Not Sibelius' deepest, but huge audiophile fun

Never realized how beautiful “The Oceanides” is. If this is a potboiler it's a damn good one, and I'm pleased to eat the stew in the pot. Berglund was known for getting the most out of players so that they sound better than they are supposed to be… and in the process they actually better, as happened to several Finnish orchestras he led. Thus the Bournemouth Symphony sounds really good here, the strings handling Sibelius's at times extreme demands with aplomb, and all sections sounding glorious when asked to. The sound is what we want from DXD, intimate detailed and revealing, but where called for big and loud and gripping, without distortion or smearing. No matter what was happening in the score I could always hear into the texture with ease. This is Sibelius showing off his skills--genius?-- as am orchestral writer. It's not deep brooding Nordic philosophical poetry like his symphonies. But it great (audiophile) fun to listen to on a good rig like yours or mine. Those auburn brasses, those swirling woodwinds and violins. Sibelius! In DXD! Gotta love it. This got 4 stars from me, and not 5, only because the works are not Sibelius at his deepest and most profound. So go ahead and buy something less profound, but nonetheless great audiophile fun!