To many, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra has become synonymous with excellence in Sibelius repertoire. Its numerous recordings with the previous chief conductor Osmo Vänskä have received countless distinctions and awards, and the orchestra is universally regarded as having a very special affinity for the music of their great compatriot.

During this 150th anniversary year of Jean Sibelius, his music is being performed and discussed more widely than ever. As might be expected, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, noted for its numerous and often revelatory Sibelius recordings, is planning its own homage: all seven symphonies will be performed at the 2015 edition of the orchestra's annual Sibelius Festival. With principal conductor Okko Kamu the Lahti SO has also prepared a special birthday present for their great compatriot. Recorded between 2012 and 2014 this new anniversary cycle is released as a boxed set of three SACDs with a surround sound option, and is accompanied by an ample booklet with informative notes by Andrew Barnett, author of a Sibelius biography. Needless to say, Kamu has conducted these works numerous times since then, in Finland and abroad, but has never before put his name to a complete cycle on disc.

Okko Kamu is a pro, and a thoroughly idiomatic Sibelius conductor, and of course the Lahti Symphony Orchestra's credentials already have been certified. The performances are excellent and full of personal touches. In the Tempest Suites, Kamu is always sensitive to the music's subtle details, particularly regarding string articulation. "Miranda", for example, is unusually wistful but not sleepy, and if "Caliban's Song" sounds a bit too legato, you do get a vivid sense of a corpulent, swaggering creature. "The Overture" is amazingly clear harmonically, yet also powerful. In short: a terrific performance.