Oh I forgot to say: this is the best modern interpretation of this piece I´ve ever heard. And just the right pace! (not to speak of the spooky feeling I STILL have. Of looking at Sibelius himself.)
I thought the story with Sibelius' own recording was that he only got one partial run-through with the orchestra before recording for the radio station, so the extremely slow tempo was more of a precaution. I think this tempo is great for the hall you played in though.
I am in love with this piece. Many of Sibelius' piece can go towards the pretty ugly music. But this piece is just pure beauty. I want to play this so badly because it just is amazing
Technically, this piece was written for the 25th anniversary of a mill. However, the emotions conveyed are far more complex. And no, this piece is not about a mill, or to capture the beauty of a mill. Also, I don't understand why people manage to make somewhat intelligent comments but still use improper spelling and internet slang.
lol you're crzy. This piece iz slow in order to capture the beauty of the mill. Do you not kno the story behind this piece?it wuz written as a celebration of a mill. This song iz about nature and the beauty of the mill and its surroundings. Making it any faster would deminish its purpose
the piece is superb... with all the romantic features of subdominant minor chords and seconded interuppted cadences... yet i feel u have stuttered to much in ure performance... i have read the score... and understand sibelius didnt put a pause above every note...
but saying that... youre orchestra is superb and i never got bored..
The challenge with this piece that conductors face with respect to tempo is that Sibelius' own performance of it, the ONLY recording of Sibelius conducting his own music, chimes-in at about 6 minutes. Most performances one hears are about 4-and-a-half. While 6 minutes is almost unatainable, it is certainly a towering pinaccle of the composer's intentions that a conductor should at least take into consideration.
@Kurkikohtaus This is a highly intelligent remark. Funnily enough I just read a book about Sibelius in which the author Mäkelä claims that most conductors would play Sibelius much too slow. So your remark is much appreciated for me.
Sometimes listening to a piece in its own right is better than comparing. Otto Klemperer (my nick^^) often heard he conducted "too slow" - yet if you just listened, most of the time the tempo was "just right"...and showed new ways of the music.
@Kurkikohtaus In my view this singular recording done by Sibelius himself (and broadcast live on New Year´s Day 1939, when every Finn was bound to hear it) was a gigantic summing up of the Finnish people. (or they spoke through him, if you will.) Best ever preparation for the coming hardships! (the Winter War in Nov.)
The tempo is surely not too slow, I agree with rocmarin here. it makes the piece solemn and chorale-like. But the performance has a slight lack of schwung: there are too few variations in tempo and the dynamics are rather flat. Emotion-laden romantic music like this absolutely needs a strong rubato. Too bad that the timpani at the end are absent. But anyway, thanks for posting this moving piece!
This isn't emotion-laden romantic music, that's a mis-reading of the score and of the character of the piece. Also, Sibelius himself indicates very few dynamic differences, the ones I did were "pencilled-in" and very carefully at that.
I believe the charm of this piece lies in its straightforwardness and its calm solemnity. Too many liberties with dynamics and tempo in my opinion would turn it into post-romantic schlock.
Thanks a lot for your quick reply. I am very happy that you made your point about your performance. Surely we disagree about the nature of the piece and how it should be played, but you strongly convinced me of your belief in Sibelius and love for the piece. This is the sole condition that can ever make a performance satisfying.
pay close attention to his face and you can see where the conductor is not too happy, because i noticed that the orchestra is behind his tempo a bit, and so is late in some of the dramatic parts of the piece,
then again his style of conducting is hard to follow
Good orchestras play behind the conductor, sometimes quite a long ways behind the conductor. It allows him more flexibility with his interpretation. The orchestra has more reaction time to his gestures.
Practice practice practice. My conductor tells a story of an orchestra he used to play in. When the didn't like a conductor, they would wait an inordinately long time before coming in after his first beat, and continue holding a note after his cutoff only to cutoff when they wanted to. Though now that I look again, this would be really extreme. It's possible that there is a slight lag in the audio.
A Happy New Year!It is animation of the Internet and Mr.Michael Roháč command was conduct. Thank you for a wonderful command and a moving performance. It looks forward to meeting this year in September. Thank you for the birthday present for last year. It was impressed very much. We wish sincerely to express our gratitude. Please give my best regards to everybody. Japan of Yozo Ninomiya
Very nicely done. Most conduct this piece to up-tempo for my taste. It is more beautiful when given that sweetly melancholy, poignant quality. Not too many versions of Andante Festivo are this way. The Jaakko Kuusisto & Lahti Symphony Orchestra version in particular brings me to tears every time.
