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Discography of Sibelius symphony cycles

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The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) was one of the most important symphonists of the early twentieth century: his seven symphonies, written between 1899 and 1924, are the core of his oeuvre and stalwarts of the standard concert repertoire. Many of classical music's conductor–orchestra partnerships have recorded the complete set, colloquially known as the "Sibelius cycle". Specifically, the standard cycle includes:

Discography of Sibelius symphony cycles - Wikidata
Discography of Sibelius symphony cycles - Wikidata
Sibelius (left) composed seven symphonies from 1899–1924. In 1953, the conductor Sixten Ehrling (right) and the Stockholm Radio Orchestra completed the first recorded cycle.

Although early advocates such as Robert Kajanus, Sir Thomas Beecham, and Serge Koussevitzky had conducted many of Sibelius's symphonies for gramophone in the 1930s and 1940s, none of these Sibelians recorded all seven. Instead, the earliest complete traversal dates to 1953, four years before the composer's death on 20 September 1957; it is by Sixten Ehrling and the Stockholm Radio Orchestra, recorded from 1952–1953 for the Swedish label Metronome Records (released by Mercury Records in the United States). Ehrling had outpaced Anthony Collins and the London Symphony Orchestra, whose cycle—recorded from 1952–1955 on Decca Records—was concurrent with Ehrling's but arrived second.

Since the pioneering examples of Ehrling and Collins, the Sibelius cycle has, as of September 2022, been recorded an additional 46 times. The most recently completed (48th) cycle, finished in 2022, is by Owain Arwel Hughes and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; an additional two projected cycles are in progress, according to press releases. A number of conductors have tackled the project more than once: Paavo Berglund (1977, 1987, 1997, 1998) recorded the Sibelius cycle four times, Sir Colin Davis (1976, 1994, 2008) three times, and Akeo Watanabe (1962, 1981), Lorin Maazel (1968, 1992), Jukka-Pekka Saraste (1989, 1993), Leif Segerstam (1992, 2004), Neemi Järvi (1985, 2005), Vladimir Ashkenazy (1984, 2007), Pietari Inkinen (2009, 2013), Sir Simon Rattle (1987, 2015), and Osmo Vänskä (1997, 2015) have done so twice. Leonard Bernstein completed one cycle (1967) but died in the middle of a second. Finally, Herbert von Karajan and Eugene Ormandy left, respectively, three and two incomplete Sibelius cycles.

Additionally, the Sibelius cycle can, in its non-standard form, include its "grand precursor" Kullervo (Op. 7, 1892), which some commentators view as a programmatic choral symphony. This perspective conceptualizes Kullervo as Sibelius's de facto "Symphony No. 0", thus expanding his completed contributions to the symphonic canon from seven to eight. Eleven of the 48 cycles include Kullervo as a supplement.

Precursors: 1930–1951

 
From 1930–1932, Robert Kajanus made premiere recordings of the First, Second, Third, and Fifth symphonies, but his death in July 1933 prevented him from completing the first cycle.
 
Sergei Koussevitzky was the first to program the entire cycle in a concert season (1932–1933, Boston); he also made the premiere recording (1933) of the Seventh with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
 
Sir Thomas Beecham's recordings of the Fourth and the Sixth replaced Schnéevoigt's in the HMV catalogue; Sibelius called the latter his "favourite recording of any of his symphonies".
 
In 1934, Georg Schnéevoigt and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra made the premiere recording of the Sixth and the second of the Fourth; Sibelius expressed disappointment with the performances.

In 1930, the Finnish government, perceiving a wide audience for Sibelius's works, enlisted Britain's Columbia Graphophone Company (later merged in 1931 with HMV to form EMI) to record the First and Second symphonies. The government's subsidization of such an artistic project (it contributed 50,000 Finnish marks) was, according to Sibelius's biographer Erik Tawaststjerna, "an enlightened and at this time unprecedented gesture ... a measure of the unique importance Finland attached to Sibelius as a national figure". Sibelius was permitted his choice of native-born conductors and selected his long-time interpreter, Robert Kajanus, writing of the septuagenarian conductor, "Very many are the men who have conducted these symphonies during the last thirty years, but there are none who have gone deeper and given them more feeling and beauty than Robert Kajanus".

The First and Second were recorded in the Westminster Central Hall on 21–23 and 27–28 May, respectively; although the orchestra was credited as the "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra", the musicians were "largely drawn from the London Symphony [Orchestra], which could not be named for contractual reasons". Two years later, in 1932, the British record producer Walter Legge founded the His Master's Voice (HMV) Sibelius Society, a subscription service that promised to record "all his [Sibelius's] major works and to culminate in the forthcoming Eighth Symphony". Legge enlisted Kajanus—by then in ill health—to record the Third (21–22 June) and Fifth (22–23 June) symphonies at Abbey Road Studio No. 1, again with the London Symphony Orchestra (this time properly credited). Each of Kajanus's recordings was a world premiere and, because of his close association with and personal selection by Sibelius, they "can generally be regarded as authoritative ... he communicates overwhelmingly a sense of total identification with the composer's mind".

