Sibelius - Symphonies Nos 4 & 6

The Guardian 80

Hallé/Elder
(Hallé)
Mark Elder and the Hallé bring a sympathetic, powerful character to Sibelius’s enigmatic symphonies in this final disc in their symphony cycle

It has taken Mark Elder and the Hallé more than a decade to complete their survey of the Sibelius symphonies. In bringing together the two most enigmatic works in the cycle as their final disc, they invite direct comparison with what are perhaps two of the most celebrated Sibelius symphony recordings ever released, Herbert von Karajan’s 1960s versions of the Fourth and Sixth Symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic. But even if Elder’s readings cannot summon up the harrowing bleakness that Karajan brought to the Fourth, or match his uncluttered tonal beauty in the Sixth, they do have an often powerful character of their own, while the Hallé’s playing in both symphonies is outstanding.