Sibelius Violin Concerto in D and
Pelléas et Mélisande, Incidental Music for Orchestra
Ricci embraces a range of colors and effects with seamless mastery: sometimes sweetly lulling, but often rasping and throaty, and occasionally, shrieking among the Northern Lights like a demented banshee in harmonics. The Adagio di molto exudes a haunted, brooding atmosphere, counteracted in the last movement, the "polonaise for polar bears," as Tovey characterized it. Ricci's studied pacing, supported by Fjeldstad's expert symphonic forces, grants us a Sibelius Concerto of enduring power and beauty. As for the sonics they have been afforded the beautiful early stereo Decca sound always a big plus. Beecham selected eight of nine pieces of the incidental music (he omits the Entr'acte) for his vivid recording with the Royal Philharmonic. Each section exemplifies Beecham's strong suits: delicacy, intensely nuanced coloration, refinement, sweetness, lightness, and utmost sensitivity to the emotional context. While the "Pastorale" highlights the RPO woodwinds and strings, the "Death of Melisande" becomes an ardent tone-picture worthy of independent existence. Already in early stereo, our restoration process intensifies Beecham's palette to an extraordinary level of response, a tour de force in the Scandinavian treatment of romance.

Ruggiero Ricci (violin) Øivin Fjeldstad/London Symphony Orchestra
Pelléas et Mélisande Sir Thomas Beecham Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Compact Disc Burned on a Gold CD-R
HQCD (High Quality Compact Disc) Playable on all compact disc players
24bit 96khz Resolution DVD Playable on all DVD players
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