In the '50s,
Herbert von Karajan recorded Sibelius' Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh symphonies, plus Finlandia with the
Philharmonia, and ever since, EMI has been issuing and reissuing and re-reissuing them in every possible permutation. Last year, it released the Fourth and Fifth along with Finlandia, and this year, it has released the Second and the Fifth on one disc and the Fourth and Seventh plus Finlandia on another disc. Whether or not one picks up this release or another depends entirely on what one already has, but if you like Sibelius and you like
Karajan, sooner or later, you owe it to yourself to hear one or another of these releases for three reasons. First, these are undoubtedly
Karajan's strongest, most passionate, and most driven recordings of Sibelius -- for all the polish of his later recordings, they sound anemic compared to these earlier recordings. Second, the
Philharmonia plays with tremendous power, incredible energy, and glorious colors -- while the
Philharmonia might not be the ideal lean, mean Finnish orchestra, it is still one of the supreme studio orchestras. Third, Walter Legge's production is incredibly clear, warm, and true, and for all the technical improvements since these performances were recorded, Legge's sound is still as good as the best.