Sibelius: Symphony 2

 

With his Second Symphony, we come upon the most famous from Jean Sibelius in the genre.

For me, it comes from the final movement, one I heard on the radio in my grandparent's house. Perhaps it is through listening over the years, but the opening of the work also seems a portion that should be very well known.

In any case, to my ears, the first movement of Symphony no. 2 in D Major feels like it may have been modeled after Beethoven's Symphony no. 6, for the pastoral elements are strong here. Leonard Bernstein pushes this section a little more than is comfortable, but my guess is he is closer to the composer's intentions than if it was broader in tempo. When the string enter, the listener is treated to a lush Romantic world, a specialty of early Sibelius. I like that the NYPO's pizzicato are weighty, while the short, held-out modal chords are filled with magical otherworldliness, and the portentous brass ensemble moments are given their proper due.

Of course, Sibelius puts all of these musical ideas through the wringer into a satisfying whole. That is probably why the composer's contributions to the symphony genre are so treasured. He really wraps the listener within a satisfying musical journey, even more so here in Sibelius' longest symphonic creation.

For nearly a minute, Sibelius hedges his bets by leaving the listener with the a solo plucked string line in the double bass and cello, a reminder of the lonely solo opening to his Symphony no. 1. Interestingly, the composer sets the ever-moving plucked bass string line in compound meter, while when the winds and ensemble enter later on, they are cast in a contrasting common time. Yet, Sibelius is in this second movement for musical dramatics, thus leave it to Bernstein to take a stringendo or largamente at its word, leaving no doubt as to the composer's instructions, never handling this music unduly delicately, nor subtly for that matter.

The pastoral elements return in full view, and I love how Columbia balances the winds clearly against the strings, where even the bassoons can be heard. Plus, the continuing idea of those portentous modal chords return, even if they exist in a different guise. There are some wonderful wind solos here too, particularly from the trumpet and flute. Despite the presence of brief pastoral episodes, I generally sense unease and uncertainty in this movement, almost of a menacing quality at times.

I love how Sibelius treats his Scherzos with a slower contrasting 'Trio' section, usually in a tempo pulled way back from the opening skitterish quality. The composer continues his feeling of unease from the second into the third movement, until the aforementioned wind-laden Trio appears, another delightful setting from Sibelius. But, it doesn't last long until he moves back to the fast tempo, with only one more reminder of the Trio. Otherwise, Sibelius becomes more concerned as to how to bridge the last two movements together, an unexpected treat for the listener, ala Beethoven again.

When we reach the fourth and final movement, it is the string melody which has leaped into the hearts of listeners. For me though, it is what is happening in the background which interests me most. The clarinets, bassoons, and horns sustain, the trombones and timpani bear an insistent rhythmic pattern, while the tuba and double basses have this odd Jaws-like, pulsating half-step bass line. The trumpets follow with a fanfare, and the horns get a John Williams-esque rising figure. While the strings should really be front and center, it is this other portion I described which seeps into my conscious even moreso than the main event.

Luckily for listeners across the globe, Sibelius realizes what gold he has in his hands. While there are episodes of development surrounding the main idea, again holding back the ultimate resolution for as long as he can, Sibelius eagerly comes back to the big moment in victorious fashion. And when the music switches to the major unexpectedly, he evokes a theme which reminds me terribly of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a nice contrast to the three-note rising main motive.

Despite being his longest symphony at around 45 minutes, I never feel the length, although truthfully, a 45-minutes symphony is not long in the scheme of things anyways. But, Sibelius has a unique ability of stating and luring in musical terms, and works on this listener.

As I mentioned in the last entry of this Sibelius symphony series, Bernstein recorded this symphony 20 years later with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. That one is a solid eight minutes longer than his earlier NY one, again, not my particular preference from the conductor.

While I don't feel Bernstein (in New York) is as aggressive as he was in the First Symphony from Sibelius, he makes this music a raw emotional experience all the same. Fabulous!

 

 

 

 

 

Works
Symphony 2 in D Major, op. 43

Performers
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein, conductor

Label: Columbia / Sony
Year: 1966; 2015
Total Timing: 44.37