Sir John Barbirolli’s electrifying interpretations of the works of Jean Sibelius have inspired audiences all over the world. In a letter to Barbirolli, Sibelius declared himself to be a ‘devoted admirer’ of the conductor, adding that he was always happy to know that his compositions were in Barbirolli’s ‘masterful hands’. This collection features, among other works, the complete symphonies – including Barbirolli’s specialty, No. 2 –, the incidental music of Pelléas et Mélisande and that great instrumental song of nationalism Finlandia.
