Sibelius, Jean - Symphony No. 4; The Wood Nymph; Valse Triste - Rouvali, Santtu-Matias

The Fourth Symphony is Sibelius's most difficult symphony. For some, it is his masterpiece. When the symphony premiered on April 3, 1911, in Helsinki, one critic compared it to bark bread – tree bark that Finns ate during times of famine! Fittingly, Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali explores this emotionally revealing symphony. With his Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, he continues the cycle of all Sibelius' symphonies, adding the famous Valse Triste and a symphonic poem inspired by Swedish folklore called Metsänmyyjä (The Forest Seller).