Legge and HMV had planned for Kajanus to complete the cycle by recording the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh symphonies, but the maestro's death on 6 July 1933 prevented it. At Sibelius's "express wish", they turned to the Finnish conductor Georg Schnéevoigt to record the Fourth and the Sixth in June 1934; Schnéevoigt was touring London with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (it was billed as the "Finnish National Orchestra"), the principal conductorship of which he had inherited in April 1933 due to Kajanus's ill health. They recorded the Sixth in studio on 3 June (its world premiere recording) and the Fourth at a public concert on 4 June (its second recording, the premiere having been by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra on 23 April 1932 for Victor Records). However, Sibelius did not approve the test pressings of Schnéevoigt's Fourth and Legge did not issue it commercially; although Sibelius permitted the release of Schnéevoigt's Sixth, his response to the performance was tepid.

With the Schnéevoigt recordings lacking favour, the English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham stepped in to fill the void: for Legge, he and the London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded the Fourth on 10 December 1937 at Abbey Road. To prepare this performance, Beecham referenced a "detailed list of [Sibelius's] comments concerning tempi, phrasing, note durations, and so on", which the composer had sent to Legge upon hearing Schnéevoigt's Fourth. As such, Beecham's performance is seen as adhering more closely to Sibelius's standards. Ten years later, in 1947, Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra would displace Schnéevoigt's Sixth, recording the work for Legge from May to November 1947 at Kingsway Hall. According to Robert Layton, Sibelius is said to have referred to Beecham's Sixth as "his favourite recording of any of his symphonies".

A final important Sibelian from this period was the Russian émigré conductor Serge Koussevitzky, an "energetic disciple" to whom Sibelius had promised the world premiere of the ever-elusive Eighth Symphony. Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed the entire cycle during the 1932–1933 season (a programming first), and while in London to guest conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Queen's Hall, Koussevitzky made the world premiere recording of the Seventh Symphony at a public concert on 15 May 1933. Koussevitzky dispatched the test pressings to Sibelius with a 6 June letter: "if they [the discs] do not please you, they will be destroyed"; the composer, however, was pleased, writing on 3 July: "I find it hard to express the joy I experienced when I listened to you dear Maestro ... Everything was so full of life and natural, and I cannot thank you sufficiently". Although he never obtained the Eighth (Sibelius abandoned the project and destroyed the score), Koussevitzky's advocacy remained undiminished: he commercially recorded the Second on 24 January 1935 and the Fifth on 29 December 1936, as well as an additional Second on 29 November 1950, six months before his death.

Complete Sibelius cycles: 1952–present

Complete cycles

 
The English conductor Sir Colin Davis thrice recorded the cycle, two of which are with the London Symphony Orchestra (1994; 2008).
 
Paavo Berglund recorded the cycle four times. His earliest (1977, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) was the first by a Finnish conductor.

Although early advocates from the 1930s and 1940s had conducted many of Sibelius's symphonies from gramophone, none of these Sibelians recorded all seven. In February 1952, Metronome (the United States distributor was Mercury) and Decca each began cycles: the former enlisted the Swedish conductor Sixten Ehrling and the Stockholm Radio Orchestra (now the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra), whereas the latter employed the English conductor Anthony Collins and the London Symphony Orchestra. For his cycle, Ehrling visited Sibelius at Ainola on 10 June 1952, "loaded with practical questions concerning interpretation and the composer's intentions"; but Sibelius's demurred, refusing to "confine the interpretations of his music to any specific edicts; each artist must be allowed to work according to his capacity and imagination". Ehrling outpaced Collins, completing his Sibelius cycle—history's first—in January 1953; Collins finished two years later in January 1955. These would be the only two cycles completed in Sibelius's lifetime.

Both the Ehrling and the Collins cycles were recorded in mono; the Japanese conductor Akeo Watanabe and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra were the first to stereo, completing their cycle for Nippon Columbia in 1962 (the United States distributor was Epic). A patriotic milestone arrived in June 1977 when the Finnish conductor Paavo Berglund became the first of Sibelius's countrymen to record the cycle (with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, EMI). Ten years later in July 1987, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra became the first Finnish ensemble to complete the cycle (with Berglund, EMI).

The sortable table below contains all commercial recordings of the complete Sibelius cycle. To date, it has been recorded 48 times by 34 conductors (of which 11 are or were Finns, Sibelius's countrymen) and 34 orchestras (three Finnish). In terms of superlatives, Berglund (1977, 1987, 1997, 1998) holds the record for the most cycles by a conductor. The record for an ensemble is jointly held by the London Symphony Orchestra (1955, 1994, 2008), the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (1962, 1981, 2013), and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1989, 1993, 2014), at three apiece. Finally, among record labels, Decca has produced a record six cycles (Collins, 1955; Maazel, 1968; Davis, 1976; Ashkenazy, 1984; Blomstedt, 1995; Mäkelä, 2022).

