Lorin Maazel & Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 / Karelia Suite

Jean Sibelius is considered one of Finland's most important composers and is one of the few who became famous beyond the borders of his homeland. In German-speaking countries, he is best known for his “Violin Concerto in D minor,

Op. 47” and his symphonic poems, in which he incorporated themes from Finnish legends and mythology, among other things. The “Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39” was composed in 1899 and premiered on April 26 of the same year

by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer. Unfortunately, the original version of the work has not been preserved. After the premiere, Sibelius made several changes to the version in which the symphony is played

today. This revised version was completed in the spring and summer of 1900 and performed for the first time on July 18, 1900, in Berlin – again by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, but this time conducted by Robert Kajanus. Reclam's

concert guide describes the symphony as a “harsh work,” saying it is “filled with expressions of longing, lamentation and pain.” “The ”Karelia Suite, Op. 11” (1894) – a collection of orchestral pieces – is one of his earliest works and one of his

most popular! The individual pieces come from various independent works that Sibelius composed in 1893 for a patriotic parade by students from the University of Helsinki in Vyborg, Karelia (now Vyborg, Russia).

The collaboration between American violinist, composer and conductor Lorin Maazel and the Vienna Philharmonic was an artistic partnership that lasted over five decades and produced a wealth of excellent recordings, including the “Symphony No. 1”

and the Karelia Suite. The latter was recorded in March 1963, the symphony in September 1963 in the legendary Sofiensaal in Vienna, Austria. Influenced by late Romanticism and Finnish folk music, the symphony offers a colorful sound world that

captures the listener's attention from the very first bars with its original use of the solo clarinet. The “Karelia Suite” rounds off the listening experience with its folkloric charm. Thanks to the loving remastering, the new LP edition from Esoteric, pressed

on high-quality 180-gram vinyl, shines with audiophile brilliance – a must-have for classical music lovers and fans of the Finnish master symphonist!

Esoteric's reissue of classical music masterpieces has attracted a great deal of attention worldwide. The uncompromising commitment to restoring and editing the original tapes is personally supervised by Mr. Motoaki Ohmachi, founder of Esoteric.

Exclusive new mixes of the master tapes are made for the LP versions of the "Masterpiece Collection". To achieve pristine sound quality, the newly developed "Esoteric Mastering System" is used, including the "Master Sound Discrete DAC" and

"Master Sound Discrete Clock" from Esoteric, as well as Mexcel cables.

Lorin Maazel (conductor)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Recorded on March 1963 (Karelia Suite) and September 1963 (Symphony No. 1) in Sofiensaal, Vienna, Austria

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Title

Side A

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): “Symphony No 1. In E Minor, Op.39”

1. I. First Movement: Andante-Allegro Energico
2. II. Second Movement: Andante
3. II. Third Movement: Scherzo

Side B

1. IV. Fourth Movement: Finale (Quasi Una Fantasia)

Jean Sibelius: “Karelia Suite, Op. 11”

2. I. Intermezzo (Moderato)
3. II. Ballade
4. III. Alla Marcia