Oslo Philharmonic – London Barbican

“No matter which Sibelius symphony you hear, and however well known, in a great interpretation it always sounds absolutely fresh and fathomlessly deep. So it was with this brilliantly lit Fifth, so radiant from the pairs of woodwind at the start before the retreat into meandering mystery, pppp, tremolos so intense they brought tears to the eyes and a perfectly gauged crescendo to the great sunburst …”

Theartsdesk.com, David Nice, 6 June 2022

“The orchestra’s textures vividly evoked Sibelius’s changing landscapes, from the volcanic eruptions of the full-blooded brass past the lonely bassoon hovering over restless strings to the flock of golden horns simulating the 16 swans Sibelius once saw in flight.”

The Times, Geoff Brown, 6 June 2022

“This was a muscular, taut, enriching reading … Mäkelä’s measure of the work’s architecture, his pacing of its tonal rhythm and cadences, was commanding and clarifying. The tempo shifts of the movement especially were more finely graded and organically placed than I can remember in a long while. Come the end, the great ‘swan’ theme (‘Thor’s hammer’) circled the hall – full-throated, timeless, cathartic.”

Colin’s Column, Ateş Orga, 3 June 2022

Programme:
Gustav Mahler:  ‘Adagio’ from Symphony No 10
Alban Berg: Seven Early Songs
Jean Sibelius:  Symphony No 5
Soloist: Lise Davidsen