Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Finlandia & Karelia Suite

Like many composers before him, Sibelius was inspired to write his second symphony while traveling. Though his music is wholly Finnish, the genesis of his second symphony was bound up with his experience living near a mountain in Italy in the winter of 1901. The soulful, sweeping melodies he produced for this work are handled beautifully by the Jansons and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, whose colorful timbres and crisp intonation illuminate the complex layers of the music. The Karelia Suite receives a similarly impressive performance that highlights its Wagnerian horn passages and dark, moody textures.