Sibelius: Simon Rattle/ Berlin Philharmonic ****
Of all the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Jean Sibelius in 2015, the Berlin Philharmonic’s Barbican residency must rank pretty high, with all seven symphonies in three concerts on successive days. What makes it even more tantalising is that while the Berlin Philharmonic doesn’t have this music coursing through its veins, its Chief Conductor, Sir Simon Rattle, most certainly does – his CBSO cycle, over 25 years ago, was one of his great early successes. There’s no denying that unleashing the Berlin sound on the music of the Finnish master was thrilling, but does turbo-charged Sibelius hit the spot?
Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker
© Mark Allan | Barbican
Read the full review on Bachtrack.