Complete Sibelius cycles: 1952–present
No. Conductor Orchestra Years Symphony runtime Recording venue Label Ref.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 Sixten Ehrling  Royal Stockholm Philharmonic (1) 1952–1953 37:02 42:13 29:00 34:10 27:19 26:39 19:57 Musikaliska, Nybrokajen 11 [sv] Metronome,
Mercury,
Finlandia
2 Anthony Collins London Symphony Orchestra (1) 1952–1955 34:27 40:32 24:35 31:39 29:30 28:24 19:40 Kingsway Hall Decca
3 Akeo Watanabe (1) Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (1) 1962–1962 37:44 42:14 30:53 34:55 30:08 26:55 20:48 Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (1, 3–4)
Suginami Public Hall (2, 7)
Bunkyo Public Hall (5–6) 		Nippon Columbia,
Epic,
Denon
4 Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic 1960–1967 36:37 44:37 26:31 39:26 32:49 26:41 22:46 Philharmonic Hall (1–4, 6–7)
Manhattan Center (5) 		Columbia,
Sony Classical
5 Lorin Maazel (1) Vienna Philharmonic 1963–1968 36:10 43:18 26:27 32:49 27:28 24:32 21:22 Sofiensaal Decca
6 Sir John Barbirolli The Hallé (1) 1966–1970 41:50 45:57 32:47 36:17 33:15 29:54 21:54 Kingsway Hall EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
7 Gennady Rozhdestvensky Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra 1969–1974 38:25 44:58 26:59 33:58 29:32 27:52 20:51 [Unknown] Melodiya
8 Sir Colin Davis (1) Boston Symphony Orchestra 1975–1976 39:14 44:48 29:36 37:09 32:04 24:34 21:20 Boston Symphony Hall Decca
9 Maurice Abravanel Utah Symphony Orchestra 1977–1977 36:44 43:00 29:14 34:32 29:16 28:11 21:14 Mormon Tabernacle Vanguard,
Musical Concepts
10 Kurt Sanderling Berlin Symphony Orchestra 1970–1977 40:03 45:28 27:24 36:03 32:27 29:19 23:49 Berlin Christuskirche [de] Brilliant Classics,
Berlin Classics
11 Paavo Berglund (1) Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra 1972–1977 39:00 44:53 31:13 37:22 32:11 31:32 21:55 Southampton Guildhall (1, 3, 5, 7)
Abbey Road Studios (2, 4)
Kingsway Hall (6) 		EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
12 Akeo Watanabe (2) Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (2) 1981–1981 38:47 42:29 28:38 33:54 31:06 27:06 21:18 Hitomi Memorial Hall (1–2, 4–5, 7)
Narashino Cultural Hall (3, 6) 		Denon
13 Sir Alexander Gibson Royal Scottish National Orchestra 1982–1983 37:23 41:16 26:13 31:03 29:19 27:21 20:35 SNO Centre Hall Chandos
14 Vladimir Ashkenazy (1) Philharmonia Orchestra 1979–1984 39:36 46:21 29:31 32:59 31:35 28:16 22:30 Kingsway Hall (2–5, 7)
Walthamstow Town Hall (1, 6) 		Decca
15 Neeme Järvi (1) Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (1) 1982–1985 38:38 41:52 29:14 37:50 33:39 27:25 20:45 Gothenburg Concert Hall BIS
16 Sir Simon Rattle (1) City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1) 1984–1987 41:35 44:53 28:34 37:37 30:27 29:41 22:30 Warwick Arts Centre EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
17 Paavo Berglund (2) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (1) 1984–1987 36:13 39:50 28:36 34:12 30:24 28:53 21:24 Kulttuuritalo (1–3, 5–6)
All Saints Church (4, 7) 		EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
18 Jukka-Pekka Saraste (1) Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1) 1987–1989 38:19 43:38 27:35 34:30 32:26 30:13 21:00 Kulttuuritalo RCA Red Seal
19 Adrian Leaper Slovak Philharmonic 1989–1990 36:05 43:16 26:33 35:00 30:39 26:43 20:25 Reduta Concert Hall Naxos
20 Leif Segerstam (1) Danish National Symphony Orchestra 1990–1992 42:58 47:07 31:47 39:51 34:56 31:38 22:14 Danish Radio Concert Hall Chandos
21 Lorin Maazel (2) Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 1990–1992 40:16 46:53 27:31 39:33 31:35 27:21 25:53 Heinz Hall Sony Classical
22 Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2) Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (2) 1993–1993 36:51 42:09 27:10 32:19 31:33 28:43 19:38 Saint Petersburg Philharmonia Finlandia
