Complete Karelia Music; Press celebrations music (1998)

"The Karelia Suite needs no introduction, but the extensive sequence of incidental music from which Sibelius selected its three movements is quite unknown. Jouni Kaipainens reconstruction of Sibeliuss original music of 1893, written to accompany a set of historical tableaux and a huge success at its premiere, is a revelation. (...) Tuomas Ollilas performance is fresh and vivid with a strong feeling for the musics intrinsically dramatic qualities renditions for the stage rather than the concert hall; the result is a lustrous context for the three well-known movements of the Karelia Suite in which they shine all the more brightly. The Press Celebrations Music, which includes the original version of Finlandia, is less unified, but in its way equally fascinating. (...) The energy and commitment of the performances along with the genuine novelty of the material will make this compulsory listening for any admirer of Sibelius." (Classical-music)