Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. 1. Morning mood - Berliner Philharmoniker, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Herbert von Karajan, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
2. 2. The Death of Aase - Berliner Philharmoniker, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
3. 3. Anitra's dance - Berliner Philharmoniker, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
4. 4. In the Hall of the Mountain King - Berliner Philharmoniker, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Herbert von Karajan, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
5. 1. The Abduction (Ingrid's lament) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
6. 2. Arabian dance - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
7. 3. Peer Gynt's return - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
8. 4. Solveig's song - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Christa Conrad, Edvard Grieg
9. 1. Präludium (Allegro vivace) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Guenther Breest, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Volker Martin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Christopher Alder, Edvard Grieg
10. 2. Sarabande (Andante) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Guenther Breest, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Volker Martin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Christopher Alder, Edvard Grieg
11. 3. Gavotte (Allegretto) - Musette (poco più mosso) - Gavotte - Berliner Philharmoniker, Guenther Breest, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Volker Martin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Christopher Alder, Edvard Grieg
12. 4. Air (Andante religioso) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Guenther Breest, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Volker Martin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Christopher Alder, Edvard Grieg
13. 5. Rigaudon (Allegro con brio) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Christopher Alder, Edvard Grieg
14. 1. Prelude: In the King's Hall (Op.22 No.1) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Edvard Grieg, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Christa Conrad
15. 2. Intermezzo: Borghild's Dream (Op.22 No.2) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Edvard Grieg, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Christa Conrad
16. 3. Homage March (Op.22 No.4) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Dr. Hans Hirsch, Hans Weber, Herbert von Karajan, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Edvard Grieg

Disc 2:

1. Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato - Allegro - Berliner Philharmoniker, Otto Gerdes, Herbert von Karajan, Otto Ernst Wohlert, Günter Hermanns, Rolf Peter Schroeder, Jean Sibelius
2. Valse triste, Op.44 - Berliner Philharmoniker, Hans Weber, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Joachim Niss, Jean Sibelius
3. Andante molto sostenuto - Gerhard Stempnik, Otto Ernst Wohlert, Berliner Philharmoniker, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Volker Martin, Jean Sibelius
4. 1. At the castle gate - Berliner Philharmoniker, Guenther Breest, Herbert von Karajan, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
5. 2. Mélisande - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
6. 3. At the Seashore - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
7. 4. A Spring in the Park - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
8. 5. The Three Blind Sisters - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
9. 6. Pastorale - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
10. 7. Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
11. 8. Intermezzo - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
12. 9. The Death of Mélisande - Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Guenther Breest, Michel Glotz, Günter Hermanns, Volker Martin, Jürgen Bulgrin, Jost Michael Haase, Reinhild Schmidt, Jean Sibelius
13. Tapiola, Op.112 - Berliner Philharmoniker, Otto Ernst Wohlert, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Rolf Peter Schroeder, Jean Sibelius

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6977 in Music
• Released on: 2003-04-14
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 145 minutes

Customer Reviews

Definitive performances and recordings.
This is a double CD of orchestral works by Grieg and Sibelius - one of the CD's is devoted to Grieg, the other to Sibelius. The recordings span a period from the mid 1960's to the early 1980's. However, they do not sound dated at all. The Sibelius performances have been compared (by people more knowledgable than me) to those of other great Sibelius interpreters such as Sir Thomas Beecham.

The Grieg CD contains some familiar pieces, all of which I had on vinyl years ago and never replaced until now, so this was a good opportunity to do so. I don't think I've heard any better performances or recordings than these.

But the Sibelius CD was of more interest to me. Anyone wanting to assemble a collection of Sibelius orchestral works is likely, unless they splash out on a 'complete works' boxed set, to wind up with a few recordings of 'Finlandia', and more than one of certain other favourites such as 'Valse Triste'. This has happened to me. I wanted Karajan's recording of 'Pelleas & Melisande', and incidentally ended up with recordings of various other peices that were already in my collection. Poor value for money? Not at all. The Karajan/Belrin Philharmonic recordings are so much better than (or at least sufficiently different from) other recordings as to make them worth having. (Yes, I know you've already got 'Finlandia', but this one is worth having as well; it really is that good. It begins a little slowly, but soon picks up pace, and is played with great passion.)

A lot of the pieces on this collection - notably 'Ase's Death', 'The Swan of Tuonela' and 'At the Castle Gate' - are favourites because of their sonorous string harmonies. Karajan and the Berlin Phil make the most of these. So sensuous is their string playing that even a piece as frighteningly austere as Tapiola comes across here as quite lush and romantic. This is not to say that the sound is at all mushy. All of the parts are clear and well separated.

If you already have recordings of some of these pieces you may think that you don't need these as well. Perhaps, but if you do invest in this double CD you may find that it outshines the others and quickly becomes a favourite. If you have yet to begin a collection of this kind of music, then you could do no better than to begin here.

Awesome
Another fine offering from DG. Fantastic value at the price. Memorable music which will absord you and allow the imagination to cunjure up various images. You dont need to be a critic to appreciate this excellent CD.