Ripe for Reissue: Bernstein's Sony Sibelius Cycle

[@georgeroig5628]

You slayed me with The Swan of 'Simonela'! Always a treat to watch these reviews (I was around 12 when I first was 'exposed' to Bernsteins' Sibelius' 4th along with 'Simonela'). Great stuff!!

[@johnmontanari6857]

This set is indeed available to stream and download for purchase.

[@alanmcginn4796]

John. And I think the solution to this mess is by having everything streamable and downloadable at the very least.

[@johnmontanari6857]

@@alanmcginn4796 That would be nice. It's also easy for me to say. Having morphed from decades-long LP and CD collector to inveterate streamer (in CD and HD quality, per favore), I still have no idea how the economics work.

[@Kaikena]

This complete box is available on Apple for streaming and download.

[@alanmcginn4796]

@@warrenj3204 no. I actually purchased digital media and download it to my iTunes so I have the music whenever I want it.

[@willx9352]

@@warrenj3204 There is both a CD quality and a High Res version available for download - from reputable retailers. It was released in 2015. It has been remastered for this digital release. I cannot vouch whether this means that the sound quality is any better than the original CDs, or for that matter the vinyl records - which was the original way it was released. Given that it was originally released as vinyl records, should we be demanding that the record companies continue to manufacture vinyl records - or for that matter, for historical material, 78s!

[@jmbrannigan]

This is a fascinating concept for a series - I'm looking forward to future offerings! The Bernstein Sibelius cycle is a fine choice for reissue, though as others have pointed out, it's at least available for download. I'd really love it if Sony were to reissue the Bernstein "Symphony Edition"! For my own contribution, how about Riccardo Muti's late Mozart Symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic on Philips? I think there were five or six discs. Just stunningly beautiful performances, and now extremely hard to find. I don't know how much Muti recorded for Universal, so I don't know if a Big Box could be in the works, but as of now these lovely recordings remain largely unavailable.

[@eddihaskell]

I just received my Bernstein Sibelius box (Columbia Legends issued by Sony), and it is wonderful. I rank it right up there with my Davis/Boston, Blomstedt/San Francisco, and Segerstrom/Helsinki Philharmonic cycles. I have no favorites out of these, in my limited musical knowledge I rank Bernstein as the most "romantci" amd warm, and Segerstrom as the most "20th century" and "nordic" versions . I told myself not to purchase any more Sibelius cycles, so hopefully, this is the last once for a while. The Bernstein box is very hard to find at a reasonable price, but I managed to secure a reasonble one after searching. One question - my Karajan/Berlin/DG Sibelius 4-7's which were issued as singles a while ago (they were some of the first disks I purchased back in the 80's). are also outstanding,. Was Karajan as good in the earlier Siblelius symphonies, 1-3? Could this be another recommended cycle?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Karajan never touched No. 3. He did No. 1 only once, but it's very exciting. His 2nd was always too slow, especially the finale.

[@john1951w]

Fully agree. Great cycle, somewhat overshadowed at the time by Maazel/Vienna on Decca. White hot playing from the New York Phil. The sound quality is a bit scrawny and thin (typical CBS) but who cares? It still sounds pretty good. It's also available in the Bernstein Symphony Edition which also includes the Mahler, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven cycles and loads of other goodies. Can't go wrong!!

[@sjc1204]

Over the last week, I listened to to those marvelous Sibelius recordings by Järvi and Gothenburg you've praised so this is good timing to give Bernstein's cycle a listen. I have the dreaded Royal Edition CDs but, as others mentioned, they've been remastered since.

[@bernardley4540]

Readily available on Tidal Streaming.

[@stevenbugala8375]

Don’t forget the DG Second he did. You’ve covered it. There are parts I like, but those pauses in the slow movement are big enough for him to go grab a scotch and come back to the podium.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Yes, I blotted it from my memory.

[@SamWesting]

All the recordings in this Sibelius box were remastered in 2015 by Andreas Meyer in 24 bit/96 kHz & surpass all previous issues, including the huge Bernstein box sets (2010 Symphony & 2014 Concerto/Orchestral Works). So buyers of this set are getting more than just 1960s/‘70s era jacket artwork.

[@dmntuba]

I think a very simple rule of thumb would be that Bernstein recordings are ALWAYS available and in print....FOREVER!!!!!😁

[@furrybear57]

YES!!! Like Maria Callas or Enrico Caruso.....or even the Leontyne Price Christmas album.....they have never been out of print!

[@johnkim3840]

He did Sibelius 2nd too in Vienna.

[@marks1417]

In Vienna he did 1+2 + 5+6+7

[@josecarmona9168]

@@marks1417 , unfortunately none of then quite well.

[@brunoluong7972]

@@marks1417 Not the 6 to my knowledge

[@bendingcaesar65]

That was an excellent candidate. May I suggest we try to get Chandos to reissue some of their older recordings? Such as their Alwyn: Lyra Angelica and his piano music; also their French Harp music collection.

[@davidaiken1061]

At least Bernstein's Tchaikovsky cycle on Sony is still available; but the Ormandy Tchaikovsky box is OUP. Why, when Ormandy's Tchaikovsky is top drawer. Another "ripe for reissue" series from Sony would be the Derek Solomons abortive Haydn series from the early 1980's. For it time it seemed as if Sony had engaged him in a coplete cycle on period instruments, but after a half dozen volumes it floundered and only two volumes of it was reissued a couple of decades ago on CD. Though Solomons' enemble wasn't as refined as, say, Pinnock's, his interpretations had enormous vitality and intelligent pointing of detail. His "Sturm und Drang" group is more interesting than Pinnock (whose ensemble is smoother, to be sure), and definitely more engaging than Hogwood.