El director es muy guapo y joven, tiene buenas maneras a mi entender. Muchas gracias, paso a ior la interpretación
elenahntalavera 2 weeks ago
Oh I forgot to say: this is the best modern interpretation of this piece I´ve ever heard. And just the right pace! (not to speak of the spooky feeling I STILL have. Of looking at Sibelius himself.)
ellandelachapelle 1 month ago
Oh yeh, very nice indeed.
36tharmoredinfantry 6 months ago
I thought the story with Sibelius' own recording was that he only got one partial run-through with the orchestra before recording for the radio station, so the extremely slow tempo was more of a precaution. I think this tempo is great for the hall you played in though.
StrawberrySong 10 months ago
i love the song we gotten first place on it ( quartet)
lafayette253 1 year ago
how he conducts the second violins at 2:21 is beautiful. gets your attention in such a gorgeous way. so moving!!
nerdypoodle 1 year ago
Absolutely gorgeous. Brought tears to my eyes. The most moving I've heard. Bravo.
By the way, I love your conducting.
MusicBeautyLove 1 year ago
Neeme Järvi
FilmRomMusDrawingWar 1 year ago
hmmm
in my freshmen orchestra
im the concert master
and mann i got blown away playing this piece
its just amazingg
by far the hardest piece my orchestra has played yet
but still its super pleasing to the ear when we play it right
jihanskate 2 years ago
Where can one get copy of Sibelius conducting it?
noriemeha 2 years ago
I am in love with this piece. Many of Sibelius' piece can go towards the pretty ugly music. But this piece is just pure beauty. I want to play this so badly because it just is amazing
ceckviolinist 2 years ago
We played this when I was in high school, it's definitely my favorite piece of all time. The beauty and emotion... it's just gorgeous.
xstagelightsx 2 years ago
Technically, this piece was written for the 25th anniversary of a mill. However, the emotions conveyed are far more complex. And no, this piece is not about a mill, or to capture the beauty of a mill. Also, I don't understand why people manage to make somewhat intelligent comments but still use improper spelling and internet slang.
hphottie713 2 years ago
That's the exact tempo I want to hear AF in... Dekuji
Szabo517 2 years ago
The Summer String Clinic at IU Southeast played this piece. And What a great piece it was. I Would change nothing
lrj66 2 years ago
played this song for school. great piece. i like it better just a little faster though.
MatthewxSublime 2 years ago
lol you're crzy. This piece iz slow in order to capture the beauty of the mill. Do you not kno the story behind this piece?it wuz written as a celebration of a mill. This song iz about nature and the beauty of the mill and its surroundings. Making it any faster would deminish its purpose
lrj66 2 years ago
we played this song in my middle school orchestra...but not as well
Hawaiianboy900 2 years ago
haha yeah we;re playing this in my high school orchestra right now too!
DSofthemooon 2 years ago
me too! where you go to school?
MatthewRaines 2 years ago
....... needed that for homework... nice and relaxing... umm.. thanks
v0idburst 2 years ago
the piece is superb... with all the romantic features of subdominant minor chords and seconded interuppted cadences... yet i feel u have stuttered to much in ure performance... i have read the score... and understand sibelius didnt put a pause above every note...
but saying that... youre orchestra is superb and i never got bored..
thanks.
wagneristhebest 2 years ago
we played this song in my high school orchestra and our conductor always yelled at us for not keeping up with the tempo. It got pretty scary lol
adaugo123456789 3 years ago
We played this one much faster :)
garramonster1111 3 years ago
A few words in my own defence here...
The challenge with this piece that conductors face with respect to tempo is that Sibelius' own performance of it, the ONLY recording of Sibelius conducting his own music, chimes-in at about 6 minutes. Most performances one hears are about 4-and-a-half. While 6 minutes is almost unatainable, it is certainly a towering pinaccle of the composer's intentions that a conductor should at least take into consideration.
As for rubato... not here, no way.
