Paavo Berglund - Relationship With Jean Sibelius' Music

Relationship With Jean Sibelius' Music

Berglund was particularly associated with the music of Sibelius and he recorded the complete Sibelius symphonies three times. During the mid 1950s, Jean Sibelius heard Berglund conduct some of the symphonies and the Suite Rakastava, and told Berglund how much he had enjoyed the performances. He met Sibelius at his home Ainola as a member of the delegation of the Radio Orchestra that visited Sibelius. Sibelius asked him whether they were playing any Schönberg. To this Paavo Berglund answered no. This was the whole conversation. Berglund made the first recording of the Kullervo Symphony. Berglund's source-critical research on the Sibelius Seventh Symphony began in 1957, when he conducted the Seventh with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and noticed that they were playing from parts that Sibelius had corrected. He saw that the printed parts had numerous errors. His subsequent research led to the publication of a new edition of the symphony by Hansen in 1980.

In an interview in 1998 with the London Sunday Times, Berglund spoke of his interpretative ideas on the music of Jean Sibelius:

"'Sibelius's music is often ruined because it's too strictly accurate. I think maybe musicians like to play like this' – he makes a series of downward vertical gestures – 'but it's good to do it like this' – his hands, one above the other, oscillate gently in and out of vertical alignment. 'Accuracy against atmosphere: it's not that simple. The early Sibelius conductor Georg Schneevoigt once complained that he couldn't get the details out of Sibelius's scores. Sibelius said that he should simply swim in the gravy.'"

Berglund was highly regarded as an authority on Jean Sibelius by other conductors, including Sir Simon Rattle.

He collaborated with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in recordings of the complete symphonies of Jean Sibelius and Johannes Brahms. The origin for the Sibelius recordings were made when Berglund conducted the orchestra at the Edinburgh Festival in a complete cycle of the Sibelius symphonies. What was especially notable was using smaller string forces than usual in some of the symphonies. The result was highly praised.

Berglund's early Sibelius interpretations are more dark and heavy. Later on he discovered a new style. While other conductors often go for the big effects in Sibelius, Berglund started to love the clarity that could be achieved with an orchestra of about 50 players.

In general he was known for prefering gut strings in string instruments and the sparse use of vibrato. He often said that the use of vibrato hides faults and mistakes.

Mr Berglund was one of the jury members in the 1st International Sibelius Conductors' Competition (http://www.sibeliusconductorscompetition.org) held in 1995.