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Sibelius: Symphony No. 3
Orchestre Métropolitain
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
ATMA Classique ACD24033
★★★★✩
Least loved of the brood of seven, Sibelius’s Third Symphony is known (to the extent that it is known at all) as a modest classical interregnum between the heroic Second and tragic Fourth. This latest instalment in the Orchestre Métropolitain cycle under Yannick Nézet-Séguin sharpens its profile with crisp strings and tangy woodwinds held in a handsome balance. There are shadows and sunbeams under Nézet-Séguin’s exacting direction, and wonders of contrapuntal and colouristic interplay. The Andantino con moto second movement is as close to chamber music as orchestral music gets. Even the soft supporting pizzicato figures in the cellos are thematically compelling. This is a true illustration of how less can be more, although I confess to wanting a stronger treatment of the stately (and repetitive) chorale into which all that scampering in the finale resolves. Still, this recording made in the Maison symphonique last June bodes well for the cycle, which started in 2019 with the First Symphony and continues in February with the Fourth.
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