August 17, 2015

  • More Sibelius From Segerstam

     Sibelius: Belshazzar’s Feast
    Pia Pajala, soprano. Turku Philharmonic Orchestra/Leif Segerstam
    Naxos 8.573300
    Total Time:  63:01
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    July saw the first of these Naxos Sibelius releases celebrating the 150th anniversary year of Jean Sibelius’ birth.  Rather than another run through of symphonies, Leif Segerstram is on hand to wander through what must be considered “marginalia” of the composer’s least known works.  Here again are a variety of pieces written for stage productions as incidental music.  Much of this was done in the early part of his career and the music provides interesting windows into the development of his style.

    There are several slight pieces that come from some of this theater music.  The disc opens with an early Overture in E, JS 145 (1891).  Along with the Scene de Ballet, JS 163 (1891), the two works had been originally projected as part of a symphony.  The overture is actually in a sonata-allegro form, which, coupled with the arch-like melodic structures, was not appreciated by audiences then.  The ballet scene takes a Finnish folk tune as its inspiration for what becomes an interesting experiment in rondo form.  The overture is a wonderful romantic affair with fascinating wind writing and a good exploration of the orchestra itself.  (It is a much more interesting work than the overture that was included in the previous Sibelius collection).  Of course, it is also interesting to hear how these ideas are kernels for some of the grander orchestral writing to come and that can certainly be heard in the sweeping string writing and brass punctuations.

     

    The centerpiece of this release is a set of ten incidental pieces for a production of Belshazzar’s Feast, JS 48.  Sibelius came to this production in 1906 on the heels of his music for Pelleas und Melisande.  The music was for the Swedish Theater and a new play by his friend Hjalmar Procope.  Work on this interrupted his progress on the Third Symphony, but that only adds to the interest in what is hear a lesser-known, but equally fine collection of pieces.  One can hear a bit of this style in the opening march, with its hints at the Middle East.  It is indeed in the instrumental sections where one especially denotes this interesting melodic idea of a held note followed by a little 4-5 note flourish.  Even the harmonic movement will find its expression in the aforementioned symphony which makes these little pieces a real find.  Melodic and background ideas are repeated to provide continuity as well.  Pia Pajala lends her warm voice to “The Song of the Jewish Girl”.  But the bulk of the music here are act preludes and dances making this a very attractive work to explore.

    There is a set of three equally fascinating miniatures that follows.  First is a little wedding march from 1911 which is not really marchlike at all.  The actual title is The Language of the Birds and it was composed for a play by Adolf Paul.  The Cortege, JS 54 (1905) which follows it is of some interest in that its music would find its way into the second Scenes Historiques as well as the music for The Tempest.  A brief, and rather innocuously bubbly, Menuetto, JS 5 (1894) would find its way into the King Christian music which appeared on the earlier Naxos survey of incidental music this year.

    For most of the latter part of his life, Sibelius’ essentially stopped working in larger forms (from about 1926 on actually).  So, the final work on this release, the Processional, Op. 113, no. 6, is a rather unique addition.  It is an orchestration that initially began life as a set of pieces for the Masonic Lodge which had been instituted in 1922.  The collection of pieces would be revisited later in orchestral versions of songs for soloist or chorus.  The processional exists in a choral version, and in this orchestral one heard here.  It is a very beautiful work worthy of at least a few light-music concert performances if nothing else.  It would be a refreshing substitute on march albums as well.

    The present release is perhaps more successful than the earlier one reviewed in July and that is really more on the strength of the music itself.  The pieces here all feel more polished and substantial.  The performances are fabulous.  Segerstam really revels in the gorgeous melodic lines when they appear in almost luxurious fashion.  It helps add an emotional pull to the music throughout.  If one is looking for a little of the lesser-known Sibelius then, this release is probably a good place to start, but Sibelius fans will want the previous release as well!