[@alexhamilton9758]

The Bernstein Sibelius # 1 is the best I've ever heard.

[@joonaa2751]

Speaking of recordings needing a reissue, what about the Annerose Schmidt / Kurt Masur cycle of Mozart’s piano concertos? I’ve absolutely fallen in love with it from sampling parts of it on KZbin, but sadly the physical set is out of print. What’s your view on that cycle?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't know it well enough to comment.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@michaelharrison2405They were reissued in both the Szell and Casadesus boxes.

[@nicholasjschlosser1724]

It is a fantastic Sibelius cycle, and the violin concerto is a wonderful; bonus. Two other sets of Bernstein recordings that ought to always be available as a physical product: his Haydn and Schumann. Sony released all of his CBS Haydn recordings about 14 years ago, but it looks like the set is no longer available. I also think it would be nice if Sony released all of his CBS Schumann recordings (the symphonies, overtures, and Cello Concerto) as a separate set.

[@furrybear57]

And his William Schuman recordings. I would love to have all those in one box.

[@brianburtt7053]

I had the big Sony Bernstein boxes, but lost them (along with many other things) in a move. I've been able to replace the Symphonies and Vocal Music boxes, but not the Concertos one--it's never been available again. So...a big boo in the general direction of Sony. But now I've got to go listen to Bernstein's recording of the 6th...it's been a long time. (Yeah, I'm of the era that I first heard this stuff in the Royal Edition....)

[@michaelschetter]

I actually e-mailed Sony Classical three weeks ago when I was looking for a copy of this cycle - just asking when it might be available again. They still haven't even bothered to reply. I have since gone with a used copy of the old Columbia Legends box set that includes just the symphonies and the two tone poems. Don't particularly care for another recording of the violin concerto anyway and that mixed Sibelius/Grieg disc in the box has broken the unwritten rule that if you reissue something, it should be at least on par with earlier editions content-wise. But the "original jackets" concept here means that you miss out on two short Grieg pieces that were included on the earlier Royal Edition and Bernstein Century versions of the Grieg/Sibelius CD.

[@eddihaskell]

The Columbia Legends box (Issued by Sony) you speak of the one I was able to procure at a reasonable price. It is made in Austria. The sound is superb- it does not need any improvements. The release is 2003. The master tapes might be "tinkered" with to get more clarity or definition, but it is outstanding as issued.

[@shimoncrown]

As John Montanari points out you can purchase this as a download from Presto. I wonder how many of your audience are young people like me (65 years young) and prefer to purchase downloads?

[@richardwilliams473]

I am assuming the New York Philharmonic is the Orchestra on this box?

[@john1951w]

Yes and they are stunning.

[@chihamats]

I know it’s unrelated to Bernstein’s Sibelius, but is the James Levine / Vienna Philharmonic Brahms cycle available in the US? It’s not in Japan (damn it), so I wondered if it is in the West

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Not at present...

[@Bezart34]

I agree; LB's Sony Sibelius are stunning. I have the original CD box set release in those awful cheap-looking cover designs - white with bold, garish and unimagintive gigantic typography! But the sound is great.

[@willcwhite]

“the horrible watercolors by Prince Charles”??? Lèse-majesté! To the Tower of London with thee!

[@Bezart34]

HRH arrogantly proclaims to paint. His work is ghastly and badly executed. Rubbish, in other words.

[@vincentspinelli9995]

Still my favorite Sibelius cycle. every performance is a winner. I remember how disappointed I was with the DG versions you mentioned. Really de-energized or something.

[@fred6904]

It seems to me that Sony have a lot of work to do. But the Ormandy stereo box is the most important thing to release whithout question.

[@daviddorfman320]

I remember when the LP set was released in the late 60's on Columbia. As I recall, the Bernstein set was reviewed less favorably than a set by Tauno Hannikainen on Epic, Columbia's label for less favored performers. A starving college student, I could only afford one set and chose the Bernstein, which I could probably sell at a good price. Still, I wonder about what the Hannikainen was like. Why do the labels play the favorites game for performers, conductors, ensembles and not just promote the best performances?

[@richardsandmeyer4431]

You are probably thinking of the Akeo Watanabe cycle on Epic. Hannikainen was an EMI artist and wouldn't have recorded on Epic; I'm not sure whether he ever recorded a complete Sibelius cycle, but I know he did recorded Symphonies 2 and 5 (they were on a Seraphim CD once). As for Watanabe (who, BTW was half Finnish, half Japanese), he recorded the early Sibelius cycle for Epic (the first cycle in stereo if Wikipedia is to be believed) and later re-recorded them for Denon in the early years of digital (first digital cycle?). Both of Watanabe's cycles were with the Japan Philharmonic.

[@furrybear57]

i know SONY needs to make money, but some recordings should be priced at 5 CDs for the price of 3 special. that way us poor college kids can afford them.

[@jerelzoltick6900]

This is in the Large Sony Bernstein Box

[@michaelschetter]

And while I'm at it, let me suggest a candidate for "Ripe for Reissue": Neeme Järvi's Shostakovich cycle on Chandos - maybe they'll listen! They should just put them all in a box like they did with the Prokofiev symphonies. The couplings were already compiled on the Five Ballet Suites two-fer almost 30 years ago and reissued that way at least once, but for some reason they never bothered with the symphonies. And sure, it's an incomplete cycle as the rest of it ended up on DG, but so what? Just keep this stuff available!

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

It's only a partial cycle on Chandos. The rest is on DG (and isn't quite as good).