Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43
Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker
Available as
Jean Sibelius once famously declared that Karajan was the only conductor who truly understood his music. This legendary 1980 account of the Second Symphony stands as the spectacular proof of that bond. Eschewing the lean, chilly approach often favoured in Nordic repertoire, Karajan unleashes the Berlin Philharmonic in a reading of titanic, elemental power. From the brooding mystery of the inner movements to the shattering, sun-drenched triumph of the finale, this recording represents the 'Karajan Sound' at its most thrillingly monumental.
