Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra - Jean Sibelius Symphony No 2, Pohjola’s Daughter (2007) [SACD]

Colin Davis has firmly established himself as a master interpreter of the symphonies & tone poems of Jean Sibelius, & his great recordings of the late 20th century have been favorites for many fans of this music. It should come as no surprise that Davis’ 2005 recording of the perennially popular Symphony No. 2 in D major & Pohjola’s Daughter on LSO Live is an excellent addition to his impressive catalogue given the intelligent interpretations of this conductor, the responsive playing of the LSO, & the extraordinary direct stream digital sound that is a feature of this label’s releases. Recorded in September & October 2005 in London’s Barbican, the LSO conveys the misty atmosphere & heroic strength of these works; the levels of energy & expression are high & sustained throughout these performances, & there are neither weak spots to detract nor mistakes to disappoint. Considering that these concert recordings have almost no detectable audience noise, & that the orchestra is always clearly audible, even at a low volume, there are no reasons to regard this package as inferior in any way to Davis’ digital recordings of the same pieces for RCA, or his earlier analogue recordings for Philips. The reproduction of this standard CD release is only slightly less vivid & realistic than the hybrid SACD, which features 2ch & 5ch mixes.