Composer Jean Sibelius initially aspired to be a violin virtuoso, but his stage fright and late start in studies prevented him from achieving that goal.
Performer Biography
Dong-Suk Kang, the violinist on this recording, gained public attention by winning the San Francisco Symphony and Merriweather Post competitions in the U.S.A.
Performer Biography
Conductor Neeme Järvi, born in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1937, is the Principal Conductor of both the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Notable Performances
The first performances of the Overture in E major and Ballet Scene were conducted by Robert Kajanus, going against Sibelius's wishes, as the composer had telegraphed to request they not be performed due to self-doubt.
Recording & Production
The Overture in E major and Ballet Scene are presented in their first-ever recording on this album, as they remain unpublished to this day.
Recording & Production
Neeme Järvi is engaged in recording projects of the complete orchestral music of Sibelius and Tubin for the BIS label, and has appeared on 50 other BIS records.
Composition History
Sibelius's earliest orchestral compositions, the Overture in E major and Ballet Scene, were originally intended as the first two movements of a symphony he conceived while studying in Vienna in 1891.
