Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7

With this fourth volume, Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen completes his cycle of Sibelius’s numbered symphonies, of which the Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3 (8572305) were acclaimed as ‘warm and poignant’ (Classical Music Sentinel), Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 (8572227) as having ‘raw intensity’ (Guardian) and Symphony No. 2 (8572704) as ‘entrancing … highly recommended’ (Allmusic.com). The tranquil and sunny poetry of Symphony No. 6 joins the majestic single-movement Symphony No. 7, coupled with Finlandia, the work which established Sibelius’s fame and became a symbol of Finnish freedom.