23 Sir Colin Davis (2) London Symphony Orchestra (2) 1992–1994 39:34 46:38 30:17 37:18 30:17 26:05 22:51 Blackheath Halls (1–2, 4, 6–7)
Watford Town Hall (3, 5) 		RCA Red Seal
24 Herbert Blomstedt San Francisco Symphony 1989–1995 39:32 44:32 29:14 36:20 31:09 29:48 22:27 Davies Symphony Hall Decca
25 Osmo Vänskä (1) Lahti Symphony Orchestra (1) 1996–1997 35:04 44:44 30:32 39:27 31:20 26:45 22:44 Ristinkirkko BIS
26 Paavo Berglund (3) Chamber Orchestra of Europe (1) 1995–1997 36:27 41:31 29:55 33:11 30:28 28:17 22:04 RFO Hall, Hilversum (1–3)
Watford Colosseum (4, 6–7)
Nijmegen Town Hall [nl] (5) 		Finlandia
27 Paavo Berglund (4) Chamber Orchestra of Europe (2) 1998–1998 37:59 43:16 30:59 33:51 33:11 29:09 22:27 Finlandia Hall ICA Classics
28 Petri Sakari [fi] Iceland Symphony Orchestra 1996–2000 38:07 45:02 29:06 37:47 31:17 30:22 22:45 Reykjavík University Hall (1–3)
Reykjavík Concert Hall (4–7) 		Naxos
29 Sakari Oramo City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2) 2000–2003 37:07 44:10 29:46 35:48 31:14 27:01 21:19 Birmingham Symphony Hall Erato,
Warner Classics
30 Leif Segerstam (2) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (2) 2002–2004 38:14 45:45 29:57 37:50 33:49 30:12 21:04 Finlandia Hall Ondine
31 Neeme Järvi (2) Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (2) 2001–2005 38:49 46:40 30:31 38:41 32:01 31:16 24:37 Gothenburg Concert Hall Deutsche Grammophon
32 Vladimir Ashkenazy (2) Royal Stockholm Philharmonic (2) 2006–2007 38:21 44:44 27:23 32:17 31:04 27:04 20:36 Stockholm Concert Hall Exton
33 Sir Colin Davis (3) London Symphony Orchestra (3) 2002–2008 39:35 44:43 30:48 38:42 30:57 25:47 22:27 Barbican Centre LSO Live
34 Arvo Volmer Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 2007–2008 36:18 42:50 28:27 34:55 31:46 31:06 19:42 Adelaide Town Hall ABC Classics
35 Pietari Inkinen (1) New Zealand Symphony Orchestra 2008–2009 40:18 44:16 29:36 36:29 33:05 29:19 21:04 Michael Fowler Centre Naxos
36 Pietari Inkinen (2) Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (3) 2013–2013 40:15 46:21 30:06 38:42 33:54 30:19 21:41 Suntory Hall (1, 3–7)
Yokohama Minato mirai Hall (2) 		Naxos Japan
37 John Storgårds BBC Philharmonic 2012–2013 38:35 45:46 28:58 34:49 32:35 28:12 22:12 MediaCityUK Chandos
38 Okko Kamu Lahti Symphony Orchestra (2) 2012–2014 38:24 44:56 29:29 38:07 34:42 29:06 22:40 Sibelius Hall BIS
39 Hannu Lintu Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (3) 2012–2014 41:16 45:49 30:12 40:15 34:20 30:58 22:32 Helsinki Music Centre Arthaus Musik
40 Sir Simon Rattle (2) Berlin Philharmonic 2014–2015 37:39 43:12 28:17 36:50 30:32 29:13 21:48 Berlin Philharmonie Berlin Phil
41 Tadaaki Otaka Sapporo Symphony Orchestra 2013–2015 37:25 44:15 28:57 35:32 30:23 28:20 22:13 Sapporo Concert Hall Fontec
42 Osmo Vänskä (2) Minnesota Orchestra 2011–2015 34:43 46:14 29:50 38:28 30:50 28:58 22:01 Minneapolis Orchestra Hall BIS
43 Kim Dae-jin Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra [ko] 2015–2015 37:54 42:31 29:15 33:58 30:30 28:58 23:27 Suwon SK Artrium Sony Classical
44 Paavo Järvi Orchestre de Paris 2012–2016 39:49 44:37 28:55 35:59 31:38 29:16 21:32 Salle Pleyel (1, 6–7)
Philharmonie de Paris (2–5) 		RCA Red Seal
45 Sachio Fujioka Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra 2012–2018 40:01 43:50 29:06 39:40 32:37 30:40 20:48 The Symphony Hall, Osaka ALM Records
46 Sir Mark Elder The Hallé (2) 2006–2019 39:03 46:44 29:50 41:07 30:40 28:41 22:34 New Broadcasting House (1)
Bridgewater Hall (2–7) 		Hallé
47 Klaus Mäkelä Oslo Philharmonic 2021–2021 39:54 46:03 30:03 37:52 34:01 31:23 22:44 Oslo Concert Hall Decca
48 Owain Arwel Hughes Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 2019–2022 41:03 47:50 31:44 39:05 31:21 30:25 21:07 St John’s Smith Square Rubicon Classics

