Parallel to his great sequence of symphonic masterpieces and
tone poems, Jean Sibelius wrote a significant body of music for
the theatre. It was with King Christian II and Kuolema that he
established his fame throughout Europe whilst some of his
most hauntingly beautiful writing for the stage can be found
in Belshazzar’s Feast. The tragic pantomime
Scaramouche is Sibelius’s only continuous dramatic
score and Pelléas et Mélisande one of his most
accomplished whilst the rarely performed
Jedermann is recognised as a hidden masterpiece.
Gramophone wrote of these performances:
‘Leif Segerstam masterminds a
characteristically unhurried, atmospheric
display. What an absorbing journey of
discovery this series has proved to be;
congratulations to everyone involved.’