Jean Sibelius: Complete Works With Opus Number

""The people you think are radicals might really be conservatives – the people you think are conservatives might really be radical." - Morton Feldman in a lecture in Darmstadt, before he started to hum Sibelius's Fifth Symphony.

Jean Sibelius is arguably the greatest Nordic composer of all time. Largely thanks to outstanding Scandinavian labels like Ondine, Finlandia, and BIS, almost every note Sibelius ever wrote (and didn't burn) is available on Spotify. I compiled a playlist for all the works with opus number, as well as early version of the Violin Concerto, Symphony No.5 (in 4 movements) and Oceanides (Yale Version). I tried to feature as many excellent recordings as possible, but I don't know Sibelius that well to pick the "best" version for each work (is there such a thing as a definite recording of Sibelius symphony no. 2?) Please recommend any recording that you think deserves to be in this playlist, thanks.

Sibelius spent much time producing profitable chamber music for home use, salon music, occasional works for the stage and other incidental music, many of them do not bear opus number (hence not featured).

Here's the Spotify playlist: Jean Sibelius: Complete Works With Opus Number (500 tracks, total time: 1 day). Press Ctrl (CMD)+G to browse in album view. Put it on random when you crave for Radio Sibelius.

The last track of the playlist is a radio broadcast recording of Andante Festivo from January 1, 1939, with Sibelius conducting. It is the only recorded example of the composer interpreting one of his own works.

ABC Classic FM's Classic 100 Symphony

During 2009, the Australian ABC Classic FM radio station conducted a survey of listeners' favourite symphonies. Participants were permitted to vote for their three preferred symphonies. The result is a very decent list of great symphonies. All of Sibelius's symphonies are in the list, so do all of Rachmaninov's, plus his choral symphony The Bells. Eight out of Mahler's nine numbered and finished symphonies, as well as Das Lied von der Erde made the list.

Check out the official site and wiki for the full list and other info.

I compiled a playlist according to this ABC list. Only three symphonies by Australian contemporary composers are missing on Spotify. For every symphony I tried to use my favourite recording. For Mahler, I chose Kubelik for No.1, Abbado and Lucerne Festival Orchestra for No.2, Bernstein and NYPO for No.3, Boulez for No.4 (because the Szell recording is not on Spotify for now), Barbirolli for No.5, Mitropoulos for No.6, Solti for No.8, Klemperer for The Song of the Earth, and Haitink for No.9. It would be great if you can share your oponions on the best performances of these symphonies.

Here's the Spotify playlist: ABC Classic FM's Classic 100 Symphony (451 tracks, total time: 2 days) Arranged from from No. 100 to No.1.