Complete cycles including Kullervo

Additionally, the Sibelius cycle can, in its non-standard form, include Kullervo (Op. 7, 1892), a five-movement symphonic work for soprano, baritone, male choir, and orchestra. This piece, which predates the First Symphony by seven years and in 1893 launched the young Sibelius as an important composer for orchestra, features sung text from Runos XXXV–VI of the Kalevala, Finland's national epic. Kullervo eschews obvious categorization, in part due to Sibelius's own ambivalence: at the premiere, program and score each listed the piece as a "symphonic poem"; yet, Sibelius nevertheless referred to Kullervo as a symphony both while composing the piece and again in retirement when reflecting on his decades-long career.

Today, many commentators prefer to view Kullervo as a programmatic choral symphony, variously due to its deployment of sonata form in the first movement, its thematic unity and recurring material, and its massive scale. Such a perspective thus conceptualizes Kullervo as Sibelius's de facto "Symphony No. 0", thereby expanding his completed contributions to the symphonic canon from seven to eight. Eleven of the Sibelius complete cycles listed above also include Kullervo. The sortable table below lists recording information for these performances.

Complete cycles that include Kullervo
No. Conductor Orchestra Soloists Male choir(s) Year Time Recording venue Label Ref.
11 Paavo Berglund (1) Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Raili Kostia [fi],
Usko Viitanen [fi] 		YL Male Voice Choir 1970 71:45 Southampton Guildhall EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
15 Neeme Järvi (1) Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Karita Mattila,
Jorma Hynninen 		Laulun Ystävät Male Choir [fi] 1985 69:45 Gothenburg Concert Hall BIS
17 Paavo Berglund (2) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Eeva-Liisa Saarinen [fi],
Jorma Hynninen 		YL Male Voice Choir
Estonian National Male Choir 		1985 71:46 Kulttuuritalo EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
20 Leif Segerstam (1) Danish National Symphony Orchestra Soile Isokoski,
Raimo Laukka [fi] 		Danish National Radio Choir [da] 1994 75:50 Danish Radio Concert Hall Chandos
22 Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2) Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Monica Groop,
Jorma Hynninen 		Polytech Choir 1996 69:46 Kulttuuritalo Finlandia
23 Sir Colin Davis (2) London Symphony Orchestra Hillevi Martinpelto,
Karl-Magnus Fredriksson [fi] 		London Symphony Chorus 1996 80:59 Walthamstow Assembly Hall RCA Red Seal
25 Osmo Vänskä (1) Lahti Symphony Orchestra Lilli Paasikivi,
Raimo Laukka [fi] 		YL Male Voice Choir 2000 80:34 Sibelius Hall BIS
30 Leif Segerstam (2) Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Soile Isokoski,
Tommi Hakala 		YL Male Voice Choir 2007 77:56 Finlandia Hall Ondine
33 Sir Colin Davis (3) London Symphony Orchestra Monica Groop,
Peter Mattei 		London Symphony Chorus 2005 72:12 Barbican Centre LSO Live
39 Hannu Lintu Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Johanna Rusanen [fi],
Ville Rusanen [fi] 		Polytech Choir
Estonian National Male Choir 		2018 72:28 Helsinki Music Centre Ondine
42 Osmo Vänskä (2) Minnesota Orchestra Lilli Paasikivi,
Tommi Hakala 		YL Male Voice Choir 2016 79:29 Minneapolis Orchestra Hall BIS

Incomplete Sibelius cycles: 1952–present

Projected cycles in progress

The sortable table below includes two projected, in-progress Sibelius cycles, which—if completed—would constitute the 49th to 50th entries in the commercial catalogue.

Projected cycles in progress
Conductor Orchestra Years Symphony runtime Recording venue Label Ref.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Santtu-Matias Rouvali Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra 2018– 39:42 45:29 31:28 36:56 31:11 — — Gothenburg Concert Hall (1–5) Alpha Classics
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Orchestre Métropolitain 2018– 41:05 44:54 30:29 38:08 31:26 — — Montreal Symphony House (1–5) ATMA Classique
 
Between his recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan recorded each symphony except the Third.
 
Leonard Bernstein was the first American to complete the cycle (1967, the New York Philharmonic). He died before completing a second.

