The six Humoresques, Opp. 87 and 89 come from the same period as the Fifth Symphony, at a time when Sibelius was toying with the idea of a second violin concerto. In a sketchbook of 1914-15 one of the themes that was eventually used in the Sixth Symphony is earmarked for the concerto, and some of the material of the Humoresques was possibly conceived with a concerto in mind. In any event, they are among Sibelius's most inspired compositions and their neglect on record is unaccountable: one recording was available in the days of 78rpm, but the first complete set came from Aaron Rosand on Vox in 1960 (nla), and recent accounts (among them Salvatore Accardo in 1980 on Philips—also nla) have been few.
The present issue collects the remainder of Sibelius's pieces for violin and orchestra: the Two Serenades, Op. 69 (1912-13), which have previously been recorded by Boris Belkin for Decca in 1980 (nla), and Ida Haendel for EMI in 1976 (also nla), and the Two Pieces Op. 77. As Erik Tawaststjerna put it, ''In the Humoresques Sibelius has captured the lyrical, dancing soul of the violin''; but not only do these pieces captivate, they have a poignant, wistful melancholy all their own. Indeed, there are few pieces where the magic of the white nights of the Scandinavian summer are more keenly evoked. The lyrical invention, too, is fresh, charming and (to my mind) irresistable.
Sibelius wrote that these radiant pieces convey something of ''the anguish of existence, fitfully lit up by the sun'', and behind their outward elegance and charm, there is an all-pervasive sadness. This is even more intense in the Serenades, which are glorious pieces and quintessential Sibelius. It is good that Dong-Suk Kang, long familiar to BBC listeners and concertgoers in the United States, is at last gaining the recognition on CD to which his gifts entitle him. He is an outstanding player whose televised account of the Sibelius Concerto at last season's BBC Promenade Concerts was rightly acclaimed. His impeccable technique and natural musical instinct serve this repertoire well and he seems to have established an excellent rapport with Jarvi and the Gothenburg orchestra.
The two fill-ups are juvenilia and are only intermittently characteristic: the Overture and the Ballet scene date from his year in Vienna, when he was studying with Goldmark and Robert Fuchs. They were originally to have been the first two movements of a symphony: Tawaststjerna discusses their provenance at some length in his Sibelius Volume 1: 1865-1905 (Faber: 1976). Sibelius sent the two works to Kajanus in April 1891, who performed them that same month despite a subsequent telegram asking him not to do so. The Overture is a sonata-form movement with an appealing second group, very much in his Karelia idiom, and though Sibelius was wise to allow them to remain in manuscript during his lifetime, they are of undoubted interest to all Sibelians.
The recording is of the usual high quality one has come to expect from the team of Michael Bergek and Lennart Dehn, and there are excellent notes by Andrew Barnett. The music for violin and orchestra here is marvellously rewarding and gloriously played. I recommend this issue with all possible enthusiasm.'