Sibelius: Symphony No 2 (1940) Toscanini/NBC

Ignaz (Jean) Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43 1. Allegretto (0:07) 2. Tempo andante, ma rubato (8:43) 3. Vivacissimo (20:46) 4. Finale, Allegro moderato (26:26) Arturo Toscanini, conductor NBC Symphony Orchestra Recorded Live on December 7, 1940 in Studio 8H, Radio City, New York After the success of Finlandia in 1901, Sibelius was sent by his friend the Baron Axel Carpelan to a villa near Rapallo, Italy. During this stay he began to sketch the 2nd Symphony. He completed it the following year, and it received its premier on March 8, 1902 by the Helsinki Orchestral Society with the composer conducting. The reaction of critics was mixed, but audiences took to it at once. Finding patriotic sentiment for Finnish independence in the fourth movement, some even referred to it as “The Symphony of Independence“. History does not tell us how Sibelius himself felt about such notions. He only described it as “A confession for the soul“. Toscanini performed the 2nd Symphony in live broadcasts in 1939 and 1940. This is the later performance, which was originally issued in the 1960s from transcription sources. Digital Transfer (1991): RCA New York Field acoustic and sonic restoration (2023): Paul Howard - The Yucaipa Studio We do not monetize on this channel and our posts are commercial free. If you wish to offer support for this kind of music you can buy us a cup of coffee at: