Kajanus Conducts Sibelius

[bigshot]

Here is another CD's worth of my 78 transfers. This one features some of Kajanus's legendary Sibelius recordings. Here are links and liner notes...

THE SOUNDING SILENCE

Knudage Riisager: Qarrtsiluni
Johan Hye-Knudsen conducting Det Kongelige Kapel (Recorded September, 1939)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence01.mp3

Jean Sibelius: Tapiola
Robert Kajanus conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded June, 1932)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence02.mp3

Jean Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Robert Kajanus conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded June, 1932)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence03.mp3

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E flat major
Robert Kajanus conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded June, 1932)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/soundingsilence04.mp3

Knudage Riisager and the Sounding Silence

Knudage Riisager was born in Estonia, and at the age of three relocated to Copenhagen. He studied politcal science as well as music, and throughout his life, he wrote extensively on politics, economics as well as musical theory. But composition was the main focus of his life. He began his musical career in Paris in the early 1920s, where he came to know Ravel, Stravinsky and the group of young composers known as "Les Six" (Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Georges Auric, Louis Durey and Germaine Tailleferre). This French influence set him apart from contemporary Nordic composers, and his Neo-Classical ideology put him at odds with much of the modernistic German music of the day. "Oddness is a pathological phenomenon in art, an element that leads to a constant widening of the gap between art and humanity" Riisager wrote. "While distinctiveness is an expression of artistic strength, odd music has no future. Society does not want it and has no use for it... Art is not for cranks, it is for living human beings."

Riisager became fascinated with the Eskimo culture of Greenland. This interest led to the composition of a tone poem titled Qarrtsiluni, which describes the Eskimo ceremony to greet the dawn after the long Arctic night. Riisager captured a unique sound in this work... He wrote, "When I have been alone skiing for many hours through snowy wastes in the mountains, moments come when the silence sounds and becomes an intangible reality... In this sounding silence, there is something like the experience of music... This isolated silence is a rounded whole, without preceding or succeeding sound. That is what is so strange about it. It is moving. It is what the Greenlanders call Qarrtsiluni."

In Qarrtsiluni, Riisager creates an eerie feeling of isolation. Native drumming emerges as from a distance, so quiet at first, it might be the beating of the listener's own heart. The sound builds steadily as the winds blow across the frozen tundra and the sun rises slowly over the horizon. This particular performance was recorded under the supervision of the composer in 1939 by the orchestra of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen conducted by Johann Hye-Knudsen. It was the premiere recording of the piece.

Jean Sibelius: The Musical Voice of Finland

Jean Sibelius was born in 1865 near Helsinki. He played the violin, and began composing at the age of ten. As a youngster, he studied the poetry and mythology of his native Finland... in particular the folk tales known as the Kalevala. At first, he seemed destined for a more ordinary career, but in his early 20s, he abandoned study of the law in favor of a musical education at the Helsinki Music Institute. He later studied in Berlin and Vienna, and with the publication of his first symphony, it became clear that a new musical voice was on the scene. Around the turn of the century, Russia was putting pressure on the Finns. Sibelius' best known composition, Finlandia became a rallying point for his countrymen. His fervently nationalistic music made him a hero, and his music spread the Finnish cause to the entire world.

Stylistically, Sibelius worked within traditional forms, but sought to simplify and streamline the internal structure of the music. He created a highly unique "sound world" with harmonies and sonorities that evoked the feeling of the Scandinavian countryside. Tapiola has been described as being to the Northern forests what Debussy's La Mer is to the sea. It describes the power and beauty of nature with amazing force and grandeur. The conductor and composer Constant Lambert praised Tapiola by saying, "Sibelius, like a Newton or an Einstein, revealed the electrifying possibilities that are latent in the apparently commonplace." Pohjola's Daughter gave Sibelius the opportunity to illustrate a folktale from the beloved Finnish saga, the Kalevala. The hero of the story, Vainamoinen asks the maiden to marry him. She agrees, but sets impossible tasks for Vainemoinen to accomplish before they can wed. Sibelius' masterful orchestral suites are colorful and full of variety. They're bracing and pure, like water from a cold mountain spring. Great conductors, including Wood, Toscanini, Richter and even Richard Strauss championed his music. But Sibelius wasn't satisfied. He was plagued by self-doubt, and was highly critical of his own work, going so far as to rewrite or even destroy drafts of pieces that he wasn't satisfied with.

The composition of the Fifth Symphony was a terrific struggle for Sibelius. Originally, it had four movements, but a year after its debut, he combined the first two movements into a single unit. Four years later, he was still dissatisfied, and rewrote the entire work, settling on the version we are familiar with today. There is no question that his revisions were a great improvement. The Fifth Symphony in its completed form evokes a certain feeling of timelessness. From the organic build up of the first movement, to the reflective tranquility of the second, to the powerful horns of the third and the stabbing chords that end the work... Sibelius had created a truly great symphony worthy of standing alongside those of Beethoven.

But to the musical society of the time who championed forward thinking composers like Stravinsky and Schoenberg, Sibelius was seen as a hopelessly reactionary nationalist working in outdated forms. His austere classicism seemed out of touch with the changes in society following the first World War. In all, Sibelius composed seven symphonies, a violin concerto and a number of amazingly beautiful tone poems over a period of about thirty years. But with the completion of Tapiola in 1926, he ceased composing altogether. Sibelius lived for another thirty years in retirement, offering no explanation for his withdrawl from the musical scene. He turned his back on his continually growing international fame, and refused to travel outside of Finland. It was speculated that his self-doubt and the criticism of the musical elite had silenced him.

The Conductor... Robert Kajanus

These legendary recordings were made in June of 1932 by Sibelius' friend, Robert Kajanus. Kajanus was instrumental to the tremendous growth of Finnish music through the turn of the century, founding the Helsinki Philharmonic and leading it for over fifty years. He composed several notable orchestral works, including the tone poem Aino, based on a folk tale from the Kalevala. But when he came in contact with the music of Sibelius, he set aside composing for a career as a conductor. He worked closely with Sibelius on his interpretations, and his recordings of the First, Second, Third and Fifth symphonies have come to be regarded as definitive.

Kajanus told an amusing story about his friendship with Sibelius... He was dining in a small restaurant outside of Helsinki with Sibelius and a group of friends, when he revealed that he would have to leave soon to conduct a performance of the Helsinki Philharmonic. Sibelius protested his departure, arguing that an assistant could easily conduct in his absence. Kajanus reluctantly excused himself to make a phone call to let the theater manager know he wouldn't be able to make it to the performance. But when he got to the phone, he felt guilty for neglecting his responsibility. He picked up his hat and coat and took the train to Helsinki without saying goodbye to the group. He conducted the program, returned on the night train and arrived back again at the restaurant to find Sibelius and company still ensconced just as he had left them. As he sat back down at the table, Sibelius looked over at him and said, "My! That was a long phone call!"

[some guy]

Sibelius... created a highly unique "sound world" with harmonies and sonorities that evoked the feeling of the Scandinavian countryside.

It would be interesting to play some Sibelius to people who are not familiar with Sibelius, without identifying even that it's Sibelius, and see how many of those people would come up with "Scandinavian countryside" all on their own.

My guess would be none.

I remember vividly my first experience of Sibelius. And nothing about it or about any subsequent experiences ever evoked anything remotely like what I saw (or felt) any of the times I've visited Finland.

Indeed, come to think of it, Finland isn't even IN Scandinavia. Hmmmm. I know Sibelius was a big old Swedophile, but "hmmmmm."

[jbuck919]

Indeed, come to think of it, Finland isn't even IN Scandinavia.

No it's not, though I've even heard Scandinavians claim it is. But I consider Sibelius's music to be very characteristically Finnish, if only because it is constantly in danger of being overshadowed by the Russians.

[diegobueno]

That's a wonderful Tapiola

For someone who disavowed oddness, Riisager packs a lot of oddness into just a few minutes. For at least half of his piece, it's just percussion and percussive sounds from other instruments. It's not until the final minute or so that he gives it the Respighi treatment. I'm glad I got to hear this.

[bigshot]

Some Guy, Kajanus's Sibelius is quite different than modern Sibelius performances. Listen to the tracks and you might feel differently. Tapiola and Pohjola crackle with ice, birds swoop in the sky and gusts of wind blow. I hear those sorts of effects in winter scenes in classic movies all the time.

By the way, the recording of the 5th here was chosen as one of the 100 greatest classical recordings of all time by Gramophone. It was available in a dismal transfer in the early days of CD. It's now long out of print. My transfer is much better. I used to charge or my restorations. Now I'm giving them to you for free. You're welcome.

[John F]

One way this recording of the Fifth differs from all others is the messy playing, especially in the first movement which Kajanus doesn't cut off sharply at the end. The London Philharmonic, newly founded by Thomas Beecham, was a virtuoso orchestra, the finest in England at the time, and Beecham himself was an enthusiastic Sibelius conductor, so I don't know what to attribute this to. Even so, it's a remarkable performance of the Fifth, but allowances have to be made.

The Kajanus/LPO/HMV recording of the 3rd symphony is better played, as I remember it, and just as rewarding, even more so perhaps as the piece is less well known. I don't want to be greedy, but could we have that too eventually? These transfers are really very fine.

[bigshot]

I'm afraid I don't have any more Kajanus than this. The Sibelius Society records were imported from the UK and are scarce as hen's teeth. Wish I did have more!

I do have an almost complete set of Schnabel Beethoven Sonata Society records, and a complete Beecham Delius Society set I haven't even played yet.

[stenka razin]

Thank you for a chance to relive the past with Kajanus. I had this material early in the LP period and found Kajanus to be a superb Sibelius conductor. The Riisager is odd, but quite nice, too.
Bigfoot, you have provided us with a musical feast, m8. You are a true CMGer.


Regards,
Mel

[maestrob]

One way this recording of the Fifth differs from all others is the messy playing, especially in the first movement which Kajanus doesn't cut off sharply at the end. The London Philharmonic, newly founded by Thomas Beecham, was a virtuoso orchestra, the finest in England at the time, and Beecham himself was an enthusiastic Sibelius conductor, so I don't know what to attribute this to. Even so, it's a remarkable performance of the Fifth, but allowances have to be made.

The Kajanus/LPO/HMV recording of the 3rd symphony is better played, as I remember it, and just as rewarding, even more so perhaps as the piece is less well known. I don't want to be greedy, but could we have that too eventually? These transfers are really very fine.

As you said.......

[diegobueno]

Bigshot,

Are you aware that the links you have for Tapiola and Pohjola's Daughter are crossed? i.e. in order to hear Tapiola you have to click on the link for Pohjola's Daughter, and vice versa.

Regardless of whether or not you hear northern landscapes in Sibelius' music, it does have a unique sound to it, as you say.

[absinthe]

Indeed, come to think of it, Finland isn't even IN Scandinavia.

No it's not, though I've even heard Scandinavians claim it is. But I consider Sibelius's music to be very characteristically Finnish, if only because it is constantly in danger of being overshadowed by the Russians.

Yep, the Russians would be rushin' to say their works are definitely unFinnished symphonies, I suppose.

[jbuck919]

Indeed, come to think of it, Finland isn't even IN Scandinavia.

No it's not, though I've even heard Scandinavians claim it is. But I consider Sibelius's music to be very characteristically Finnish, if only because it is constantly in danger of being overshadowed by the Russians.

Yep, the Russians would be rushin' to say their works are definitely unFinnished symphonies, I suppose.

I'm sure I've posted this before, but it's well worth a repetition, and I'm just so proud of myself for remembering it word from word from early childhood (when I hadn't the slightest idea what half of it meant):

Why are firetrucks painted red?

A firetruck has four wheels and eight men. Four plus eight equals twelve. There are twelve inches in a ruler. Queen Elizabeth was a ruler. The good ship Queen Elizabeth sailed the seven seas. Seas have fish, fish have fins. The Finns fought the Russians. Russians are red. Since firetrucks are always "Russian," they are painted red.

Out of respect for bigshot, I greatly admire his effort to bring this music to us and thank him for it. I hope he indulges my little diversion, because I have listened to much of what he has posted.

[bigshot]

Bigshot, Are you aware that the links you have for Tapiola and Pohjola's Daughter are crossed?

Whoops! I fixed it. Thanks for the heads up!

[bigshot]

Next week I plan to post a group of Wagner orchestral excerpts from the 20s and 30s by Beecham, Walter, Knappertsbusch and (the infamous) Von Schillings. The bonus track is the absolute oddest Wagner record I've ever heard, "Song of the Rhine Daughters" by Sir Henry Wood and The New Queen's Hall Orchestra, recorded acoustically in 1926. I guarantee you that you've never heard anything quite like it!

[absinthe]

[
I'm sure I've posted this before, but it's well worth a repetition, and I'm just so proud of myself for remembering it word from word from early childhood (when I hadn't the slightest idea what half of it meant):

Why are firetrucks painted red?

A firetruck has four wheels and eight men. Four plus eight equals twelve. There are twelve inches in a ruler. Queen Elizabeth was a ruler. The good ship Queen Elizabeth sailed the seven seas. Seas have fish, fish have fins. The Finns fought the Russians. Russians are red. Since firetrucks are always "Russian," they are painted red.

Out of respect for bigshot, I greatly admire his effort to bring this music to us and thank him for it. I hope he indulges my little diversion, because I have listened to much of what he has posted.

Ah Now I know.

And agreed for bigshot's effort, as much for the write up. One learns....
I look forward to more, with thanks.

[Wallingford]

I was familiarized with Kajanus' Sibelius via the Koch Import series. The only portions I didn't hear were his First and Third Symphonies.

[John F]

Correction: the orchestra in Kajanus's Sibelius Society recordings is not Beecham's London Philharmonic but the London Symphony, which was HMV's "house orchestra" at the time. The LSO is London's best orchestra today but in the early '30s it was surpassed by the new London Philharmonic and BBC Symphony. Still, they played well enough in recordings of the same period conducted by Malcolm Sargent and Albert Coates, so their sloppiness in the Sibelius 5th may not be all their fault.

[jserraglio]

Many thanks. I always like to hear good xfers produced direct from the original 78s.

[Wallingford]

One amusing oddity of Kajanus' Sibelius Fifth was the tail end, when Kajanus made the most of those pregnant pauses between those final six chords, that the person doing the disc cutting was obviously nervous about side space running out, and cutting the last unison E-flat immediately after the orchestra struck that note, leading one's playback stylus to go immediately into the wavering end-groove, no reverberation whatsoever!

[ContrapunctusIX]

Thanks bigshot! I'll be sure to have a listen to these tonight, in particular the Sibelius 5th.