When this recording was first published it was hailed as an almost definitive recording of the Sibelius 2. Philips recordings, for me, seemed to have a technical craftsmanship that made them special. Then there was the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam Orchestra which has been hailed as the greatest in the world in recent years...it has always been in the top five or so. Finally, George Szell, one of the “martinet” conductors of yesteryear (when most of them were martinets) who almost never disappointed. So just based on this resumè of virtues, it was natural to expect something special. And so it was and remains so to this day. Add to that the extra “juice” you get from HDTT’s UHD transfers and you have an incomparable experience awaiting you for this work. Certainly there are others that are masters of Sibelius: Colin Davis, Simon Rattle, or Maurice Abravanel. But, while technology may have improved, musically none of them exceed Szell’s presentation. I already had all the others, but that is why I bought this one.
24/96 PCM Flac Digital Download
