Sibelius was one of the 20th century's greatest and most innovative symphonists, reworking the traditional symphonic structure as radically as Beethoven did in his day. Though his early works show Russian and Italian influences (as a product of his country's history and his travelling, respectively), his music gradually developed its own identity, characterised by beauty, mystery, colour and light, together with his strong love for his native Finnish homeland. Praised for their sound quality as well as the music-making, this set of classic LSO Live recordings is the definitive Sibelius symphony collection.
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