Incomplete cycles no longer in progress

In addition to the 48 completed Sibelius cycles, there are a number of incomplete traversals available to the public. Of particular note is the collaboration between the Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan and the Philharmonia for EMI, because it occurred during Sibelius's lifetime. In 1954, Walter Legge—who, in 1932, had been instrumental in the projected Kajanus–LSO cycle—sought to woo the octogenarian composer to London, either to personally conduct the cycle or, barring that, to supervise the production of one under Karajan (then under contract with Legge's EMI):

As I believe I have already told you, Herbert von Karajan is, in my view, of all the leading conductors, the one with the greatest insight into your music. If you are completely happy with his performances of these three great works [Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5, recorded in 1952; and Tapiola, 1953], I would be deeply grateful if you would write and tell me so, because if Herbert von Karajan's performances satisfy you, it is my intention to record all of your symphonies to be published in time for the celebration of your ninetieth birthday ...

— Walter Legge, in a September 1954 letter to Jean Sibelius

Subsequently, Sibelius voiced his approval to Legge in person, remarking: "Karajan is the only one who really understands my music". In the end, Karajan recorded Symphonies Nos. 4–7 with the Philharmonia before Sibelius's death, all in mono; and, in 1960, he added to this set stereo recordings of Nos. 2 and 5.

The sortable table below includes these and other incomplete Sibelius cycles for which a conductor recorded with the same orchestra at least three of the seven symphonies, including: Karajan's second and third, each with the Berlin Philharmonic, the orchestra he conducted for over three decades; Bernstein's second; and, Berglund's record fifth.

Incomplete cycles no longer in progress
Conductor Orchestra Years Symphony runtime Recording venue Label Ref.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Paul Kletzki Philharmonia Orchestra 1955–1955 35:20 40:28 27:24 — — — — Kingsway Hall (1–3) EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
Herbert von Karajan Philharmonia Orchestra 1952–1960 — 45:47 — 35:59 32:28
30:46 		28:00 25:01 Kingsway Hall (2, 4–7) EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
Eugene Ormandy Philadelphia Orchestra 1957–1962 39:41 43:48 — — — — 22:34 Broadwood Hotel (2, 7) Columbia,
Sony Classical
Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic 1965–1967 — — — 36:08 31:34 28:49 23:18 Jesus-Christus-Kirche [de] (4–7) Deutsche Grammophon
Eugene Ormandy Philadelphia Orchestra 1972–1978 41:49 44:39 — 32:13 33:38 — 23:42 Scottish Rite Cathedral (4–5, 7) RCA Red Seal
Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic 1976–1981 38:48 47:48 — 39:01 32:33 27:23 — Berliner Philharmonie (1–2, 4–6) EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
Leonard Bernstein Vienna Philharmonic 1986–1990 41:18 51:30 — — 35:34 — 24:54 Wiener Musikverein (1–2, 7)
Wiener Konzerthaus (5) 		Deutsche Grammophon
Mariss Jansons Oslo Philharmonic 1990–1994 38:01 42:13 28:08 — 29:46 — — Oslo Konserthus (1–3, 5) EMI Classics,
Warner Classics
James Levine Berlin Philharmonic 1991–1994 — 40:15 — 37:20 29:21 — — Konzerthaus Berlin (2)
Jesus-Christus-Kirche [de] (4)
Berliner Philharmonie (5) 		Deutsche Grammophon
Adrian Leaper Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria ????–???? ? 45:10 — — 32:16 ? 21:26 Nave Industrial, El Cebadal, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1–2, 5–7) Arte Nova Classics [citation needed]
Paavo Berglund London Philharmonic Orchestra 2003–2005 — 43:43 — — 31:40 28:35 22:37 Royal Festival Hall (2, 5–7) LPO Live
Thomas Søndergård BBC National Orchestra of Wales 2014–2014 38:10 41:53 — — — 28:30 20:33 BBC Hoddinott Hall (1–2, 6–7) Linn Records

Notes, references, and sources

Notes

References

Sources

Books

  • Abraham, Gerald (1947). The Music of Sibelius. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-306-70716-2.
  • de Gorog, Lisa (1989). From Sibelius to Sallinen: Finnish Nationalism and the Music of Finland. New York: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-26740-6.
  • Ewen, David (1967). Ewen's Musical Masterworks: The Encyclopedia of Musical Masterpieces (2nd ed.). New York: Bonanza Books. OCLC 2953062.
  • Layton, Robert (2001). "Chapter 2: From Kajanus to Karajan: Sibelius on record". In Jackson, Timothy; Veijo, Murtomäki (eds.). Sibelius Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 14–34. ISBN 978-0-521-62416-9.
  • Smith, Frederick Key (2002). Nordic Art Music : From the Middle Ages to the Third Millennium. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-97399-5.
  • Tawaststjerna, Erik (1986). Sibelius: Volume 2, 1904–1914. (Robert Layton, English translation). London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-24773-8.
  • Tawaststjerna, Erik (1997). Sibelius: Volume 3, 1914–1957. (Robert Layton, English translation). London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-24774-5.

