Sibelius CD review – hidden piano gems

Neglected and in many cases misunderstood, Sibelius’s piano works remain something of secret. The celebrated Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes is on a mission to share them. As he readily confesses, they are uneven in quality, some sounding little more than short, sweet musings, others like shadowy imitations of Chopin or Liszt. All appear worlds away from the raw splendour of the symphonic works. Or perhaps not. The three lyric pieces of Kyllikki, Op 41 (1904), inspired by Finland’s epic, The Kalevala, or the Five Sketches (1929) do echo the timbre and mood of his orchestral writing. On closer listening you feel a door to Sibelius’s mysterious world has been unlocked. And the playing is beautiful.