With this fine account of the First Symphony, Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia Orchestra complete their Sibelius cycle for Decca—and triumphantly, too! The Karelia suite is the most common ...

Osmo Vänskä’s new Sibelius cycle continues with the First and Fourth, a pairing he evidently likes, as that is how he started his previous cycle in Lahti. As I noted with Nos 2 and 5 (4/12), Vänskä’s ...