Sibelius: Symphony No 7; Pelléas et Mélisande Suite

Sibelius: Symphony No 7; Pelléas et Mélisande Suite

ODE 1404-2 (Ondine Records, CD)

FIRST RELEASE (6 May 2022)

Playing time: 72'01"
Tracks: 15
Booklet pages: 24
℗ 2022 Ondine Oy
© 2022 Ondine Oy
Main country of recording: Finland
Country of manufacture: Germany
Reviewer: Stephen Francis Vasta
Review of Sibelius: Symphony No 7; Pelléas et Mélisande Suite published on 30 November 2022

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Collon, conductor

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957):

1 Symphony No 7 in C, Op 105 (1924)

Suite from King Christian II (Kung Kristian II), Op 27 (1898)
2 Nocturne
3 Élégie
4 Musette
5 Serenade
6 Ballade

Suite from Pelléas et Mélisande, Op 46 (1905)
7 At the Castle Gate
8 Mélisande
9 At the Seashore
10 A Spring in the Park
11 The Three Blind Sisters
12 Pastorale
13 Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel
14 Entr'acte
15 The Death of Mélisande

Conductor Nicholas Collon began as the new Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in September 2021. This all-Sibelius programme, carefully selected by the conductor, is his debut album together with his new orchestra. Collon offers a fresh and modern interpretation of Sibelius' symphonic testament, the Seventh Symphony, and brings to life the colour and drama of Sibelius' incidental music for two plays – Maeterlinck’s famous Pelléas et Mélisande and the historic King Christian II.

Recorded in October 2021 (Pelléas et Mélisande) and December 2021 (King Christian II; Symphony No 7) at Helsinki Music Centre, Finland.