<<<  <<  -- 3 --  Howard Smith    ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECOMMENDED

Part Three covers the tone poems, shorter works and theatrical music; again the scoring is illustrated. Dotted throughout Parts One and Two we find biographies of Finnish composers influenced to a greater or lesser degree by Sibelius. They are Erkki Melartin (1875-1937), Uuno Klami (1900-1961), Einar Englund (1916-1999), Joonas Kokkonen (1921-1996), Magnus Lindberg (born 1958), Väinö Raitio (1891-1945), Einojuhani Rautavaara (born 1928), Per Henrik Nordgren (born 1944), Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947), Aarre Merikanto (1893-1958), Aulis Sallinen (born 1935) and Kalevi Aho (born 1949).

Of course, Sibelius scholars should not be without the five volumes by Erik Tawaststjerna (1916-1993), edited and translated by Robert Layton -- resulting in a three-volume English language set -- Sibelius 1865-1905, Sibelius 1904-1914 and Sibelius 1914-1957.

But Hurwitz's 'Sibelius' is a fine, illuminating, 'owner'-friendly survey of the orchestral works. The two Ondine discs are a splendid adjunct -- in short, the whole package can be enthusiastically recommended.