the other a bit more important. The minor one is that Tapiola is listed as Op 12; that’s just a small typo. More seriously, the track listing (reflected in Guy Rickards’ very useful notes) indicates that the Seventh Symphony is presented as a single track. In fact, it’s divided into four tracks. That’s much more helpful to the listener; however, since all the tempo modifications have been listed in the booklet – again, helpful – it would have been of great assistance if the track dividing points had been shown.

John Quinn

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