Delos Diary
In a Diary entry dated April 30, 2004, I mentioned the imminent release of a Delos CD featuring James DePreist and the Oregon Symphony playing Sibelius Symphonies No. 2 and No. 7. It is now available in stores and is well worth the wait. Maestro DePreist’s mission with his latest series of recordings has been to take a fresh look at favorite classics from his repertoire and to try once more to document his thoughts and feelings about these pieces in state-of-the-art recorded sound.
Supported financially by the Gretchen Brooks Recording Fund for the Oregon Symphony, the series has gone from strength to strength and, in my opinion, has reached new heights in this Sibelius pairing. As with other DePreist recordings, everything sounds solid, authoritative, logical, yet exciting. The Oregon musicians play for DePreist with love and respect. The results are exceptional.
Once upon a time, the Sibelius symphonies were played by American orchestras almost to excess. Symphony No. 2 is still heard quite frequently and seldom fails to please. Lavish orchestration, big tunes and grand climaxes all give the ordinary music lover what he or she craves… emotional satisfaction and release.
The Symphony No. 7, on the other hand, is not performed nearly as often. Listening to it with fresh ears, however, is a revelation. Within its one movement 20-minute span you hear the very best of Sibelius. The vigor of invention in the piece makes it hard to believe that this symphony was to be his last.
This recording makes it easy to see and hear why James DePreist insisted that these two works be included in his personal parade of all-time favorites.
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