Sibelius, Jean - Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5; Pohjola's Daughter

After phenomenal critical success with the first two movements of all of Sibelius' symphonies (Gramophone Editor's Choice, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Diapason d'Or, FFFF Télérama, etc.), Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra present us with Sibelius's "green" side. Due to health problems and financial worries, he moved to the shores of Lake Tuusula just before writing his Third Symphony. His work was strongly inspired by nature. In April 1915, when the world was in chaos, he wrote in his diary about the appearance of sixteen swans on the lake and remembered their cries, which inspired the great horn theme in the finale of his Fifth Symphony.