Kurkikohtaus 3 years ago 5
@Kurkikohtaus I agree.
lewars1912 8 months ago
@Kurkikohtaus This is a highly intelligent remark. Funnily enough I just read a book about Sibelius in which the author Mäkelä claims that most conductors would play Sibelius much too slow. So your remark is much appreciated for me.
Sometimes listening to a piece in its own right is better than comparing. Otto Klemperer (my nick^^) often heard he conducted "too slow" - yet if you just listened, most of the time the tempo was "just right"...and showed new ways of the music.
Klemperer 5 months ago
@Kurkikohtaus In my view this singular recording done by Sibelius himself (and broadcast live on New Year´s Day 1939, when every Finn was bound to hear it) was a gigantic summing up of the Finnish people. (or they spoke through him, if you will.) Best ever preparation for the coming hardships! (the Winter War in Nov.)
ellandelachapelle 1 month ago
The tempo is surely not too slow, I agree with rocmarin here. it makes the piece solemn and chorale-like. But the performance has a slight lack of schwung: there are too few variations in tempo and the dynamics are rather flat. Emotion-laden romantic music like this absolutely needs a strong rubato. Too bad that the timpani at the end are absent. But anyway, thanks for posting this moving piece!
Steinbach1984 3 years ago 2
To further the above point made about rubato:
This isn't emotion-laden romantic music, that's a mis-reading of the score and of the character of the piece. Also, Sibelius himself indicates very few dynamic differences, the ones I did were "pencilled-in" and very carefully at that.
I believe the charm of this piece lies in its straightforwardness and its calm solemnity. Too many liberties with dynamics and tempo in my opinion would turn it into post-romantic schlock.
We have Mahler for that.
Kurkikohtaus 3 years ago 4
Thanks a lot for your quick reply. I am very happy that you made your point about your performance. Surely we disagree about the nature of the piece and how it should be played, but you strongly convinced me of your belief in Sibelius and love for the piece. This is the sole condition that can ever make a performance satisfying.
Steinbach1984 3 years ago
@Kurkikohtaus We have Mahler for that hahaha. (I love him too. But Sibelius didn´t .)
ellandelachapelle 1 month ago
pay close attention to his face and you can see where the conductor is not too happy, because i noticed that the orchestra is behind his tempo a bit, and so is late in some of the dramatic parts of the piece,
then again his style of conducting is hard to follow
rubiks1234 3 years ago
I agree he has a rather unique form, but I imagine you get used to it.
teenlabotomy89 3 years ago
I think your impression is caused by an elapsing time between the video and the audio track.
1967born 3 years ago
no its not, the orchestra is getting behind. If you look at the bows they're moving with the music.
mace56617 3 years ago
Good orchestras play behind the conductor, sometimes quite a long ways behind the conductor. It allows him more flexibility with his interpretation. The orchestra has more reaction time to his gestures.
nickajeglin 2 years ago
yes, but how do they know how soon to start playing after his gestures have been made?
surfininalaska 2 years ago
Practice practice practice. My conductor tells a story of an orchestra he used to play in. When the didn't like a conductor, they would wait an inordinately long time before coming in after his first beat, and continue holding a note after his cutoff only to cutoff when they wanted to. Though now that I look again, this would be really extreme. It's possible that there is a slight lag in the audio.
nickajeglin 2 years ago
If you look at what I assume is the concert-mistress (is that the PC way to say it?), you will find there is no lag in the audio.
jlaurson 2 years ago
@nickajeglin
Well they all stopped on time when that bloke stopped wavin his arms at the end of the music
LeRoiDelaRue 1 year ago
Mr. Michael Roháč
A Happy New Year!It is animation of the Internet and Mr.Michael Roháč command was conduct. Thank you for a wonderful command and a moving performance. It looks forward to meeting this year in September. Thank you for the birthday present for last year. It was impressed very much. We wish sincerely to express our gratitude. Please give my best regards to everybody. Japan of Yozo Ninomiya
ninomiyayozo 3 years ago
Very nicely done. Most conduct this piece to up-tempo for my taste. It is more beautiful when given that sweetly melancholy, poignant quality. Not too many versions of Andante Festivo are this way. The Jaakko Kuusisto & Lahti Symphony Orchestra version in particular brings me to tears every time.
rocmarin 3 years ago 6
One of my favourite pieces from Northern composers. Thank you.
1967born 3 years ago 3
Great video of a great piece. Good job, Kurki!
Tapkaara 3 years ago 2