Wednesday, July 9, 2025

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

 

CD cover of the Lemminkkainen Suite by Jean Sibelius from Neeme Jarvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on BIS

Lemminkäinen required many more ways!



According to what I have perused regarding the legend of Lemminkäinen as used by Sibelius, the demigod descended from the Goddess of eroticism. At some point in his adventures, he arrives on an island and beds 100 widows and 1000 maidens over three years 
 minus one. Only Wilt Chamberlain can claim better statistics  both on the court and off.

Regardless of whether you find such a plot deplorable or with admiration, this is the movement I have a problem with in the 
Lemminkäinen Suite from Sibelius. Granted, I am not a great fan of late-Romanticism, but I just don't sense any of the story in this first (of four) symphonic poems with make up the Suite.

Some of this could be on Neeme Järvi, who is no hurry at all to tread what develops into an 18-minute movement. I get no sense of romance, thrill, duty, or whatever brings the character to his task. Instead, I hear the longueurs of Richard Wagner, and not in a particularly palpable way for me.

The following three movements which make up the Suite go much better for me. 
Järvi may not have the sweetest sounding English Horn in Björn Bohlin for The Swan of Tuonela, but the music comes off quite well. The nervy string tremolos of Lemminkäinen in Tuonela inhabit most of that movement's runtime, an excellently moody 15-minute portion following the hero into the Finnish mythological Underworld. In the last third of this movement, I hear an element of exotic dance, a small bit of unexpected Nationalism thrown in.

The festive celebrations which erupt at 
Lemminkäinen's Return are really the only notes of goodwill in Sibelius' music. It is easy to understand why the second and fourth movements are the ones which get much more playtime away from the Suite, for they exist as music on their own quite well. Hearing them in context does give me a greater appreciation of these works, however.

So, aside from one rather large demerit, I am glad to have visited the work which spawned some famous music. Gothenburg sounds great in the natural BIS sonics; the flute may be a little too recessed and the bass drum too forward, but the other aspects are greatly pleasing.

Let's talk Osmo Vänskä for a second. Generally speaking, I find the Finnish conductor a sophisticated, graceful interpreter of Sibelius; intelligent and intuitive. I personally prefer Sibelius to sound from the heart rather than of the mind, so I enjoy what comes from 
Neeme Järvi's palate rather than that of Vänskä. In this case, though, Vänskä shaves off three-plus minutes of Järvi's first movement timing, the one I had issues with. Thus, Vänskä's comes across as much more characterful, and a pleasant surprise from that earlier 90s recording, also on BIS. The rest, Järvi pulls off with great excitement and atmosphere.

The other downside to this recording is its 50-minute total runtime. Nothing is paired with the 
Lemminkäinen Suite, although I didn't really need any other Sibelius music, so I am happy with this recording on that basis.

I suggest anyone who enjoys The Swan of Tuonela give the entire Suite at least one listen, for it offers more of early orchestral Sibelius, and gives some context to the 'swan song' of the Underworld. I think Wagner lovers will appreciate this most of all.

 

CD back cover of the Lemminkkainen Suite by Jean Sibelius from Neeme Jarvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on BIS

 

 

 

Work
Lemminkäinen Suite
   Lemminkäinen and the Maidens of the Island (17.51)
   Swan of Tuonela (8.49)
   
Lemminkäinen in Tuonela (15.41)
   
Lemminkäinen's Return (6.31)

Performers
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Neeme Järvi, conductor

Label
: BIS
Year: 1985
Total Timing: 49.40

 

 

 

 

Sibelius and Järvi let me down in the first movement, a long, ambling tribute to Richard Wagner. 

Otherwise, this recording gives me the goods, albeit with a rather short runtime overall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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