Review: Powerful, Grand Sibelius from Nézet-Séguin and His OMM

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5. Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (cond.) ATMA

[MD-mdth]

I just listened to this release on Qobuz…immediately ordered a copy. Both symphonies, outstanding from start to finish! The clincher for me is that Nézet-Séguin nails both finale codas. Just magnificent!

[Craig_Wheeler]

It's nice to hear that Nézet-Séguin "gets it." 😊 Good, and even great, performances are always coming down the pike. Maybe not as often as I'd like, but thank goodness we have you, Dave, to alert us when they do. Thanks.

[christopherwilliams]

I have been noticing that you have been gradually warming to Nezet-Seguin, at least in repertory (like this) where has ideas and is sure-footed about it. I was initially shocked by your praise for his Brahms symphonies, but I think I get it. I think a lot of his unfussiness comes from his increasingly vast practical experience in the opera pit, where the expressive moment takes precedence over over-thinking. Check out some of his MET Live in HD performances. I would first go to his Rusalka (with Fleming and Beczala, which is also available on DVD) and listen to the end of Act III, where the Vodnik's mourning for nature takes on the air almost of a Mahlerian funeral march. Sometimes they misfire, but the guy has ideas.

[DavidJohnson-ofvh]

I followed your recommendation and listened to the 2nd finale. Very enjoyable! The orchestral balance came out superb.

[SpinifexV]

Happy to see you've been enjoying it as well. I was surprised by the accelerando in the fifth: other versions I've heard don't change tempo as much and are not as noticeable.

[adamfrye]

I find there to be serenity in this music even when it's dark and stormy, because a sense of optimism swells up out of it. Only in #4 do the storms have the last word, but then #5 overcomes leaving only #6 to end quietly in the minor afterwards.

[mauricegiacche]

I never thought of him as being a possible a Sibelius conductor. Aching to hear. Will order immediately . Thank you Dave. Like most i was familiar with Symphony 2 and the Violin Concerto. But you 100%” got me into the other symphonies/tone poems etc. through your Classics Today reviews. On your recommendation I purchased Vanska’s first cycle . Do you realise Dave i could died without ever hearing his entire body of THANK YOU & do take care. Hi to Mildred👍

[andre_p]

The first movement does indeed have a pastoral feeling to it. The first phrases have the exact same atmosphere as that of the 1st movement of Beethoven’s own Pastoral symphony.

[paulwgibson]

Glad this series is going well... hope he can eventually make some truly great Philadelphia recordings at some point. The Price and some concertos there have been good, but seems that most his best work happens elsewhere. :-(

[lucbenac]

I got them and listening to the second is truly enjoyable. Easy to follow the key transitions using your book. It feels like the entire play is shorter then others, which to me is a sign of the entertaining quality of the interpretation and usually means a recording i will come back to often. I also like his Dvorak 6, so might be more good things to come.

[dmntuba]

Nezet-Seguin is not my favorite, but I do follow him, respect him, and know he is a fine musician with things to say (musically).
I do wish he would slow down a bit(for his own good), and hopefully give us some blockbuster recordings from Philly.
I do believe he is a good music director for Philly, and kinda brought to the table somewhat of a well balanced mixture of Ormandy & Muti that fits the orchestra well...now we want the recordings to prove it 😅

[leestamm]

JN-S seems to be improving with age, which frequently (but not always) happens as conductors gain broader experience. I also think his best work lies ahead.

[paulmiller]

This had me wondering if you would find merit in a series of videos surveying great and equally valid approaches to standard repertoire that take meaningfully different approaches. An example would be comparing Nezet-Seguin with Vanska in Sibelius, or Jarvi and Barenboim in Beethoven. I'm sure there are others that come to mind. I think the idea that there's not one single way to play (or hear) some of these great masterworks could be quite interesting...

[nicholasjschlosser]

Thanks as always for the review. Your description of the OMM as a "community orchestra" had me wondering what your definition of such an ensemble is. I've played in several amateur orchestras over the years and while we enjoyed playing together, there's no way we could ever achieve what a group like the OMM does here (we all had day jobs 😊). So it seems like this term covers a huge range of ensemble types. I'd definitely be interested in a video about community orchestras and what they actually are. Thanks again.

[mhc]

Thanks for bringing this recording to my attention. These are my two favorite Sibelius symphonies and they are indeed wonderful interpretations... BUT... in the 3rd movement of the 5th symphony I hear a very strange, rhythmic noise that I do not hear in any other recording I own. It occurs just as the horns hit their first big crescendo passage (around 2 min. into the track) and sounds like the players are all stomping their feet in unison, between each 3 note horn phrase (12 times!). Is that in the score or is it a thing with the Apple playback quality? I don't know but it's unlike any other version I've heard. Does anyone else hear that, or maybe I'm losing my mind?

[ChrisPuplick-yw]

Hi Dave - thanks for all your Sibelius commenaries - love the videos. In relation to Sibelius, why have you never discussed the two versions by my fellow Aussie, Sir Charles Mackerras (London Symphony and Royal Philharmonic) - a conductor who, you've very cortrectly, said never made a bad record?

[olegroslak]

Glad to get your review on this, as I was curious to know what you thought of the latest in this series. I was especially interested to see your take after reading the review in the September edition of Gramophone by Guy Rickards, who more or less trashed this recording. I really enjoyed your "review of review" that took apart the glowing review given Wilson's Daphnis et Chloe recording on Chandos (also in Gramophone, to no one's surprise). Might we get another one of those to see how two critics can come to completely diametrically opposed conclusions on the same recording? Rickards seems simply to have heard something different from you, but I'm sure you'd be able to point out where his review is objectively misstating the musical facts.