Sibelius: Andante festivo, JS34b

Jean Sibelius was born in 1865 as Julius Christian but adopted the French equivalent and is now always known as such. He soon established himself as Finland’s greatest composer and the most powerful symphonist to have come from Scandinavia and the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The first work to be composed in this collection recorded by Mariss Jansons and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra is arguably his most famous: Finlandia, written in 1899, which shows his strong belief in national self-determination for his homeland and against Russian rule. Works flowed quickly as by 1902 he had already completed his Second Symphony (both this and his First are in this set). His Valse Triste became very popular and throughout the world and tended temporarily to mask his other achievements, The Third Symphony tended to be overlooked as it was less romantic, more classical in form and was also distinct from the more brooding later symphonies; now it is becoming more performed and appreciated as part of the great canon.

Of the later Symphonies the Fifth is certainly the most popular, the dark gloom of the Fourth (no doubt due to the suspected throat cancer) had been replaced by brightness with melodies that truly sing. The gradual accelerando in the third movement is breathtaking in its excitement ending in a titanic coda where themes from the first and third movements are recalled, the final bars of loud staccato chords are both spell-binding in their originality and brilliant in their effect.

The last work from the set to be composed, Andante Festivo, was written in 1922 for string quartet just before the Sixth Symphony, he later expanded it for string orchestra.

Throughout the ages Freemasonry has always viewed music as a fundamental and powerful aspect of their moral and ethical doctrine. Vice versa many composers found in the Freemasonry an expression of their own personal beliefs and philosophies. This CD presents an original selection of works by composers associated with Freemasonry: Spontini, Berlioz, Clementi, Sibelius, Puccini, Ciannella. New recordings, by various ensembles and orchestras, on original instruments when relevant. Booklet notes in Italian and English.

A society whose origins date back to the late-16th century, freemasonry has always viewed music as a powerful tool for communicating its fundamental message: to encourage a moral and ethical approach to life.While Mozart is undoubtedly the most famous composer associated with the movement, this engaging CD reveals some of the many others who were involved or whose work conforms to the society’s ideologies.

This collection begins with a world premiere recording on period instruments of two works by the Italian opera composer and conductor Spontini. As well as featuring various unpublished compositions by the contemporary Marco Ciannella, such as his Suite for flute and piano, the collection also explores Clementi’s little-known Symphony in B flat before visiting Puccini’s Crisantemi (a single, dark-hued elegy originally written for string quartet) and Sibelius’ Andante festivo – the composer’s most apparently religious statement, full-throated and hymn-like in sound. Although comprising highly varied music that reveals the diversity of styles embraced by freemasonry, this collection is also striking for its pervading sense of beauty – a beauty that is the essence of the society’s ‘column of harmony’. A charming assortment of carefully selected works that gives equal standing to the famous and less wellknown.

Since its creation in 2004, Alfama quartet has made quite a breakthrough thanks to its subtlety, elegance and dynamism.

Selected by ProQuartet in 2006, these four young people work under the guidance of the Danel Quartet, and have worked with Walter Levin (LaSalle Quartet), Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet), Heime Muller (Artemis Quartet) and Eberhard Feltz.

Even if they have already been recorded (a.o. for the Leo Brouwer Quintet with guitarist Denis Sung-Hô, FUG524), this is in reality their first great premiere: a sensitive and intelligent exploration of orphan pages of the quartet repertoire: gems signed by famous names ranging from Mendelssohn to Britten, via Tchaikovsky, Wolf, Sibelius, Rachmaninov, Schoenberg and Webern.