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The Complete Jean Sibelius Edition - A set of 13 box-sets on the BIS label - All the music Sibelius ever created

The 50th anniversary of the death of Sibelius occurred in 2007, and BIS, the label that has always been a strong supporter of his music since their beginnings, in September of that year, released the first set of a projected 13 volume edition of every note put down to paper by Jean Sibelius, spanning a total of 65 compact discs.

The series will contain all the published works, rare original versions of works kindly granted by the Sibelius family, and world premiere recordings of early works, from material unique to BIS. A large extent of the recordings included in the special box-sets are recordings that have previously been released over the years, some of them recipients of Gramophone and Grand Prix du Disque awards, and most of them greeted with high acclaim and glowing reviews. The release schedule for the complete series will cover the next 3 years, during which brand new recordings of yet unheard music will be added to the collection.

Some of the musicians and artists involved in this epic undertaking are the conductors Osmo Vänskä, Neeme Järvi, singers Monica Groop, Anne Sofie von Otter, pianist Folke Gräsbeck, and the Gothenburg and Lahti Symphony orchestras, to name only a few.

At the time of editing this review, the first 4 volumes in the series are already in my own collection and it is already proving to be a substantial and definitive traversal of the life's work of the great Finnish composer. Each volume has been planned with great care and expertise, and contains an overview of the complete projected collection, a 50 page biography of Sibelius, and a very detailed booklet with copious notes on the pieces, including the year of composition, opus number, if it's a first, revised or final version, etc....and sets of 5 or 6 cds sell for the price of 3. A good bargain for the quality that is ever present from BIS. All the performances and recordings are of the highest standards!

Tone Poems

Chamber Music 1

Voice & Orchestra

Piano Music 1

Here is a list of the projected cycle, including tentative dates of release.

1 - Tone Poems - Sept. 2007 2 - Chamber Music Vol. 1 - Oct. 2007 3 - Voice & Orchestra - Nov. 2007 4 - Piano Music Vol. 1 - April 2008 5 - Theatre Music - June 2008 6 - Violin & Piano - Sept. 2008 7 - Solo Songs - Dec. 2008 8 - Orchestral Works/Violin Concerto - March 2009 9 - Chamber Music Vol. 2 - June 2009 10 - Choir a cappella - Sept. 2009 11 - Piano Music Vol. 2 - Dec. 2009 12 - Symphonies - March 2010 13 - Miscellaneous/Organ Works - March 2010

BIS have put years of work into this considerable offering and have shown the greatest respect and devotion to the composer with every note they have commited to these recordings. If you enjoy the music of Jean Sibelius and would like to make some discoveries, or if you are an avid collector, this definitive, detailed, first rate edition is for you.