★★★★☆ Sibelius without intensity, but Maazel held my interest, for some reason

Sibelius: Symphony No. 3, Finlandia, Karelia Suite

I've never understood why Sibelius's delightful 3rd Symphony has been neglected in some circles. Even Herbert von Karajan, the great Sibelius champion, never recorded it. It doesn't take much for me to warm up to the work, and Lorin Maazel starts out with quite a bit more energy than I was expecting. One certainly can't fault him for dragging his feet. He feels a bit breezy, though, and if Pittsburgh Symphony plays quite well, I wish everything could have a stronger darker tint. This is cheerful Sibelius, with gentle conviction that doesn't aim for intensity. If the 1st movement lacks monumental drive, the 2nd movement is nicely conceived, just without  anything to make it stand out. In the finale, Maazel sounds soulful and he reads into the mystery quite convincingly. You can feel the undercurrent rustling and detail. So in all, this is a very good reading, with my only complaint being that it's too straightforward without enough depth. It always flows freely, something that isn't a given in this music.

This same feeling continues with the Swan of Tuonela, which is positive and free-flowing with little tension. In spite of myself, I find myself enjoying it, though. I sense love in Maazel's baton. The Karelia Suite is more problematic, though. Maazel makes his way through glibly without any underlying drama; a comparison with Karajan would be devastating. The Ballade comes off the best, again due to the tender phrasing. Valse Triste continues in the same vein, one that I like without loving. There's no desperate passion or digging below the surface, but it still feels involving, to an extent.

I'm not sure why Maazel had to start Finlandia so mildly. There's basically no tension at all, with the brass smoothly making their way--no thrills there. He seems to be pulling the line around a bit, trying to create magic instead of aiming for overt drama. And though I prefer Karajan by a long shot, at least it's interesting.

Looking at my prognosis on paper, it would seem natural to give this album three stars, but for some reason I consistently found myself enjoying almost everything Maazel had to say. Yes, there's a fraction of the intensity I prefer, and some odd artistic judgement, but I still left feeling refreshed.