Good stuff

 

According to my tradition I will from now on write Sibelius in bold text.

 

I will continue to refer to Sibelius using the font reserved for minor composers of the second class. Only one Finn rules the roost around here!

 

you mean this guy............

 

^ eeeeewwwwwwwww, I'm waiting for the reaction to that one.........

 

Segerstam was Finnish right...?

 

Segerstam was Finnish and is Finnish (checked my passport to make sure). 261 symphonies last time I checked. That second-rater Sibelius barely managed seven, couldn't even make the obligatory nine! Of course, he did live longer that way I suppose...

 

You see, I like this. I think music should be an obsession. We can't go deep in it otherwise, right? So it was Ligeti, then Mendelsohn. Now Sibelius. Sure, next it's Wagner, then Beethoven. I understand. You're working your way home.

To Wolfgang.

This is where it goes. I like it! I love it all. Obsession ends in heaven. Bliss it was to be alive!

 

Waiting for the Tchaikovsky obsession. But yeah Sibelius is great. My obsession right now is Fear Factory.

 

Stockhausen

 

I might give his symphonies another listen soon. It seems that I've played his 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th only once or twice, the 2nd several times, and the 5th too many times to count.

 

Yeah do it. Listening to Sibelius is like going through the mountains. A great journey of beauty.

 

I had that, too, and bought lots of cycles. Still like my old Ashkenazy/Philharmonia and Maazel/VPO, but Davis, Vanska, HvK certainly know their way around a Sibelius symphony, too. Gotta admit I haven't spent any time listening to a Segerstam symphony (but his recording of Scriabin 2 is a good 'un).

 

The Mendelssohn obsession should have lasted a bit longer, but otherwise I agree, Sibelius is great!

 

I'll be Wieniawski-obsessed after this, just for you.

 

I remember performing his 1st symphony a while back. That was the first symphony I actually performed start to finish, and I remember running out of the hall after nearly crying with joy calling my friend to tell him about how I will never be the same again.

or something romantic like that. my point is that he was a great symphonist

 

Not to throw a wet blanket on the -- umm -- inexplicably beyond human Sibelius, but can anyone help me appreciate his seemingly thousands of lack luster tone poems? I do love the symphonies, but perhaps I am too mortal to appreciate the tone poems.

 

National-romantic masterpieces: The Wood-Nymph, Lemminkäinen Suite, Pohjola's Daughter, En Saga.
Masterpieces that transcend national romanticism: Nightride and Sunrise, Tapiola.
Also check out Andante festivo although it's hardly a tone poem.

 

I'm on a Sibelius kick as well. Your obsessions are quite amusing CoAG :lol:

Im still on my own Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky obsessions

 

How terribly exciting.

 

Do yourself a favour: up-grade to Nielsen. Think Fender to Gibson, Red to Blue Label, Suzuki to Harley... the list goes on.

 

Stop obsessing CoAG, it only wears out the composers and it is a lose/lose situation to burn the candle in both ends! (A friendly suggestion) :angel:

/ptr

 

As I've said a few times, Lully is my obsession at present. I take ptr's point - maybe more seriously than it was meant! - that obsessions like this leave you sleepless & you also miss out on other music. It's unbalanced. Plus, when I had obsessions on other music, pop songs etc, I usually ended up a bit 'scunnered' with it after I'd moved on, & didn't listen to it again till years later when it had recovered its freshness.
But there's nothing like an obsession for making you explore the depth of a composer or style. It's like falling in love - you couldn't live at that level for years & years, but it does kickstart a relationship. I think obsessions must be hardwired into the human brain, as a learning tool.

 

I was utterly serious (tongue in cheek), it is my deep and serious belief that composers music that You instantly feel at home with should be rationed, because, I'm frighteningly convinced that it may come a day when that composer will be the only thing available to listen to! (I know, a thoroughly horrifying 1984-ish scenario, but noting impossible!)

And also, I think it is much more rewarding to explore thing that you "hate"! (I'm not one for living down easy street!)

/ptr

 

And also, I think it is much more rewarding to explore thing that you "hate"! (I'm not one for living down easy street!)

/ptr

I can't even bear to think about writing "Elgar" in bold text.

 

COAG YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!
I still remember the posts were you said to me that you found his music boring!

Good that you started to see the beauty in his music!

 

Lots more than seven symphonies to be obsessed about:

Helsinki Philharmonic Orch.
Leif Segerstam

 

Vaughan Williams is boring.

 

You have lost your credibility after this sudden Sibelius obsession. Soon you will be listening to all RVW symphonies as you do now with Sibelius 2nd! I recommend to start with RVW 5th - the one dedicated to Sibelius.

Best regards, Dr

 

René Leibowitz once described Sibelius as "the worst composer in the world," obviously preferring my music by far.

 

Check out my signature. ut:

 

Well, we all knew whatever next, it would be an obsession

Enjoy....