Symphony No 1 in E minor, Op. 39
Symphony No 2 in D major, Op. 43
Symphony No 3 in C major, Op. 52
Symphony No 4 in A minor, Op. 63
Symphony No 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
Symphony No 6 in D minor, Op. 104
Symphony No 7 in C major, Op. 105
Tapiola, Op. 112
3 Late Fragments

Over the last few years I've been bewailing and lamenting the fact that most younger generation, up-and-coming conductors, musicians and especially singers, have been getting into the business of making music strictly for the "me" factor. New conductors micromanage way too much, new musicians attempt to play everything faster than anyone else simply for the sake of velocity, and new singers all strive for the diva effect. Mind you, some record label executives are to blame as well because they promote image over substance, and/or insist on album covers with the artist's name in bold, colorful font whilst the composer's name sits below in small black font. What would musicians and singers do without composers?

Such is not the case with Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä. I would strongly recommend that you watch a short video of his on YouTube in which he discusses conducting, and finishes by saying that in the end it's all about the composer, the music, and not about you.

It may seem like a bold move on any conductor's part to, for their first commercial recording, release a 4-Disc Box-Set of any composer's complete symphonies, but the booklet notes explain: "What was planned as a nine-month exploration of the composer's symphonies to mark Mäkelä's inaugural season in Norway soon became something more immersive. Covid-19 restrictions disrupted the first half of that season and eradicated its latter half. Conductor and orchestra ended up focusing on Sibelius - and only Sibelius - for much of the spring of 2021. "We played, played, played and then recorded," says Mäkelä. "Sibelius' music, like that of any composer, is a language you have to learn, and the circumstances under which we recorded actually played to our advantage." Workplace regulations during the pandemic stipulated a distance of 1.5 metres between musicians during the sessions. That, reports Mäkelä, fostered deep listening in his musicians."

The music of Finland's most famous composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), who never once turned his back on tonality, is a prime example of the "Nordic" sound. Bleak, windswept, desolate and, stoic and solid as bedrock. But when a shaft of light breaks through, its warmth and luminescence permeates all. The single-movement Seventh Symphony, with its brooding and prayerful opening Adagio from which the ominous horn calls eventually turn into sonic bliss during the final minutes of the symphony, is a perfect indication of this. The music feeds upon itself for its development and becomes a single, complete entity. And Klaus Mäkelä certainly takes an eagle's eye view and perspective on it, and makes it fully cohesive from start to finish.

I've rarely heard the lone clarinet introduction which sets the First Symphony in motion sound so forlorn, over a barely audible, distant sounding timpani roll. Russian composers perfected this evocative clarinet characteristic to great effect, and the influence of Russian composers like Tchaikovsky and Glazunov is never far below the surface of Sibelius' first symphonic work. Klaus Mäkelä lends the following highly agitated passage plenty of urgency and bite, and flows seamlessly into the first movement's main theme. The Oslo Philharmonic brass are most impressive here as they project a commanding and punchy sound when needed. And again, if there's a more Russian-influenced, woeful and heart-rending slow movement opening motif as in this symphony, I would like to hear it. Mäkelä lends it all the poignancy it calls for and then some.

Arguably considered a favorite by many, the Second Symphony starts to exhibit more nationalistic colors. The driving power and forward momentum of its final movement is like a mighty Viking ship, pushing ever forward through massive waves and powerful winds, all evident (to me anyway) in its remarkable orchestration, especially during its final 5 minutes. These various elements are well brought to the surface (pun intended) by Mäkelä and the orchestra members. The unfathomable dark elements and odd idiosyncrasies of the Fourth Symphony. The overwhelming sense of joy, elation and power present in the Fifth Symphony's final movement. All facets well captured and projected in these interpretations.

I haven't heard enough of the many, many sets available of the complete Sibelius symphonies to render a fully-informed verdict. But then again, I've never really liked to make comparisons. When you start comparing various recordings to each other, you tend to become niggly and miss out on the big picture. I prefer to judge a recording on its own merits, and based on that criteria this one certainly has lots to offer. For a young conductor, Klaus Mäkelä has plenty of insights to bring forward, and can certainly probe deep into a composer's psyche. If record label executives don't fuss with him too much, he should do wonders.