Eduard van Beinum was quite a Sibelius pioneer and collected here are his complete Sibelius recordings for Decca and Philips. The set also marks the first appearance on CD of his Violin Concerto in a 1952 performance by Jan Damen (a former leader of the Concertgebouw) and the London Philharmonic. A collector’s haven, this 2CD set is completed with Thomas Jensen’s 1953 recording of the Four Legends, an absolute rarity, played with tremendous energy and spirit.
CD 1
JEAN SIBLIUS
En Saga, Op. 9
Tapiola, Op. 112
Finlandia, Op. 26
Valse Triste, Op. 44
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
Eduard van Beinum
CD 2
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47
Jan Damen, violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Eduard van Beinum
Four Legends , Op. 22
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Jensen
Recording producer: John Culshaw (Violin Concerto, En Saga, Tapiola)
Recording engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson (Violin Concerto, En Saga, Tapiola)
Recording locations: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, March 1952 (Violin Concerto); Concertgebouw, Grote Zaal, Amsterdam, Netherlands, December 1952 (En Saga, Tapiola), June 1957 (Finlandia, Valse Triste); Copenhagen, July 1953 (Four Legends)
Remastering: Craig Thompson (The Audio Archiving Company) for Violin Concerto, Four Legends