Sibelius: "En saga", Santtu-Matias Rouvali/Gothenburg S.O., 2019.

"En saga" or "Satu" in Finnish was one of the early breakthrough pieces of Janne. He completely recomposed the 1892 version in 1902. People like Toscanini were quick to program it. Here's Arturo conducting "En saga" in 1952 • Sibelius En Saga Op 9 ... . Both men died in 1957, but Arturo was two years younger. Note how much Arturo accelerates the tempo towards the great culmination near the end, which is I think the right way to play the piece.
En saga is a proof of that Sibelius is in fact a minimalist composer. He has a big array of various theme-lets he throws in, then he discards them and has them sneakily return in another form in a different instrument in an apparent disarray, then the order may return, or may not.. the effect is really all open and unresolved, which makes it fascinating.
The classic analysis is often lost with him, what I find interesting is that nobody anywhere has ever even vaguely tried to emulate his composing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_saga
One of the famous SIbelius clarinet solos in the end, another is in the opening of Symphony No. 1. The soloist is excellent. Janne received his first musical tutoring from a retired military band clarinetist in Hämeenlinna, save from his mother and his aunt who naturally would be playing the piano as a part of the proper upper class education.
I did not see "piatti con bachette di timpani" or "cymbals played with timpani sticks" rising above pp near the end in the score as it was played here, rather it was specifically "quasi niente".
Running score with the music with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Vladimir Azhkenazy: • Jean Sibelius - En sag...
Santtu-Matias Rouvali (1985-) is among the growing number of internationally appreciated Finnish conductors. Gothenburg S.O. has a long tradition playing Sibelius, being conducted by the man himself.