Liner notes

  • Kajanus conducts Sibelius, Vol. 1 (CD booklet). Robert Kajanus & London Symphony Orchestra [& "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra"]. Naxos Historical. 2012. 8.111393.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 867581760
  • Kajanus conducts Sibelius, Vol. 2 (CD booklet). Robert Kajanus & London Symphony Orchestra [& "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra"]. Naxos Historical. 2013. 8.111394.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 858154504
  • Jean Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 4, 6 and 7 (CD booklet). Leopold Stokowski & Philadelphia Orchestra / Goerg Schnéevoigt & Finnish National Orchestra / Serge Koussevitzky & BBC Symphony Orchestra. Naxos Historical. 2013. 8.111399.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 1131520158
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 / Symphony No. 5 (CD booklet). S. Koussevitzky & Boston Symphony Orchestra. Naxos Historical. 2001. 8.110170.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 191900882
  • Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf / Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 (CD booklet). Serge Koussevitzky & Boston Symphony Orchestra. Naxos Historical. 2008. 8.111290.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 416976080
  • Koussevitzky Conducts Sibelius, Vol. 1: Symphony No. 1 / Symphony No. 7 (CD booklet). Serge Koussevitzky & Boston Symphony Orchestra. Rococo Records. 1960s. 2-RR-2103-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 50879968
  • Koussevitzky Conducts Sibelius, Vol. 2: Symphony No. 5 / Symphony No. 6 / The Swan of Tuonela (CD booklet). Serge Koussevitzky & Boston Symphony Orchestra. Rococo Records. 1960s. 2-RR-2103-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 3824659
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 4 / Symphony No. 5 / Others (CD booklet). Sir Thomas Beecham, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, & London Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI Classics. 1991. CDM 7 640 27 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 28124429
  • Sibelius: The complete Symphonies (CD booklet). Akeo Watanabe & Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Denon. 1996. [4-CD-Box: COCO-80406-409 or COCO-80406; Barcode: 4988001446989 (Not listed on websites like discogs but can be found via Google image search, on auction-websites like ebay/yahoo or shopping sites like tower.jp)].{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • The Sibelius Edition: Symphonies 1–7 / Orchestral Works (CD booklet). Sir John Barbirolli & Hallé Orchestra. EMI Classics [Warner]. 2000. 5 67299 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 45170478
  • Sibelius: Symphonies (CD booklet). Kurt Sanderling & Berlin Symphony Orchestra. Brilliant Classics. 2003. 6328.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 52076322
  • Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies (CD booklet). Akeo Watanabe & Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Denon. 1996. COCO-80410-413.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: The Symphonies / Tone Poems / Violin Concerto (CD booklet). Vladimir Ashkenazy & Philharmonia Orchestra. Decca. 2003. 473 590-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 54781243
  • Jean Sibelius: The Seven Symphonies / Kullervo (CD booklet). Neeme Järvi & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. BIS. 1993. CD-622/24.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 29242082
  • Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies / Tone Poems (CD booklet). Paavo Berglund & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI Classics [Warner]. 2001. 5 74485 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 51667439
  • Sibelius: Symphonies 1–7 / Karelia Suite / Valse triste (CD booklet). Jukka-Pekka Saraste & Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. RCA Red Seal. 2020. 19439704812.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 1240345371
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 / En saga / Belshazzar's Feast (CD booklet). Adrian Leaper & Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos. 1991. 8.550200.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 30051915
  • Sibelius: Symphonies 1–7 / Violin Concerto / Orchestral Works (CD booklet). Lorin Maazel & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Sony Classical. 2002. SB5K 87882.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 52201392
  • Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies / Finlandia / Kullervo / Valse triste / More (CD booklet). Sir Colin Davis & London Symphony Orchestra. RCA Red Seal. 2003. 82876-55706-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 55118128
  • Sibelius: The complete Symphonies (DVD/Blu-ray booklet). Paavo Berglund & Chamber Orchestra of Europe. ica Classics. 2022. [1].{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 1299307765
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 / The Tempest, Suite No. 1 (CD booklet). Petri Sakari & Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Naxos. 1999. 8.554266.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 42252832
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7 / The Tempest, Suite No. 2 (CD booklet). Petri Sakari & Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Naxos. 2000. 8.554387.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 47111710
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1–7 / Finlandia / Karelia Suite / Tone Poems (CD booklet). Sakari Oramo & City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Erato [Warner]. 2003. 2564 60294-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 783181636
  • Sibelius: Complete Symphonies / Violin Concerto / Finlandia (CD booklet). Leif Segerstam & Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Ondine. 2005. ODE 1075-2Q.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 68623498
  • Sibelius: The Symphonies & Tone Poems (CD booklet). Neeme Järvi & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Deutsche Grammophon. 2007. 4776654.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 302357737
  • Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 / Symphony No. 3 / Rakastava (CD booklet). Vladimir Ashkenazy & Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Exton. 2007. OVCL-00279.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 713662002
  • Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 4 / Symphony No. 5 / Finlandia (CD booklet). Vladimir Ashkenazy & Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Exton. 2007. OVCL-00282.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 635955299
  • Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 / Tapiola / The Swan of Tuonela (CD booklet). Vladimir Ashkenazy & Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Exton. 2007. OVCL-00292.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 642909278
  • Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 6 / Symphony No. 7 / Karelia Suite (CD booklet). Vladimir Ashkenazy & Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Exton. 2007. OVCL-00293.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 656016325
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1–7 / Kullervo (CD booklet). Sir Colin Davis & London Symphony Orchestra. LSO Live. 2009. LSO0191.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 762569923
  • Sibelius: Complete Symphonies / Violin Concerto / Finlandia / Valse triste (CD booklet). Arvo Volmer & Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. ABC Classics. 2010. ABC 476 3943.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 729684400
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7 / Finlandia (CD booklet). Pietari Inkinen & New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Naxos. 2011. 8.572705.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 752482990
  • Sibelius: Complete Symphonies (CD booklet). Pietari Inkinen & Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos Japan. 2015. NYCC-27286-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1–7 & Kullervo (CD booklet). Osmo Vänskä & Minnesota Orchestra. BIS. 2020. BIS-2506.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphonies (CD booklet). Tadaaki Otaka & Sapporo Symphony Orchestra. Fontec. 2021. FOCD9856/8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Complete Symphonies (CD booklet). Kim Dae-jin & Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony Classical. 2016. S80210C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Complete Symphonies & Violin Concerto (CD booklet). Sachio Fujioka & Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra. ALM Records. 2021. [2].{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E minor / Symphony No. 3 in C major (CD booklet). Sir Mark Elder & Hallé Orchestra. Hallé. 2009. CDHLL7514.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 471522235
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat / Symphony No. 7 in C / En saga (CD booklet). Sir Mark Elder & Hallé Orchestra. Hallé. 2016. CDHLL7543.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 949907753
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 (CD booklet). Owain Arwel Hughes & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Rubicon Classics. 2020. RCD1055.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 1201358812
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4 (CD booklet). Owain Arwel Hughes & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Rubicon Classics. 2022. RCD1072.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3, 5, & 7 (CD booklet). Owain Arwel Hughes & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Rubicon Classics. 2022. RCD1073.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Kullervo Symphony / The Oceanides / Tapiola (CD booklet). Paavo Berglund & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. EMI Classics [Warner]. 2000. 5 74200 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 47956466
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 (LP booklet). Paul Kletzki & Philharmonia Orchestra. Angel Records. 1956. 35313.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 3537432
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 (LP booklet). Paul Kletzki & Philharmonia Orchestra. Angel Records. 1956. 35314.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 5810168
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 (LP booklet). Paul Kletzki & Philharmonia Orchestra. Angel Records. 1956. 35315.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 3537435
  • Orchestral Spectaculars From Handel To Bartók: Karajan, 1949–1960 (CD booklet). Herbert von Karajan & Philharmonia Orchestra. Warner [EMI Classics]. 2014. 0825646336210.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 908656037
  • Symphonien Nos. 4–7 / Der Schwan von Tuonela / Tapiola (CD booklet). Herbert von Karajan & Berlin Philharmonic. Deutsche Grammophon. 1999. 457 748-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 42387951
  • Leonard Bernstein–Sibelius: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon (CD booklet). Leonard Bernstein & Vienna Philharmonic. Deutsche Grammophon. 2004. 474 936-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 56079220
  • Sibelius: Symphonie No. 2 / Finlandia / Valse triste (CD booklet). James Levine & Berlin Philharmonic. Deutsche Grammophon. 1993. 437 828-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 30808446
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 / Symphony No. 7 (CD booklet). Paavo Berglund & London Philharmonic Orchestra. LPO Live. 2005. LPO 0005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 150252455
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 / Symphony No. 6 / The Swan of Tuonela (CD booklet). Paavo Berglund & London Philharmonic Orchestra. LPO Live. 2012. LPO 0065.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 809034008
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 / King Christian II (CD booklet). Santtu-Matias Rouvali & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Alpha Classics. 2020. ALPHA 574.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) OCLC 1147955021
  • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 / Pohjola's Daughter (CD booklet). Santtu-Matias Rouvali & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Alpha Classics. 2022. ALPHA 645.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphony No. 4 / The Wood Nymph / Valse triste (CD booklet). Santtu-Matias Rouvali & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Alpha Classics. 2023. ALPHA 1008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphony Nos. 3 & 4 (CD booklet). Yannick Nézet-Séguin & Orchestre Métropolitain. ATMA Classique. 2021. ACD2 2454.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Sibelius: Symphony Nos. 2 & 5 (CD booklet). Yannick Nézet-Séguin & Orchestre Métropolitain. ATMA Classique. 2024. ACD2 2453.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • Barnett, Andrew (2000). Kullervo (booklet). Osmo Vänskä & Lahti Symphony Orchestra. BIS. p. 3–7. BIS CD-1215.
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